Chef Life Radio

“Burnout is a conflict of values between what you think is important and what your employer thinks is important.” Explore the essential leadership qualities in the culinary world, from inspiring your team to balancing firm guidance with support, and learn how to foster resilience within your team. In this episode of Chef Life Radio, I delve into the crucial role mindset plays in a chef’s career. I...

From Fine Dining to Barbecue: A Chef’s Journey In this episode, Chef Adam Lamb sits down with Chef Andy Husbands to delve into his fascinating journey from the world of fine dining to the realm of barbecue. Chef Husbands shares his experiences and insights, shedding light on the challenges and triumphs that have defined his career. Key Themes: Transitioning from Fine Dining to Barbecue: Chef Husba...

" You can still be a badass pirate and be healthy. They're not mutually exclusive. " - Jasmine Parks Have you ever heard these myths about the culinary industry? Myth #1: The culinary industry is cutthroat and competitive. Myth #2: Restaurant workers are constantly stressed and overworked. Myth #3: There is no sense of camaraderie among chefs and restaurant staff. In this episode, Jasmine Parks an...

"We need to create a container where hospitality professionals can check in with each other, listen, and have compassion and grace for one another. It's time to prioritize mental health and wellness in our industry. " - Jasmine Parks In a world where silence often shrouds the struggles of hospitality professionals, two women dared to defy the norm. They manage a sanctuary, a digital haven, where t...

Mastering the Recipe for Success: Chris Spear's Journey from Doubt to Culinary Entrepreneurship An audacious culinary maverick defies the odds, unleashing their flavorful passion for conquering the kitchen and their self-doubt, igniting a fiery journey towards entrepreneurial success in the cutthroat realm of gastronomy. "Do what you love and there will always be opportunities. The rise of persona...

Mental health is a crucial issue in the restaurant industry, and in my latest episode of Chef Life Radio, "On The Dock," Chef Patrick Mulvaney and I dive deep into this topic. "More important than being able to share is being able to accept to have that grace, to be able to accept the love and help that people want to offer to you." - Chef Patrick Mulvaney From discussing the unique challenges fac...

Do you want to enhance your culinary career and unlock greater growth opportunities? Are you searching for a solution that can bring you improved career clarity and advancement in the culinary industry? Then look no further! By enlisting the expertise of a specialized career coach in the culinary field, you can achieve exactly that. They hold the key to guiding you towards a more fulfilling and su...

One chef dares to leap into the personal chef business in a world of rising costs and changing culinary landscapes. But when faced with fierce competition and the need to adapt, will he be able to find success? Stay tuned as Chef Chris Spear navigates the challenges and opportunities of his culinary career, leaving us wondering: Will he rise to the occasion or be left simmering in the heat of the...

If you're feeling the frustration of implementing mental health initiatives in the restaurant industry, only to see minimal improvement in outcomes despite your best efforts, then you are not alone! “Creating an environment where it's okay not to be okay and talk, to provide peer guidance, and also then to have resources available for people.” ~ Chef Patrick Mulvaney IN THE WEEDS? IF YOU OR SOMEON...

A Holiday Salute to the Troops, and when I say troops, I do mean YOU. This episode features content first published in 2016 and re-run here for your pleasure. Gratitude for Culinary Professionals Culinary professionals, chefs, and kitchen workers often find themselves working long hours in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, especially during the holiday season. During these times, their hard...

"The point is that the different motivation strategies are unique across every person, and everybody has their own unique culture." Kimi Avary joins the show to discuss the challenges of maintaining proper boundaries and clear communication in work-related or personal relationships. Kimi Avary is a relationship expert and coach who helps people navigate their relationships with others. She has a M...

Chef Jeremy Leinen is the Executive Chef of Dunwoody Country Club outside of Atlanta. "I keep hearing people blame the unemployment and all that stuff for why people aren't returning to work. Obviously, this industry has a lot more work to do, culturally speaking. That's the reason why people haven't been rushing back to do it. And I get it." Chef recently sat down for a conversation, and he discu...

As the Executive Chef at Dunwoody Country Club in Atlanta, GA, Jeremy Leinin must grapple with the squandered human capital of the industry and a lack of skilled workers amid a pandemic crisis. "My gut reaction at the time was that we would have to gut our staffs and still find a way to do everything that we always had to do anyway." Chef Jeremy Leinin is the Executive Chef of Dunwoody Countr...

