What can a snarky, middle-aged New Yorker teach a 40-something, wannabe blogger about life?

Well, I often find inspiration in the strangest places. And politically incorrect, sharp-tongued, bad boy chefs dole out the best advice. You knew that, right?

I’m an unabashed fan of Anthony Bourdain’s work and love his sardonic wit, candid observations, and appreciate his creative chops. Emeril Lagasse, Paula Deen, and Rachael Ray might beg to differ.

He often has too many drinks on camera, openly mocks other celebrities (such as Lagasse, Deen, and Ray), and has a disdain for all things vegan. Even though his contempt is generally a bit tongue in cheek, it’s certainly fun and part of his charm.

Bourdain sometimes mentions a past filled with drugs and serious issues with authority. So, we’re not talking about Tony Robbins here, but I say smarts, snark, and honesty go a long way.

In 1997, his exposé of New York City restaurants titled "Don’t Eat Before Reading This" appeared in The New Yorker. Shortly thereafter, the incredibly successful “Kitchen Confidential” was published. After more than 20 years in the kitchen, he was a bestselling author and soon had his own show on The Food Network.

The Travel Channel is his current home, with two shows, including the award-winning “No Reservations.” Bourdain is a sought-after speaker and manages to crank out book after book, but he didn’t reach this level of success until later.

As a young guy, he rarely traveled, admits he was not a star chef, and often struggled with drugs and alcohol, but his life changed dramatically; even though he might deny it, he is a celebrity. And this celebrity has taught me a few things about social media:

1. It’s never too late

At 44 years of age, he was a chef at New York’s Les Halles, in debt and working 12-hour days. But he wrote—and, eventually, the book “Kitchen Confidential” led to his extraordinary trajectory, which hasn’t slowed down.

“Kitchen Confidential” and “A Cook’s Tour” exploded on the scene when he was in his 40s. He is now one of the world’s most famous chefs and sits comfortably atop his Travel Channel properties at the age of 55.

2. Sometimes you don’t choose a passion, it finds you

As a chef, he always devoted time to writing. That is what changed his life. He didn’t exactly stumble upon writing, but he sure discovered something he did brilliantly. He didn’t know The New Yorker article would blow up. He simply wrote a great piece based on years of experience—and then magic happened.

3. Don’t take yourself too seriously

A bit of levity is good medicine for the soul, don’t you think? Here’s a guy who has reached a certain level of success, but never takes himself too seriously.

Sure, he often pokes fun at celebrities and his favorite targets at The Food Network, but it’s all in good fun, really. He’s even written that it would be “entirely fair and appropriate” were he described as “a loud, egotistical, one-note a**hole who’s been cruising on the reputation of one obnoxious, over-testosteroned book for way too long and who should just shut the f*ck up.”

Need I say more?

4. Be yourself

He likes dive bars, street food, and misses the seediness of old New York. He freely talks about his past missteps, has a strong point of view, and can be over the top at times, but that’s all part of the appeal. And he doesn’t care what you think.

Many people can relate to the caustic and darkly humorous side, but he’s also extremely creative. The flaws, vulnerability, and honesty are traits that resonate with me. If you plan to become great at something, embracing that which makes you distinct and applying some imagination is an enormous help.

Bourdain’s done that in spades.

5. Be open to new experiences

We don’t all have the luxury of globetrotting on The Travel Channel’s dime, but here’s a guy who graciously ate a dirt covered omelet cooked by a Namibian tribesman, took psychedelic Ayahuasca, and famously ate a beating cobra heart—not to mention he’s a New York City liberal who broke bread with Ted Nugent. In fact, he calls him “Uncle Ted.”

Sure, Bourdain is offensive to some (or maybe he’s just misunderstood). Either way, this is a guy with a fondness for pork, is a long-time Ramones fan, and possesses a beautifully acerbic wit. What’s not to love?

Like I said, inspiration is sometimes found in the strangest of places.

Craig McBreen owns and operates McBreen Design, but you can also find him at craigmcbreen.com. A rookie blogger and student of social media, Craig is originally from Baltimore, but now lives in Seattle with his wife and two kids. A version of this story first appeared on the blog Spin Sucks.

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