Former professional footballer Hal Robson-Kanu discusses how adversity shaped both his football career and his business philosophy. Reflecting on being released by Arsenal F.C. at 15 and suffering serious ACL injuries, he explains that real resilience comes not from eliminating doubt but learning to live with uncertainty and continue acting despite it. He argues adversity is essential for development, because only through facing difficulty do people discover their capacity to persevere.

Robson-Kanu connects these lessons to entrepreneurship with The Turmeric Co.. The company’s “north star,” he says, is creating genuine “life transformations” through clinically backed products rather than typical consumer brands that prioritize marketing over product efficacy.

He also reflects on elite sport, emphasizing that high performance is less about motivational speeches and more about obsessive attention to fundamentals—training routines, discipline, and preparation over long periods. Success, whether in football or business, comes from consistent intent, clear direction, and aligning the energy of a team toward a shared objective.

Ultimately, his core belief is that “all is mind”: mindset shapes performance, opportunity, and outcomes in sport, business, and life.

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♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲

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🌟 HUNGRY's Absolutely Bloody Marvellous Sponsors🌟 ==============================================

A massive shoutout to our incredible sponsors who make HUNGRY possible: ​
►North Star: (www.northstarbc.co.uk)
🤝 Let's Connect!
►Let’s link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/)
►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)

This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)

Ivan Orkin is one of the most unlikely success stories in the world of food.

A Jewish kid from New York moves to Tokyo, opens a tiny ramen shop in the suburbs, and somehow ends up becoming one of the most respected ramen chefs in Japan — a country famously protective of its culinary traditions.

In this conversation, Dan sits down with the founder of Ivan Ramen to unpack how that happened.

Ivan talks about teaching himself ramen, opening his first shop in Japan with barely any money, and the moment a single influential ramen critic changed the trajectory of his business overnight. He explains why ramen is one of the most creative foods in Japanese cuisine, why “authentic” is often the wrong word to use, and how breaking rules is sometimes the only way to find your voice.

Along the way they dive into the realities of running restaurants across different cities — from Tokyo to New York to Las Vegas — the difference between destination dining and foot-traffic restaurants, and the constant tension between creativity and the brutal economics of hospitality.

It’s a conversation about stubbornness, identity, and what it really takes to build something original in a culture that isn’t your own.

ON THE MENU:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:08 Japanese Literature and Murakami
00:04:23 Why Ivan Studied Japanese at University
00:11:05 The Genesis of Ivan Ramen - $60k to get started
00:12:26 Foreigner in Japan’s Ramen Scene
00:14:02 Fixing the Hospitality Problem in Ramen Shops (Lessons form Lutece)
00:25:33 What makes a good Ramen?
00:36:12 Taking Advantage of the Gaijin Card
00:40:05 How Tokyo Became an International Food City
00:40:12 Pizza & Wine - Tokyo Rivals the Best of the World
00:41:11 Ivan’s Favorite NYC Pizza Spots
00:44:06 Why the Pizza Scene Exploded in New York
00:47:50 Why Ivan Doesn’t Fear Recipe Copying
00:51:02 Ray Kroc and No-Nonsense Business Advice
01:01:52 How the USA is Killing its Small Businesses
01:06:08 What Most Restaurant Business Plans Miss
01:07:08 Why "Authentic" is a Terrible Word
01:07:52 The Moment Ivan Decided He Could Go For It
01:12:21 The Best Sandwiches in NYC
01:15:47 Ivan on London’s Food Scene
01:17:16 Ivan on British Tea (PG Tips vs Fancy Tea)

==============================================

♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲

==============================================
🌟 HUNGRY's Absolutely Bloody Marvellous Sponsors🌟 ==============================================

A massive shoutout to our incredible sponsors who make HUNGRY possible: ​
►North Star: (www.northstarbc.co.uk)
🤝 Let's Connect!
►Let’s link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/)
►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)

This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)