The Urge to Shift
Presented by Chef Life Radio
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By Maggie Kates
COVID has been the perfect storm for our industry. After any period of destruction, comes an opportunity for birth and regrowth. I look at this time as exactly that. Nature and the universe, challenging us with a sickness that has taken over the world… a call to action for all of us to look deeply at ourselves, our communities, the world and our impact. Our thoughts, our actions and our values to generate a fierce shift. This shift cannot be one of individuals or small groups, it must be a collective movement.
We can move slowly, we can backtrack, but it can no longer be linear. There are no guidelines or SOP’s for this. COVID has forced us to let everything that we know go, decide what are our actual priorities are, what can be sustained as we move forward, and what we need to throw out.
Our industry has been forced to question everything. How do we protect our communities? How can we nourish our communities? How can we make money? How do we communicate? Is it time to close the doors or is it time to expand in a different way?
At the onset of the pandemic I eagerly embraced the call to slow down. I knew that this was the opportunity that I could never give myself to tune in. I listened, I watched, I read, I worked, I traveled, and I continued to breathe through it all. But the greatest thing I did was question who I am, and how I wanted to emerge post COVID.
I knew I wanted to have a positive impact, to be more intentional. I wanted to cause a positive ripple in my circle and inspire others to do the same. I wanted to harmonize with the idea of working together, with nature, and as a collective.
How could I find a solution to what the world needs? I couldn’t. Until I started peering into my own shadows to understand the depth and root my needs. In the darkness, thats where the answers were. With every breakdown, there is an opportunity to breakthrough. The light always shines through the cracks, but what unconscious things have settled, weighing on us in the shadows?
Our shift starts with recognizing and accepting the things we don’t want to look at, the “ugly” or hurtful things or things we never had time for. We must actively hold our friends and our partners accountable, questioning, imploring, investing our dollars towards the collective health and well being of our industry.
We are in a position of power, if we choose to step into it. It is difficult to rewire a lifetime of policies, procedures and expectations. But this destruction is our chance to be reborn in a better way. At the end of the day, our industry always provides, and we will always be there for the people.
But I urge you now to question and consider the messages in the shadows. Before we rebuild, lets collectively consider where we can make an intentional impact. Let’s converse, debate, share stories, encourage the shared voices of everyone. Then we gather the threads, each of us picking up what we are most passionate about and weave our industry back together in an even more brilliant, hospitable, sustainable and nurturing way.
Chef Life Radio - the podcast assisting culinary professionals to become their best selves, personally and professionally
Currently a Sous Chef at Treebones Resort in Big Sur, CA, soon to attend Pastry school at the Pastry Academy in Las Vegas. Owner/Chef Of Mezcla Maggie Catering in Denver, CO sold in 2019. ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Yoga International Certified Yoga Instructor
Graduate of the American Culinary Federation chef apprentice program in Denver, CO working at the Denver Convention Center and Linger Restaurant. BS in Communications from Ithaca College, NY
I love to travel the world sharing my passion for culinary arts and fitness. I have traveled to over 30 countries and plan to explore them all in this lifetime. I am an advocate for mental health and rode a bicycle across the country in 2019 to raise awareness and $ for advocacy towards suicide prevention and mental health. I’m a lifepreneur and believe that Impossible is Nothing.
Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Best Served. To achieve our mission of bringing more voices to the table, we are committed to sharing a variety of viewpoints across the industry.
