Do some research, watch cooking tutorials, and read cookbooks for inspiration! Try to come up with a brand new recipe or experiment with changing ingredients to an existing one.

Create your own recipe!

When you find something you're passionate about, the motivation to pursue it will follow. Let go of practical concerns for a moment and focus on the one thing you're most passionate about.

Career

Identify what you're most passionate about.

Don't compare yourself to someone else's achievements, but instead start something and keep at it and everything will work out. Learn how perseverance could equal success! 

Skills

Watch a TED Talk about perseverance. 

Chefs

Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

First Interest High-Point

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Third Interest High-Point

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Second Interest High-Point

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Chefs and Head Cooks

Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.

Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.

Check the quantity and quality of received products.

Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.

Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.

Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.

Determine how food should be presented and create decorative food displays.

Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.

Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.

Collaborate with other personnel to plan and develop recipes or menus, taking into account such factors as seasonal availability of ingredients or the likely number of customers.

Analyze recipes to assign prices to menu items, based on food, labor, and overhead costs.

Prepare and cook foods of all types, either on a regular basis or for special guests or functions.

Determine production schedules and staff requirements necessary to ensure timely delivery of services.

Recruit and hire staff, such as cooks and other kitchen workers.

Meet with customers to discuss menus for special occasions, such as weddings, parties, or banquets.

Demonstrate new cooking techniques or equipment to staff.

Meet with sales representatives to negotiate prices or order supplies.

Arrange for equipment purchases or repairs.

Record production or operational data on specified forms.

Plan, direct, or supervise food preparation or cooking activities of multiple kitchens or restaurants in an establishment such as a restaurant chain, hospital, or hotel.

Coordinate planning, budgeting, or purchasing for all the food operations within establishments such as clubs, hotels, or restaurant chains.

Apple corers

Blast chillers

Blenders

Bone saws

Boning knives

Box graters

Braziers

Bread slicers

Broilers

Cake decorating tools

Cappuccino makers

Carbonated beverage dispensers

Chefs' knives

Commercial coffee grinders

Commercial coffeemakers

Commercial dishwashers

Commercial microwave ovens

Convection ovens

Conveyer ovens

Cream whippers

Desktop computers

Double boilers

Dry or liquid measuring cups

Electric deep-fat fryers

Electric ovens

Electric stoves

Fire suppression blankets

Food dicers

Food processors

Food shredders

Food smokers

Fruit zesters

Garbage compactors

Gas ovens

Gas stoves

Gas-powered deep-fat fryers

Griddles

Grills

Hot dog cookers

Ice shaving or crushing equipment

Ice-making machines

Infrared heat lamps

Instant-read pocket thermometers

Juice dispensers

Juice extractors

Kitchen fire extinguishers

Kitchen shears

Kitchen tongs

Knife sharpeners

Laptop computers

Mandolines

Meat grinders

Meat slicers

Meat thermometers

Melon ballers

Mixers

Oyster knives

Paring knives

Parisian cutters

Pasta machines

Personal computers

Pizza ovens

Plane graters

Portion scales

Pressurized steam cookers

Refrigerator thermometers

Rice cookers

Rolling pins

Rotisserie units

Salamanders

Serrated blade knives

Sieves

Sifters

Slicing machines

Steam kettles

Steam tables

Strainers

Toasters

Vegetable brushes

Vegetable peelers

Waffle makers

Woks

ADP eTIME

Axxya Systems Nutritionist Pro

Barrington Software CookenPro Commercial

CostGuard

Culinary Software Services ChefTec

Delphi Technology

EGS CALCMENU

EGS F&B Control

Email software

GNOME Gnutrition

Google spreadsheet

Internet browser software

IPro Restaurant Inventory, Recipe & Menu Software

Menu planning software

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Word

Just because you failed at things doesn't mean you're a failure it means you should just try another avenue...

I grew up in uptown New Orleans which is one of the grimiest areas, full of crime. I saw a lot of people around me going down bad paths, but I chose not to do those things. I wanted to finish school and make something of myself. 

