This is a YouTube video titled "Leaders don't retire—they evolve #LeadershipWisdom #LifelongLearning #GrowthMindset" containing a monologue by Donald Burns recorded in August 2025. In this reflective talk, Donald Burns shares personal insights on humility, continuous learning, leadership style, and his long-term life and career goals, including opening 50 restaurants and living to 100 years old.
I've suffered from ego in the past and thinking, man, I know it all, and I got this down, and I'm the guy, you know, if you get beat up long enough in this business, you take some knocks and you start knowing, you know what? I'm still learning. And I don't preach to my team anymore, man. I just ask questions a lot. What should we do here? What do you think about this? What do you. And, you know, and sometimes they're right. Sometimes I don't agree, but I'm gonna let them know, you know, I think. I like that. I think that's a great point. But what if. What if we. Let's try it this way or, you know, something like that. So I don't know it all. And I'm, you know, I'm never going to retire. I'm 63 years old. My plan, I think I'm going to live to 100. Good. I'm serious. I'm going to do it. I'm going to live to 100. I'll try to take good care of myself. And my goal is to. The night after I've opened my 50th restaurant, I just want to go to bed and not wake up at 100 years old. That's my. Yeah, that's a good goal. I like that goal. You're gonna go out. That's the way. That's the best way to go. Yeah.
If your restaurant only works because you work 80 hours a week, it doesn't work.
