In the first official episode of the podcast, Chef Ken talks with Elise Jesse – a remarkable individual whose journey epitomizes the themes of reinvention and passion.

The episode delves into the concept of reinvention, exploring how Elise navigated her journey from NFL reporter to becoming a contestant on Gordon Ramsay's 'Next Level Chef'. Throughout their conversation, Ken and Elise delve into the courage it takes to evolve, embrace risk, and pursue one's true inspirations. Elise exemplifies the transformative power of following one's passion, even amidst the uncertainties of change.

Throughout the conversation, Elise shares her experiences of overcoming self-doubt and the imposter syndrome that often accompanies significant career shifts. This episode not only highlights Elise's personal narrative but also serves as a beacon for those contemplating their own transformative journeys, encouraging listeners to pursue their passions regardless of societal expectations or fears of inadequacy.

Ultimately, the discussion encapsulates a profound message: the courage to evolve and the importance of sharing one’s journey with others, reminding us all that every experience—whether in the kitchen or beyond—deserves a seat at the table.

Welcome back to Seat at the Table Chef Ken, where every good story deserves a seat at the table.

Today's guest is someone whose journey is all about reinvention, passion, and finding purpose through storytelling.

You may know her from her years of covering the Cincinnati Bengals and the sports world on television, but she also has built an incredible presence in the culinary space by sharing her love of food, fan, and connection.

I'm truly grateful she's taking time to join me today, because I think her story is one so many people relate to the courage to evolve, take risk, and follow what truly inspires you.

Please welcome Elise, Jessie.

Elise, thank you so much for joining me.

This is so exciting.

This.

You are the first guest on the podcast.

So awesome.

That's so awesome.

And thank you so much for coming on.

It's really funny.

I met Elise just online when I started to hear that someone from Cincinnati had made it on Next Level Chef.

And I was like, that's so interesting.

Because what you don't realize, Elise, is that I actually was into running to be on Next Level Chef.

What?

Yes.

Wait, we could have competed together.

I mean, you would have beat me.

But anyway, no, no.

For, like, six months, I went through back and forth.

I think.

I think it was just the old man.

I don't think they.

They didn't want an old man like me.

So anyway.

But you made it on.

I was like, well, someone from Cincinnati made it on.

I'm like, all right, now we're gonna root for this person, and, like, hopefully, you know, you can get through.

I've watched other seasons of it.

I'm like, eh.

Some of the people are like, meh.

I didn't really think it was that awesome, but Because I'm a Top Chef fan, but I am too.

I love Top Chef.

Yeah.

I mean, it's the best one.

But I saw.

I was like, yes, Elise is on.

And that's really where I started plugging in to who you were and what you're doing now, because I do remember you for being on, you know, local sports and covering sports.

And I'm like, well, now, wait a minute.

What's on her page?

Like, she's.

She's doing food stuff, and she's making videos in her kitchen.

And I think, let's just take a step back.

Like, so you're on the news, right?

And then you're doing that kind of like, you were like, I want to reinvent myself and find out, like, this new path.

Tell me about that.

Well, I.

When I wasn't on camera, I was cooking I was just hiding it from the world for so long.

It was one of my biggest stress relievers, really, was getting into the kitchen and cooking.

It just.

I was able to turn my mind off.

So I was stressed at work.

I would go right into the kitchen and everything would be okay again.

And then I really didn't have the courage to post any kind of cooking or anything on social media because I was worried about how that would relate to sports.

And I didn't want to be looked at as someone who maybe wasn't as credible in the sports world.

And so I just kept it hidden for a very long time until a couple of years ago.

And finally I decided, you know what?

I don't really.

I don't care.

I don't care if someone thinks that I'm less credible in sports because I post a nice dinner.

It's not going to matter.

At the end of the day, what matters is what I think and what I want to pursue and how that makes me feel.

So I just leaned all the way into that.

That's the time that that happened.

How did that go, that transition of going?

Because this is kind of my story, too.

I was working at Fidelity Investments and then just transferred into saying, you know what?

I'd much rather just go work at a restaurant and go to culinary school.

It was a weird time and transition for me.

Like, how did that translate from you saying, I'm gonna get off of local sports TV to doing, like, you know, Instagram and showing your food every day and what you make?

Which is awesome, by the way.

I love it.

Likewise.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So for me, I'm like, wow, how does someone make that switch?

Because there's probably people out there right now that are the same way you were.

Right.

They're, like, at home, and they're like, I have this cool hobby.

I love it.

But they don't have the courage to reinvent themselves and be somebody new and be someone more authentic.

Explain.

Like, go into that a little bit.

Like, what.

How did that happen?