Chef

Hard work doesn't pay! I've been working hard, but it hasn't paid off yet.

Everywhere you turn people try to tell you who to be and what to do but what about deciding for yourself? Roadtrip Nation is a movement that empowers people to define their own roads in life. Every summer we bring together three people from different backgrounds, together they explore the country, interviewing inspiring individuals from all walks of life. They hit the road in search of wisdom and guidance to find what it actually takes to build a life around doing what you love. This is what they found. This is Roadtrip Nation. [MUSIC] We're in New Orleans, Louisiana. Which we're all pretty stoked about because none of us have been. >> I feel really inspired that we made it all the way to New Orleans. [MUSIC] >> It's been so different than what I'm used to. We've had this whole range of experiences and I just want that to continue. I wanna keep meeting new people who are, just totally blow my mind. [MUSIC]. >> Our bus going to airboat adventures. I do an airboat across the swamps, up on those big fans. So it's gonna be awesome. >> Y all's first time on an airboat? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> All right, well look, when we get going. I try to hold on to something. We'd be doing about a 160. We'll be doing about 160. >> Miles per hour? >> Nah, I'm just joking. [MUSIC] >> All right, keep and eye out for alligators. They have them here. [MUSIC] We're just chilling on the boat. He got to the point where it's like you stop and it's silent. And now he asked, y'all got any questions? And we started asking questions about alligators. Like one thing led to another. He was just like, you gotta wrestle them. And then we were like, whoa wait. You wrestle alligators. Yeah. I'm Louisiana state champ three years in a row. What, really? I've been wrestling alligators since I was 10 years old. >> That's what they used to do for fun back in the old days. And that's also how my family hunts alligators, they swim with them. >> And then I was like, how does one wrestle an alligator? >> Y'all want to see it for y'all self? >> Are you serious? >> I'm serious, we'll go show y'all. >> There's video where I think I was like, seriously? [LAUGH] [SOUND] So we went looking for an alligator. We saw an alligator. >> Come here. Come on. >> I don't know that's what happened. >> [LAUGH] [MUSIC] >> That ain't gonna happen. [MUSIC] [LAUGH] So, I"m like, what if something happened? Like, are we supposed to jump in and save him? Cause I don't think I could jump in and save him, like. [LAUGH] [MUSIC] This guy is playing with [LAUGH] I've got one y'all can wrestle. >> How do I hold him? >> Just like this. >> Just like this? Yeah, hi little one. >> I've been raising alligators for 27 years. >> How many years you've been training? >> Like, three years. >> And what's the size that, that you won with lesson? >> 16 feet, 11 inches. >> How long is this boat? >> 17 feet. >> [MUSIC]. >> [CROSSTALK]. [MUSIC] We have all the guides we could have gotten, be gotten the one who's the best alligator wrestler in Louisiana [LAUGH]. >> [LAUGH] >> You all wanna see it. [LAUGH] So I'm excited to be here. >> Because Louisiana is where my family's from. And it just, it always felt like one of those places that I would never go to. I don't know why, there's just so much that felt out of reach. There's people in Oakland that never leave Oakland. I've never even dreamed of seeing all this stuff. That's, I don't know. Meeting these people in these different places. And just analyzing their situation, and comparing it to situation back in the bay. Just all that kind of stuff. That's something special that a lot of people don't get to do. Like we're going to these interviews. Pick people's brains, it's an excuse just somebody new that you don't even know. You just kinda go up to them and say like, so what was your life like? We talked about where you come from, and what that means and like the struggles that come with it. >> Yeah, that comes from uptown New Orleans. If you've heard and read about it, it's one of like the grimiest places out here is where a lot a crime takes place. I could have went so many paths. I could have did so many things. I could have ended up in bad places from where I came from. I chose not to do those things. In the big scheme of things, I love to be in the kitchen. And I love