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Robert Irvine does not do “small.” He is a celebrity chef, British Royal Navy veteran, bestselling author, relentless road warrior and the driving force behind the Robert Irvine Foundation, which supports service members, veterans, first responders and their families. His latest project is a six‑month national tour with rock band O.A.R., using their 30th anniversary tour to raise money and awareness for veterans with special donation activations at every stop.
Last time I chatted with Robert, it was live on stage at a How Success Happens recording in New York City last summer. It was great to reconnect and dig even deeper into what he’s learned about maintaining energy, strong leadership and building impact that actually lasts. And also, how to get by on almost no sleep.
Dan Bova: You just rattled off a day that includes a call with me, a White House economic call, a CT of your hips, then a flight to the Red Sox. How do you maintain the energy to do all these things and stay focused?
Robert Irvine: To be honest, I do get tired, but I’ve got a kind of a six‑week hard roll and then I need at least three days’ sleep after those six weeks. So I kinda go on rolls. But that sleep doesn’t necessarily happen at home because I’m only home eleven, twelve days a year, on the road three hundred and forty‑five plus. So I try to take the flights or at least the days to sleep in late before I have an event or go to the gym or whatever.
So you’re like a lion that eats a gazelle and then sleeps for a week.
Yeah, something like that.
Tell me about this partnership with O.A.R. How did it come about and what can people expect?
Well, I will tell you first and foremost, O.A.R.’s Marc Roberge is on the board of our foundation and has been for the last couple of years. I met them by chance. Justin Leonard, who’s my COO, is nuts about them. And I’m not a big music guy. I’m not. I didn’t even know what the Backstreet Boys were. I’m an ABBA, Celine Dion kind of guy! But I went to see a concert with them and was totally blown away by the music. And then we started traveling around the country to see their shows because we became friends. For our Beats ‘N Eats event in Philadelphia every year, which is our biggest foundation fundraiser, Marc would always help me find acts like Gavin DeGraw, Goo Goo Dolls, just some amazing people. They were doing so much for me that I wanted to do something for them. I said, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be great, your thirtieth anniversary, if we just sponsored a tour?’ So we’re wrapping two tour buses with the foundation. We’re raising money and hosting veterans at every show of the forty‑one shows coming up. It’s really exciting for me.
What are some of the special things you have planned for the tour?
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