Chef to Entrepreneur: Making the Leap
In 2004 I was earning six dollars an hour as a garde manger cook at a busy restaurant with a robust catering operation. I loved every minute of it and I knew it was exactly what I was meant to do. I also knew that working in someone else’s kitchen for the rest of my career was not the plan. I just didn’t know yet what the alternative looked like.
Just a Chef
That first job was my introduction to the financial reality of working in the food industry as an entry level cook. Six dollars an hour was a pittance, I was already earning more than twice that at the bank job I had worked to pay for culinary school. Despite the low pay and inconvenient hours, I loved the work. That experience solidified my commitment to making cooking my career, even when the numbers didn’t make sense on paper.
As the years went by I moved upward and onward. I worked in five star hotels, trained under star-rated chefs, and ran the kitchen for top corporate clients. Every opportunity taught me something. But through all of it, one thought stayed constant: I wanted to do something on my own someday.
Like most young chefs I wasn’t exactly sure what that would look like. A restaurant crossed my mind, but I knew that life well enough to know it wasn’t for me. The stress, the hours, the burnout, chefs burn out at an alarming rate and I am hyper-sensitive to stress. That path was never going to work. What I needed was the freedom to control my schedule, the creative space to do my best work, and the ability to actually earn what I was worth. I wanted to make a meaningful impact on the people I cooked for.
How I Made the Leap
At the time I didn’t know what a personal chef was, but I was very familiar with the private chef model. While searching for private chef positions online, most of which are found through agencies, I came across a listing that wasn’t a job at all. It was an invitation to learn more about the Personal Chefs Association of America. That one click was like turning on a light in a dark room.
As I read about what a personal chef actually does, I realized it was exactly what I had been envisioning. Multiple clients, flexible scheduling, cooking in people’s homes, total control of your time and your income. I had found my path.
The association offered education, business planning workshops, and community, but I ultimately decided not to join. I had studied business in undergrad and felt confident in that foundation. I was also a very experienced and skilled cook, making amazing food is my gift. Even with all of that in place, I knew that the only thing that would make me an entrepreneur in real terms was one thing: a paying client. So I made that my entire focus. My daily mantra became simple, all you need is one client.
As it turned out, that first client was already looking for someone like me. I found a posting on my culinary school’s alumni board from someone looking for a cook to prepare meals. I reached out immediately. Their answer was yes, but they had other chefs they to consider so my first run would only be a trial. Confident in my skills, I was happy to show what I could do and put my best foot forward. As you can probably guess, I was hired to cook on an ongoing basis.
From that one client, and those early referrals they sent me, my business began to grow. I have rarely relied on advertising over the years, not because it doesn’t work, because the word of mouth has been so strong. It will always be your single greatest opportunity for growth.
What I Know Now
Building a personal chef business is not complicated and a little planning goes a long way. I got my first client before I had a business name, a website, or a single printed business card. What I did have was the confidence to show up, cook my best food, and let the work speak for itself. That is still the foundation of everything I teach today.
If you are waiting until everything is perfectly in place before you start — stop waiting. All you need is one client.
Ready to take the first step? Download the free Personal Chef 101 Playbook — 10 actionable steps to start your business, 5 steps to landing your first client, and everything you need to go from idea to in business. It’s free and it’s exactly where you should start.