to serve people. I love to see their face when I give them something that I cooked. Anything New Orleans, that's what I'm trying to promote. I mean, that's the whole thing. New Orleans, this is a place that's fruitful of everything. Music, food, like people, this is the perfect place for me. >> With every different person comes a different perspective. Every different person comes a different idea, written on the roof of the RV. >> Don't give up, it's not too late. >> Nice. >> It's never too late. >> Thank you. New Orleans had quite a lot of character in the range of people to talk to. It's nice to get that whole cross section. >> So we went to Chimp Haven. >> We are a chimpanzee sanctuary, we currently have 166 residents. I knew pretty early on, as far as I can remember, that I loved animals and I wanted to be a veterinarian. As a child, my dream was this. This was my goal and it's like now I've tackled it so now I'm at a place like, well what's next. And I had to realize it's time for me to start dreaming again. [MUSIC] >> She was saying, you know when I was young I really wanted to work with chimps, so I got to that point, what do I want now? And that's something I never even thought about. Once you've made it in your own mind, then what do you do there? In my mind I've always just got to stop there mentally. Well, I'll be fine then. But people change, interests change, I think it's important just to keep at it. [MUSIC] My view on where I'm going in life has changed a lot just in a couple of weeks. [MUSIC] Is there a Mississippi and a Missouri? >> Missouri is. >> We're off to St. Louis. Which is in Ohio, Missouri. >> [INAUDIBLE] >> [LAUGH] [MUSIC] >> I was like the feeling of homelessness. You can do the endless array of meeting new people and having new experiences. In the city you live in that your battling habit. And habit creeps in so quickly and there's no habitual safety net on the road. [MUSIC] You can just, let yourself go, become the new version of yourself you wanna be. And it's like taking the cage and rattling it. It's like rattling the cage really hard and that's sometimes what I enjoy doing. The life and all of this travel and seeing the different type of people, that's like a way to rattle the cage and I love it. [MUSIC] [SOUND] >> We're in St. Louis Missouri and we're about to do the Zombie Fun Run or the Zombie Run. Yeah, we're gonna do 5K. We're gonna try not to get eaten alive. >> [NOISE] >> [LAUGH] I'm so worried we won't be able to get her out of character in the end. >> [LAUGH] >> [NOISE] >> [LAUGH] >> [NOISE] >> [LAUGH] >> [INAUDIBLE] [MUSIC] >> It was shocking how seriously people took their jobs. >> [NOISE] [MUSIC] >> I got half a mile into that race and I was not good because I had been running for my life. There were like hundreds of zombies on the path and you had to sprint around them. [SOUND] [MUSIC] And I died in a mile and a half. I've got my brains eaten. >> I think a lot of it is that you need to keep an open mind because at the end of the day, there's an availability to do so many things. I go around the country staging zombie apocalypses. If five years ago I said to someone like, oh yeah when I'm 20 I'm gonna go around [INAUDIBLE]. They'd be like, what are you talking about? That's not possible, but you'd be surprised. I think if you pick something that you're really passionate about, everything starts to fall together. >> Yeah, brilliant, and in a zombie apocalypse, how long would you last? >> Oh, my god, not long at all. >> [LAUGH] [MUSIC] >> So we're here when we have the RV. The previous owners had a little map with stickers with all the states on. You could stick on the stickers with the states here, too. So we ended up cutting out a lot of Roadtrip Nation stickers, sticking them on the states. And the idea is that, hopefully, future generations will try and kind of cover all of the states, eventually. I think we're doing like 24 states or something. >> Do you know how many we've done so far? >> We've done 12 states so far. So this is a nice little like green belt going across the country now, like down the South and then going up towards the Northeast. [MUSIC] >> So my name is Ben Drexler. I live here in Washington, DC. And I originally came here to work in human rights. But over the course of a number of years was discovering that I was way more happy, and feeling way more fulfilled spinning things