An Inspired Chat with Phil Madison of Uptown Phoenix, AZ

Phil Madison shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Phil , thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
It’s easy to lose track of yourself in the busy, day-to-day priorities of life. You wake up, and your focus is on work, projects, goals, and responsibilities. Sometimes, even though everything involves you, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s just about you. Lately, focusing on oneself personally has brought tremendous joy in all aspects of life: physical health, mental, and emotional well-being. It has become a priority to carve out time every day and dedicate it to just being about me.
When reading this back, it can sound a little bit selfish, but I quickly realized that an ongoing and consistent healthy state makes life much more enjoyable, not just for me, but for the people who are an important part of my life. It’s been exciting to see the personal growth that has come from this change in lifestyle. Devoting time to exercise more, meditation and spending time for prayer have truly been a blessing.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello, my name is Phil, and I am the creator and handler of the YourPhixInPhx Instagram page. It is a pleasure to meet you!
Local restaurants and bars have always been places I enjoyed visiting, and I have always had the utmost respect and appreciation for their contributions to the community. Growing up in a small town where an entire neighborhood was practically like a family, the importance of gracious and warm hospitality was learned at a very young age when hosting family and friends at the dinner table. Local restaurants open their doors and invite families, neighbors, and friends to enjoy the same feeling as they host at their amazing brunch, lunch and dinner tables. In June 2013, a family that is very special to me opened a restaurant/market in Uptown Phoenix. Pictures were taken exploring their brunch, lunch, and dinner menus to showcase the delicious dishes. Soon, pictures were frequently taken when visiting other restaurants and bars in the neighborhood. Friends and followers would often ask, “What did you order?” or commenting on a picture, “Where was that picture taken?”. A very talented pastry chef noticed the attention the page was getting and suggested turning it into a restaurant Instagram page. Soon after, YourPhixInPhx was born. Fast forward to June 2018, the restaurant and market that had originally inspired the page announced its closure. Losing this restaurant was heartbreaking. Even worse was the pain and hurt the family had to endure when informing employees and customers that they would be shutting their doors for good. This is when YourPhixInPhx found its identity and purpose: to support local restaurants through food and photos.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
The loss of trust will always sow seeds of division and eventually break the bond that two people once had. Forgiveness is the ultimate act that can restore what once was broken.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Life is always easier during the good times. It will continue to drive you and motivate you to reach new levels. Achieving more success in general or as it may pertain to specific goals is a gratifying feeling that sometimes makes you want more or at times leaves you content with what you have achieved. Suffering can be a far greater lesson. Suffering tends to leave wounds that you never want to go through again. Although some of our greatest lessons come from failure, it is a low point in our life that I can’t imagine anyone wanting to live through one second longer than they have to. I recently came out of a number of those lessons and the amount of suffering that came with it is still fresh in my mind. It continues to push me to be a better person but will always serve as a reminder, how much pain and hurt I encountered for myself and also what I inflicted on those closest to me. It is a place I never want to return to again.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I like to believe that I do my best to be true to who I am. Like many of us, I have a multi-layered identity and will selectively reveal parts of it depending on my social environment that includes a sense of my psychological safety and or comfort. The trust I have for others is a key factor in determining how vulnerable and authentic I feel in the presence of people. The practice of a “letting your hair down” mentality is fully embraced.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. How do you know when you’re out of your depth?
When there is a very obvious and uncomfortable lack of confidence with whatever I am doing or I am attempting to do.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: YourPhixInPhx