Corporate Chef Ryan Dodge and Restauranteur Doug Newhook join Jim Taylor of Benchmark Sixty and Adam Lamb of Realignment Hospitality to discuss building highly effective restaurant teams and balancing the equation of motivation versus inspiration. Connect with Doug or Chef Ryan by clicking this link Turning the Table Is the most progressive weekly podcast for today's food and beverage industry, fe...

Do you feel like you're stuck in a rut at work? Tired of taking ineffective actions that don't seem to lead to any positive change in your industry? If so, this episode is for you! Learn from Tarren Cramm so that you can get the positive change In this episode of On The Dock, featuring Tarren Cramm, we cover: 1. The importance of mindfulness and self-care for chefs and other hospitality workers. 2...

Does this sound familiar? You've been told to smile more, be more positive, and just act like you're happy to be there, even when you're not. But you're not seeing any positive change in your industry. You're still stuck in the same dead-end job. "Something has got to give. And hospitality. The service industry in general, outside of chefs, bartenders, waitresses, waiters, et cetera, it's being ex...

Deidra McGuiness-Ciolko is a restauranteur and professor who moved to Costa Rica and started her own restaurant, Gordika's FreshMex. She talks about her journey from Boston to the Caribbean and her experience during the pandemic. She advises people thinking about starting their own businesses to be careful what they wish for and treat their business as if it were someone else's. "I just figured, w...

When the restauranteur Deidra McGuiness-Ciolko opens her business with just $7 left, she must find a way to turn things around quickly or risk losing everything. "I just figured, we're going to make it, it's going to be fine. We had to close for five months and that was tough. The laws here in the Dominican Republic for the curfews are very strict, and you don't mess around. We shut down" This is...

Restaurant Coach/Consultant and former Chef Jonathan Ruby 'turns the table' on the toxic culinary culture in our food and beverage profession and how you, too, can create a workplace #culture that everyone wants to work for. We debunk the veneration of self-sacrifice in today's restaurant culture and reveal how taking care of yourself is job #1 in the #newrstaurantculture. To find out more about J...

207: Chef James Shirley | From the South Side to the Top of the Culinary World 207 1 Do you want to be successful in the culinary industry? You're told to get experience in as many kitchens as possible, but you can't seem to get your foot in the door. If you're feeling stuck and frustrated, this episode is for you. "I always reach back. I don't look down on people. If I'm looking down, I'm looking...

1 206 Chef James Shirley worked for the city of Chicago and began cooking as a side hustle. He got a job at a restaurant and quickly learned that he knew nothing about cooking. The executive chef at the time, Tony Montuano, took him under his wing and taught him everything he knew. Since then, Chef James Shirley has had an illustrious career in the culinary world. Not to say that it didn't have it...

Jim Taylor of Benchmark Sixty and Adam Lamb discuss the #hustleculture of our industry, and while it might have made most food and beverage operations more efficient, it may have come at the cost of staff safety and retention. Turning the Table Is the most progressive weekly podcast for today's food and beverage industry, featuring staff-centric operating solutions for restaurants in the #newhospi...

Jim Taylor of Benchmark Sixty and Adam Lamb discuss the prevailing operating assumptions of running a restaurant in favor of innovative solutions to our industry's most persistent challenges. Turning the Table Is the most progressive weekly podcast for today's food and beverage industry, featuring staff-centric operating solutions for restaurants in the #newhospitalityculture. Join Jim Taylor of B...

Jim Taylor of Benchmark Sixty and Adam Lamb discuss the question of staff productivity or efficiency, what's the difference, and which one serves the restaurant industry best in the long run. Turning the Table Is the most progressive weekly podcast for today's food and beverage industry, featuring staff-centric operating solutions for restaurants in the #newhospitalityculture. Join Jim Taylor of B...

1 205 Another Bonus Episode of Chef Life Radio's ongoing series, "On the Dock," with the founder of The Burnt Chef Project, Kris Hall. It's time to get raw and vulnerable with Kriss Hall. "Understand that if something doesn't sit right with you, that's okay, and no one else can tell you otherwise. You've got to live with yourself. It's okay not to be okay." Kris Hall is the founder of the Burnt Ch...