on the ends of ropes. Which is definitely not the experience that I was expecting when I came here. [MUSIC] >> What's the first time you say Prop spinning? >> Burning Man in 2006. For most of my life I've felt just kind of a step out of pace with a lot of the people around me. And Burning Man was the first place I ever went, where I'm just like, it's an entire city of people just like me. I am home, I can't even begin to describe how transformative an experience it was to see it that night. But I was terrible at it when I started, absolutely terrible. I decided okay, I'm terrible at it now. Let's see what happens in two years. Let's see what happens in five years. And things took a turn from there. [LAUGH] >> We've got some rope beginners in here tonight. So I'm gonna give you all my poi 101 class, yeah? This is where you start. >> [LAUGH] >> Yeah, it might help that whenever you do [CROSSTALK] >> [LAUGH] That keeps happening. [LAUGH] I'm sorry guys. >> [LAUGH] I've always had a love of learning. And in college, a friend had actually taken me to go see Hotel Rwanda. And when I came out of that movie it really, really moved me on a deep level. And from watching PBS I'd known that there was a conflict going on in Darfur at that point. And it really motivated me to go see if there was anything I can do. And I got in touch with a whole bunch of local activists. And that gradually became a bigger and bigger thing for me. I was loving what I was doing and I wanted to pursue it as a full-time career. So finally an organization here in DC called Genocide Intervention Network hired me. >> How do you go from human rights to this? Cuz human rights is what like, it's a little different than like just changing your passion. Cuz like once you go there, it's like you almost have an obligation to like really help other people. >> Absolutely. >> So how do you justify like leaving the human rights field and do you see what you're doing now still helping other people? >> Sure, absolutely, a big part of the reason was just discovering the internal politics behind the organizations that work on it. Truth be told, there came to be a point when I saw some of the things that some of the organizations were doing. and these activities that they had weren't helping. They were actually hurting the people that we wanted to help. And about that time I got an opportunity, actually, to travel to Kenya and teach fire dancing there for a month. And I felt like I had accomplished more in that month. seeing those kids face to face, and interacting with them, and finding out what their lives were like. Than I had in the entire, I think it was two years that I'd worked at the organization for that. And regardless of any other changes you're gonna make in the world, having that is huge. It wasn't an article of faith. It was being able to see something that I'd done right, rendered right in front of me. Yes! [SOUND] That's what I'm talking about right there, beautiful. >> [LAUGH] >> It was like a night and day kind of reaction of wondering whether I was making a kind of positive difference, versus having people come up to me and telling me that I was making a difference in their world. Once I started posting videos online, and I started running into people at the fire festivals. And they were telling me, oh my god, I'm so glad that you're doing this. Everything that I've learned so far, this stuff is coming from the videos that you're putting out. And it was a risky, risky decision to make at the time, cuz there was nobody making a living. Spending poorly at that point, absolutely nobody. I hemmed and I hawed over this for years, I've got great benefits, I've got great salary. But here's this other thing. And when I'm doing this other thing. I'm not just really happy, I'm extremely happy. I made the choices that brought me the greatest joy in the time that I got to have here. Which you take the age of the universe and even the age of the Earth. And you realize how unbelievably lucky any of us are to have that gift of being here for however many years we get. And what are you gonna do with that gift? You know? I can't imagine doing anything with it other than finding a way to enjoy the blessing of it as much as I can. When you light up a set of fire poi, it's just about losing yourself in it for hours. Where it stops being about the immediate gains and it becomes more about, almost