It was almost kind of forced in a way.

My husband got this incredible opportunity with the UConn Huskies, and that's when I quit TV.

And I decided in that moment, our daughter was two.

And both of us, Mike and I, were traveling a lot, working a lot, and so we had a rotation of four nannies with us because we worked so much.

Yeah.

And I just saw it as an opportunity to pour into my family, pour into my daughter.

And so I. Mike, took the job On a Friday, he signed the contract and he was in Connecticut by Monday.

So I'm working full time, taking care of Olivia, my daughter, and then trying to pack up the house, to move everything, sell everything.

We finally get out to Connecticut.

And you know how it is when you wrap your.

Your identity up so much into a career.

And that's really what I did with sports.

I get into Connecticut and I think I'm going to be happy.

And then I'm sitting there and I'm thinking, wait a second, who am I without sports?

Right?

What?

Like, who I could.

I didn't understand what identity I was going to go with at that point.

I'm just like, wait, I don't know who I am without this piece of my life.

I had that same kind of thing, but once I went into the culinary school and I met the people, there was some internal switch that went off that the sounds, the smell, the conversations I was having was just familiar.

And it didn't make any sense that it was because I, up to then, never worked in a restaurant, never done any of that, but it just felt so familiar to me.

And it was.

It just seemed like, well, yeah, I mean, I'm definitely going to do this.

And to everyone else around me, it was like, you're doing what?

What are you doing that a lot too, you know?

Yeah.

Right.

So I think for me, it was just like trusting that internal instinct that I think a lot of people turn off because they think it's too scary, they're not good enough.

I wasn't good enough.

I just decided that that was what I was going to do and that involved.

And then that evolved to what I do today.

That was arduous.

But that transition, I think, in that switch just.

It felt good for me.

It sounds like that was the way it was because, yes, it's hard to turn the camera on you and do something you haven't done before.

But I think, I mean, I watch it, it looks like you've been doing it for years.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

It's the way you position the camera and the way that, like, people can look in, and it's like this little sneak peek into your kitchen.

Like, what's Elise doing today?

You know, like, she's making chicken breasts today.

All right.

The chicken ick, as everyone says, you know, And I'm like, how's she doing it?

And for me, I'm, like, always learning from people.

I want to learn.

Likewise.

Yeah, I'm the same way.

I'm all over Instagram, like, what's that guy doing?

What's she doing?

And I don't use any pretense when I do that.

I'm like, anybody who's off who's cooking, I feel like you're cooking for me.

So I look at it and go, I didn't think about that.

That's pretty cool.

I'm gonna steal that and not tell her.

But you know what I mean?

So I think for me, that you just kind of being like, all right, I have to do this to evolving to, like, baking videos every day in your kitchen and kind of explaining while I'm making this for the kids to today, you know, or this is the family kind of.

That's where we see you now.

How was it like, the first time that you put that camera on and made a video?

Oh, my gosh.

I was nervous and shaking because for so many years, I would post a video or a picture of my food, but I was never in it.

And so I never allowed my face to be on camera with the food.

What are we doing here?

I was very nervous to post it, and I didn't tell any of my friends, any of my family that even had a food account for the first six months.

I just posted hope that no one would ever find it.

Right.

And then all of a sudden, I did tell my husband, and then he's like, oh, okay.

He didn't really think of it.

And then I go, oh, my gosh, it's so weird.

I just.

I just eclipsed, like, 80,000 followers on TikTok.

And he's like, what?

For what?

I go, I don't know.

Like, I made animal crackers the other day.

I don't really know.

I'm just posting the random stuff that I'm making anyways and prop my phone up and, I mean, I just talk like I am right now.

I just.

I don't really think about it that much because I think if you overthink, that kind of stops you from being who you are authentically in the moment.

And so I don't.

I just don't script it.

I just cook how I normally would.

If you were just standing right with me.

No, no.

But it's funny, thankfully, because you were always in front of a camera.

There were cameras in the room and people there, and you would do what you would do camera in your face in the locker room at the Bengals game and stuff like that.

And that's just like, oh, yeah, you know, da, da, da, no problem.

But when you do that and it becomes personal and it's you.

And it's you doing something, and you're putting it out there for people.

I know for me, that was super hard.

I had to hire people in my business and bring them in to help me with that because, like, people would look through my.

My social media and they're like, we don't know who Ken is.

We see his food.

It's beautiful, but.

And I'm sure it tastes great, but I don't know who he is.

And I had to bring people in to help me with that because I was terrified to.

I'm like, nobody wants to see me.

Nobody wants this in their home.

You know, like, and then it was like, trying to get over that hurdle of just realizing that.

