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Uncover the secrets of Miguel Maestre’s path to success

Miguel Maestre reflects on humble beginnings, staying in the moment and being fortunate enough to have a happy family life.

  • Miguel reflects on his early struggles with money and how those experiences shaped his deep respect for financial stability.
  • He sees failure as a powerful teacher, crediting his biggest business misstep and losses with building his resilience and confidence.
  • For Miguel, true success is not about wealth or fame but about having a happy home, staying grounded, and finding joy in the present moment.

Chef, restaurateur, author and TV personality Miguel Maestre knows a thing or two about serving a tasty meal. But his journey to becoming one of Australia’s favourite celebrity chefs has also taught him a lot about money and the importance of holding onto your core values. In this chat, he opens up about enjoying your work, learning from your mistakes and having “the fabric of your life” settled. 

How would you describe your spending style?

I work very hard so I buy things that look after my family and I buy things that make me happy. When I first arrived in this country, I hardly had any money to pay rent. So my spending was just on necessities. But I think there’s something beautiful in going from necessity to being able to treat yourself. You understand the real value of money. 

What’s the best money lesson you’ve ever learnt?

The best things I’ve learnt have been when I lost. When people have been unfair with me in business. When business didn’t work out the way I wanted. I have learnt more from that than from making good decisions. 

The older I get, the less scared I am of making a mistake. When you make your first mistake, it feels like the end of the world. But it’s amazing when that happens and you become kind of bulletproof for the next mistake. So don’t be scared to make mistakes – you always learn when you lose. 

Is there anything you wish you’d known when you first started earning money?

No, I’m really happy with how things happened for me. I think if I didn’t start in such a basic way, I wouldn’t be where I am today. If I started with more of an advantage, I probably wouldn’t have fought as hard as I did. 

Being here, having a really great day with a TV crew asking me about my business, it’s not any better than when I was peeling onions in the kitchen. I actually loved every second of the worst jobs I had. I know it’s really hard and everybody talks about it but I think the secret is to just enjoy what you’re doing in the present moment.

Miguel Maestre spoke to Georgie Tunny on The Brighter Side.

What’s something you’re still figuring out when it comes to financial fitness?

Oh, I’m learning every day. But you know, you become good at taking the hits. You become very good at failing. Sometimes I’ll develop a product and I’ll say to [wife] Sascha, “I want to put this cheese inside the salami in one slice!” And she’ll say, “Do you know how expensive that is? We’d have to charge $10 per packet.” You need to keep that adventure and creativity but sometimes, you need to have someone that tells you: “No, you can’t do that.” Someone who reins you in a little bit. 

What does success look like to you?

Just having the fabric of your life settled – that’s success. It could just be coming home, the kids say hello, your wife kisses you and you have a warm meal. That’s a very successful person. Everything else is fluff.

I don’t think I’m successful enough to inspire other people but I feel quite successful in the way my family is everything to me. My dad used to have a Charlie Chaplin painting in his office that says, “A man isn’t poor because he has little but because he wants so much.” And I think of that every day. I know people who are very wealthy. That doesn’t mean they are very happy. They just have money. 

To learn more about Miguel's story, stream The Brighter Side on 10.

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Published: 29 April 2026

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