like mediation. The thing is swirling around, your leaving a trail of fire and you feel the heat, you hear the noise. The noise is the huge thing. Its this loud whooshing that just it starts in your ears and some works its way through your entire body. [MUSIC] So here's an offer if any of you guys want to take me up on it. You can spin these for five minutes without hitting yourself and I don't care what the trick is, you can light up. >> He was like all right, you guys want to light up? And I'm just like, seriously? [LAUGH] You're gonna let us do this? [LAUGH] So I jumped on it. I'm not gonna pass this opportunity up. >> There you are. >> Whoa. >> [LAUGH] >> Right. >> The whoosh. >> As soon as that first spins come around and you hear it, man. I was like [SOUND]. >> [INAUDIBLE] >> There you go. >> The loss of my, [LAUGH], he looked really [INAUDIBLE]. >> Nicely done, sir. [MUSIC] >> And then I kind of felt like, well I have to do it. [LAUGH] >> Three, two, one. [MUSIC] But, it was surprising. And I think it probably came first, but I was pretty nervous. And there was just a moment, I kinda lost what my left arm was doing. And that freaked me out. [LAUGH] Whoa. >> [LAUGH] He almost killed himself. >> Right. >> Wow, what a man. >> I really like him, I don't think I've seen anyone we describe their passion such like naughty kid of way. >> When you see that kind of stuff you don't think that that something that somebody just love to that much. >> You guys are gonna wake them and he's gonna see me spinning something on fire [LAUGH] >> That was pretty cool. There's something about it that speaks to the soul. >> A major thing I took away is find your people. Drex talked about when he went to burning man, he was at home. >> We can find our people. There's seven billion people in the world. We can find the ones that act like us, look like us. I'm sure there's a thousand bald, tattooed women out there. It's beautiful, we all have our niche. And then at the same time, amidst a world of classification. Hopefully, we understand that we're really not all that's separate. It's okay to run with your people and then connect in different ways. [MUSIC] And poi was like that, spinning poi. You can provide this gift that crosses boundaries. [MUSIC] >> It doesn't even feel like it actually happened, it's just man. It's one of those things you're probably never gonna forget. Made me feel like, when I'm at home, there's just so much that felt out of reach. And that's just a part of my socialization coming up, just so much just seemed out of reach. When I lived in Manteca, our neighbors had an RV. And I was like, that looks dope, but I'm never gonna be in an RV. It was out of reach. And it's so weird that I'm traveling the country in one. I went to the South, I heard so many stories. But it's like, it was always just another one of those things just out of reach so much. Still sometimes feels out of reach, but after this, man things just aren't out of reach. It was awesome. >> So we're halfway in the trip. We just reach our halfway point. >> So DC, I guess what I knew is the White House is there. >> If I got a call right now that said you won the lottery, I guarantee I'd still be here Monday morning. >> The adults make the experience for the students in the school, and how children are treated, that's how they will feel as a human being. >> I feel like I have way more than I expected to come out with already. [MUSIC] >> Roadtrip Nation extends beyond the program you just watched. While on the road, Tele'jon and the Roadtrip Nation crew created this experimental short video as another way to share their experience. Check it out. [MUSIC] I am like the fans assimilate. To be bad is exactly why you were bred chase the bread, and you can tread. Living in a static reality or instead, you colonize your mind and revive it from the dead. Today you take the pledge with whatever it is you're going through. So forget what they said and make decisions based off of only you. You step to the edge. Now tell me what you gonna do, yesterday I leaped I swear, that I only flew. [MUSIC] >> No matter what you do. >> Or where you come from. >> You've got wisdom to pass down. >> Help young people find their way, by sharing the lessons you've learned. Take 15 minutes to tell us what you love to do. >> The doors open. >> We're all ears. >> Become a leader at ShareYourRoad.com. [MUSIC] 

