Chef/Co-Owner of Ajja & Big Cat, Vice President & Board Member of Independent Restaurant Coalition, Advisory Board Vice Chair of Southern Foodways Alliance

If you're struggling with work, figure out what it is that's making you feel challenged or stuck. And believe in your gut. If you're struggling, are you in the wrong work environment? Are you doing the wrong thing? It's okay to let something go and let a new thing come into your life.

Communicate with your team. Create healthy boundaries for yourself and for your managers and for your entire staff. Be malleable. Listen and learn every day.

Ajja is in a neighborhood, and I'm really embracing the culture of being in a neighborhood. Our next spot will be a really fun neighborhood spot where we can explore some fun surprises on the culinary side. It's not a big lofty thing, but it's something that I think will be a really great community anchor, and that's very inspiring to me

Working until you burned out used to be like a badge of endurance. Like, “I'm so tough, whatever, suck it up and let's go.” You don't have to do that all. Sometimes you have no choice, but if you have a choice, then don't choose that.

The impact that your mood has on everybody around you and how you approach your day, what your resting face is, it matters. Everybody in a restaurant, we all impact each other. We spend so much time together. If we're having a bad day, we're all human; just communicate.

You can stop and take breaks, it's okay. You can refuel. I think that's a big part of this industry that we're so used to, being in this crisis mode and "fight or flight." There's no point in thinking about work when you're not at work. Unless it's an emergency, just put it down. It's gonna be there tomorrow. We're not operating hospitals, we're operating restaurants.

I'm used to putting myself and my needs last, but I really try now to be very intentional about self-care. I exercise a certain amount of hours a week and try to make good decisions about food and alcohol and sleep