The best career advice I've ever received is to not be afraid and to be unapologetically authentic.

A major challenge I’ve faced was building the right culture in my business. It’s incredibly hard to get everyone moving in the right direction while also ensuring that you are not losing sight of your vision and your commitment to quality and to continue inspiring those around you. I found that being extremely discerning in who I hire has served me well. I hire people who are more experienced than me or those that are strong where I am weak and vice versa. It provides balance, and in leadership roles, balance is one of the most important things.

The thing I’ve achieved that I am most proud of is how we have turned this restaurant around. In two short years, it’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but to take a restaurant that was on the brink of disappearing to what it has become is one of my greatest sources of pride.

The biggest gamble I’ve ever taken is changing my career. I went from a healthy six-figure corporate career to making minimum wage and sweeping the floors of kitchens, because I knew I wanted to be a part of the culinary world. To find joy in your work is one thing, but to really live, eat, and breathe a career and lifestyle that you are passionate about takes courage, especially when you start from the bottom and work your way up.

My first job was working at the mall in high school and what I learned from it was humility and the value of service.

Cooking to me means being able to feed others, which is one of the greatest honors there is. Everything always starts around a dinner table—our best relationships, memories, experiences—so if we can provide that to others, and have their best memories, experiences, relationships begin around one of our dinner tables, we are all the better for it.

My motto is, “the Devil is in the details, but so is salvation.” —Hyman G. Rickover

The best way to handle a setback is to keep pushing. Avoidance gets us nowhere, because whatever you’re avoiding will eventually catch up with you. Best to go through the worst of the storm and come out stronger on the other side.

My favorite thing to cook is beef because it’s home for me.

The one thing I would like to say to every woman in the world is you control your own destiny.