In New Orleans, the team experiences the undeterred spirit of the city when they speak to a chef, a graphic designer, a chimp veterinarian, and an alligator wrestler. Later, in D.C., they interview Ben Drexler, who left the non-profit sector to become a poi (fire) spinner. Ben reflects on his bold career transition and urges the road-trippers to find their own burning passions.

Rattle the Cage

(Syrena) [Louisiana Accent] I'ma Syrena Johnson, aspiring chef here in New Orleans. Can you tell us how you ended up here? Where we are right now, Liberty's Kitchen, I started off in this program. This for at risk youth and this a program that gets you job skills through cooking. My first job was Mcdonald's, I worked my way up from fast food to fine dining. I didn't know at first that cooking was what I wanted to do until I just kept seeing myself in cooking spaces and now that I look back on it I have always been cooking. I was always in a kitchen as a young kid, like helping my mom out, prepping for holidays, so as I look back on it it always was in me I just didn't realize it until later. Can you talk about where you come from? And what that means and like the struggles that come with it? Yeah, I come from Uptown New Orleans, if you've heard and read about it, it's one of like the grimiest places out here, it's where a lot of the crime takes place and I went to all the schools that all these bad little kids went to. I could'a went so many paths. I could'a did so many things. I could'a ended up in bad places for where I came from. I chose not to do 'dos things. I chose to get a job. I chose to work instead'a stay out on the streets. I chose to finish school so I mean, it plays into a lot of things. Where do you feel like you are now compared, like, I want, you talked a little bit about it. I want to know what's like the ultimate goal, like what's the dream, you know? In the big scheme'a things I probably see myself like having my own restaurant. I love to make deserts. Like, I have a big sweet tooth. I love sweet potato pie. Anything deserts, anything New Orleans. Dat's what I'm trying to promote. Like I don't want no five stars or nothing like that, as long as everybody who come to eat at my place is happy and enjoy what I'm going to cook, the plate is going to be clean, like, at the end of the day it's all about like feeding yourself, feeding your body. We gotta eat to live so that's all it's about for me. You'd say you're happy? I'm happy right now, I'm happy because I'm progressin', I see myself growin' up, I just I want more for myself. I see a lot about my future. At first I was like, 'I dunno. 'Whatever. Something will happen or I'll figure it out.' I was like, I gotta go get it, I can make this happen. I know that I can make my own future. I mean that's the whole thing, New Orleans is a place that is fruitful of everything; Music, food, people. This is the perfect place for me. I love to be in the kitchen, I love to serve people, I love to see dey face when I give them something that I cooked and I hear a lot of people who say like, "If you enjoy doing it den you don't want to do it for a living, it should just be your passion," but I mean I really don't see myself doing anything else. I got war wounds and everything, like I can't see myself being nowhere else. Dey wouldn't even take me. Look at me. I thought for a long time dat, I always was like, 'Man, I work so hard,' You always hear people say, 'Well, hard work pays,' and I was always like, 'That's bull, that's bologna,' like, 'Hard work don't pay because I been working hard for this for a very long time and it hasn't paid off yet,' and it's like, it was too soon for me to say that because right when I said that, things just took off. Just don't doubt yourself, don't think that it can't happen, don't think that you don't have it in you, and just don't think that it can't happen because anything can happen. I'm 23 years old and I went to culinary school and done everything that I said I was going to do. Just don't let it go by. Don't be shy, don't be timid. If you want it, get out there and get it. Even if you are going to fail, don't be afraid to try again. Just go out there and do it. If you don't do it, you'll never know. You never know what's going to happen. 'Don't give up! It's not too late.' Nice! It's never too late. 

Interview

I'm Serena Johnson, an aspiring chef here in New Orleans. I could have went so many paths, I could of did so many things, I could of ended up in bad places from where I came from. I chose not to do those things. I chose to get a job, I chose to work instead of stay out in the streets, I chose to finish school. I love to be in the kitchen and I love to serve people. I love to see their face when I give them something that I cooked. And I hear a lot of people who say, if you enjoy doing it then you don't wanna do it for a living, it should just be your passion. But I mean, I really don't see myself doing anything else. I got war wounds and everything. I can't see myself being anywhere else, they wouldn't even take me. Look at me. You always hear people saying well, hard work pays. And I was always like that's bull, that's baloney, hard work don't pay cuz I've been working hard for this for a very long time and it hasn't paid off yet. And it was too soon for me to say that because right when I said that things just took off. So I mean just don't doubt yourself, don't think that it can't happen. Don't think that you don't have it in you. Just don't let it go by, don't be shy, don't be timid. Just if you want it, get out there and get it. 

