Chef & Owner of Creola, Private Chef at Lana Cooks

Always look at the next generation to bring into the spotlight.

Diversity is the spice of life. Learning from others with different backgrounds is what makes a fully formed human.

I try to listen and talk to my team as calmly as possible and to ask my cooks for their opinions. People like it more when they feel like they are being heard and truly contributing.

Calmness, ability to listen and take orders, and low ego are important transferable skills to have.

Coffee is a must for my job!

To keep myself learning, I try to be in the kitchen every day, and I try to make something new and exciting as often as I can! Learning from others is also super helpful, so I try to cook in groups as well.

I always want to grow to make myself and my family proud.

Making the transition from restaurants to catering and then back again was tough but rewarding. Every time felt like starting over but in the best way.

Deciding to start my own business during the pandemic put me on a path where I had no choice but to follow my own vision

When I realized how much cooking calms my very busy mind. I knew this career was for me. It was a level of peace I hadn't experienced up until then.

The biggest lesson I've learned so far is to move intentionally, both in the kitchen and outside of it.

Reach out to your community. This industry can take a lot out of you, so you constantly have to keep your cup full.

I try to share a part of my excitement every day and get the team on board with why we're doing what we're doing in the space. I think communication is so important to make team members feel they're more than just a cog in a machine.

I love Trevor Noah's podcast, What Now? I also have a interest in true crime and thrillers, so I love listening to Crime Junkie and Spooked.

I try to take at least one day for myself and do what I want to do that day! I have a wide variety of interests like rollerskating, reading, going to the botanical gardens, the movies, the spa, and even just laying on my couch all day and not answering my phone. It's all considered self care in my book.

I find inspiration in everything, but art and history inspire me the most. I love researching dishes and their histories or the stories of the chefs behind them. I'm also inspired by the places I've traveled to and the food traditions of those countries and locals.

It’s important to be organized and maintain a calm mind. Once my mind is calm, I am the most creative and really able to make beautiful dishes from the heart.

When hiring, I look for excitement! An inquisitive and thirsty mind will always beat talent alone.

My first teacher in culinary school used to say “Take your time, but hurry up!”