Syrena Johnson Highlight

You're so positive about your journey, just being yeah, I need that experience. How do you think that played into your life? You're just so ready to get experience, that's crazy. >> Yeah I mean, I think it was good. Not a lot of people have that, like the program that we have now, we have students who come through here all the time. I see a lot of them who, some of them never worked a job before, and they in their 20s, and they come through here and we give them job training and, I'm just trying to teach them skills through the kitchen and, it's hard having that about yourself coming from a place like this, but I didn't want to fail. I always wanted to succeed, I'm scared of failure so I just couldn't get it. I had to go through all those things, all those little things to get to here. It was worth it. I'm looking back at it now. Everything that I've done now, everything was well worth it. 

Failure

Fear

Perseverance

Didn't Want To Fail

How are you developing your leadership skills? >> Just by working here. Every day it's a challenge. Every day I have a challenge dealing with student, whether it's just simple things from the biggest thing like learning how to talk to people and handle people is a big thing and why not, then, learn it here with everybody who already know me and, with the students, too, they're still on my age levels. So, I mean, I'm learning just through the work. Learning through work. 

Experience

Leadership Through Work

What's your approach to sort of working out all the things you need to do to setup on your own? >> I'm still learning. I still have my job here. We do catering so I asked the person who does the invoices and our catering manager, so I could sit with you one day and just shadow you the whole day and see what's going on? I mean it's hard and I don't have anything like that. I'm not even far into signing paper works and to getting it done but it's just a set goal that I have. It's written down, I want to do this, this, and that and my steps on towards doing it. But yeah, I have all it in my head, the things that I wanna do. >> You have a- >> It might be. >> Set list. Mm-hm, it might multiply from now. Just the other day I was like, hey maybe I need a burrito joint. [LAUGH] It just, everyday. When I learn something new it's just like okay, I got to do that. 

Goals

I Have To Do That

You talked about that it was a struggle sometimes staying focused on your path. What are some struggles that were significant along your journey? >> Just the normal, just your friends. Maybe sometimes I wanted to go out instead of work as much or something like that. I just I just had to think about the bigger picture at the end of the day. Like if I play too much or if I slack off on the things that I want to do then am I gonna really be where I want be at? So I just had to think about all those things and sometimes I had to be the boring friend, sometimes I had to go to sleep early, or sometimes I had to cancel events and go to work. I mean, but it all paid off at the end of the day, everything paid off. 

Struggle

It Paid Off

Do you have any days with thoughts about making it on your own in the future? >> Yes, I was about to. I was supposed to say hell yeah. >> [LAUGH] >> I mean, I'm just scared of failing. I'm scared of flopping. I'm scared of disappointing a customer. I'm scared of sending one uncooked thing out. Everyday I wake up I'm scared about that. I don't even have it yet. I don't even have my own business yet. So yes it do scare me, but it pushes me to make myself even better. >> So you feed off that failure? >> Yeah, I feed off the failure. 

Doubt

Scared of Failing

I thought for a long time that I always was like, man I work so hard and you always hear people say, well hard work pays. And I was always like, that's bull, that's baloney. Like hard work don't pay cuz I been working hard for this very long time. And it hasn't paid off yet. And it was like it was too soon for me to say that because right when I said that things just took off. Just don't doubt yourself. Don't think that it can't happen. Don't think that you don't have it in you. Just don't think that it can't happen, because anything could happen. I'm 23 years old and I went to culinary school and done everything that I said I was going to. Just don't let it go bad. Don't be shy. Don't be timid. Just, if you want it, get out there and get it. Even if you are gonna fail, don't be afraid to try again. Just go out there and do it. If you don't do it you'll never know, never know what's gonna happen. 

Syrena Johnson

Chef

Videos

Syrena Johnson

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Entrepreneurship

Food

Learning / Being Challenged

Skills & Qualities Beyond School

Advice for Getting Started

Recommended Education

My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

Challenges I Overcame

Gangs / Violence