No, that people who want to hire me, they want to know who they're inviting in their home, right?

Yes, absolutely.

They want to know who this guy is.

So for me, it was like, once I had that mindset, it was like, that's great.

But I think when you're turning that camera around and you're looking in and you're filming it, and then you're, like, probably looking at it, like, am I going to hit the.

Am I going to hit the post button on this?

Right, right.

I'm not going to look, but you did.

And then people are, like, latched onto it.

Because, again, the theme that we're talking about is the authenticity.

And I think that's what people want to see because they're in their home, they got two kids, they're making dinner for their kids and their family every night, and they're like, I need help.

I don't like to cook, but I need to cook.

And I'm tired of getting doordash or I'm tired of doing all that.

And I think what you help people do is get over that hurdle of feeling like, I can't do it.

A lot of the things that you do aren't, like, over the top.

Here's 10 ingredients.

You have to go buy a Kroger today or whatever to make this recipe.

It's just like, I had this idea.

We're going to make, you know, this beet hummus.

And, you know, we're going to.

And you know when we're going to.

Here's all the ingredients.

It's very simple.

And I think offering that to people is what people connect with.

With you.

And I love it.

I watch it every day.

I would encourage you to definitely watch it.

You're gonna love it.

Appreciate that.

Absolutely.

So now you've built two brands.

You're building this brand, and you're putting these videos out, and then something happens.

You get to be on next level Chef.

Yeah.

Now, kind of like, what made you kind of pursue that or go into that?

Well, I spent so many years watching other people follow their dreams.

Athletes, coaches, telling their stories as they did it, too.

And then I just had to have a hard look at myself and realize that I was pushing my own dream off to the side.

And I finally had to just say, listen, it's now or never.

You're going to bet on yourself or you're going to leave this alone.

Like, just go for it or stop thinking about it.

I could not get it out of my head.

Yeah.

And producers contract contacted me, and I initially thought that it was a prank when they reached out to me, and I was like, there's no way they're reaching out to me, of all people.

Yeah.

I'm just in my kitchen, right?

Yeah.

But that's how it works, because I had a girl send me a message on Instagram, and I'm just sitting there one night, and I'm like.

Then I'm like, who's this girl?

She's sliding in my DMs, talking about, like, oh, you know, you'd be really good for this.

I'm gonna forward your information here, and she'll be contacting you tomorrow.

And I'm like, all right, who is this person?

I'm, like, going down her page.

I'm like, oh, she was a former contestant.

Okay.

All right.

Is it legitimate?

And I spent the whole night, I think, like, I spent the whole night, like, thinking it was ridiculous.

And it's just like, what you said.

Yeah, same thing.

And I was like, all right, whatever happens, happens.

And it was legitimate, you know, and that is insane.

So what was your reaction when you found out that you had been on?

I.

So dj, who is one of the directors, gave me a call, and we go through the process, and he's like, listen, you know, there's going to be alternates, and you might not make the cut.

We're still decent.

And I just said, okay, cool.

Well, whenever you decide, just let me know so that I can plan the rest of my life.

Yeah, right.

I have other things going on.

And he goes, well, do you want me to tell you right now?

I go, yeah, that would be nice.

Yeah.

It's an hour into the conversation, he goes, you're on.

Wow.

Like, no way.

Oh, my God.

And So they flew 27 of us out to Ireland.

I know.

And let me tell you, I knew that it was in Ireland.

I knew it was in Ireland.

Oh, yeah.

You keep it up to the same.

I was in.

Because I was going through the same process, and I knew it was in Ireland.

I'm like, oh, please.

Just, like.

Because I've never been to Ireland.

I'm like, this is my chance to go to Ireland.

I want to go.

And like, that was, like, at the beginning was the coolest part for me because I was like, all right, you know, like, I want to win, but moreover, I'm like, I'm going to spend.

I don't know how many weeks it was that they told me that I would have to do it for, but I'm like, you know, I don't know what you get to do.

I don't know that.

I don't know, we can get into it or whatever.

But, you know, I didn't know what detailed.

I'm like, I want to go down, like, have a pint and do all this stuff, like, be a tourist.

I'm sure it's not like that.

No, it's not.

But in my head, that's what I thought.

That's a nice idea, though.

That's what I thought it was.

I'm like, oh, I'm just gonna hang out a while, do the show now, like, maybe have, you know, a couple pints and then come back and chill out.

So tell us what.

What was the first thing once you got over there and you flew over, what was the first thing that, like, surprised you about it?

Because you had probably something you're kind of like, in your head, you could kind of.

Okay, it's probably like this.

But what was the first thing?

You're like, whoa.

I didn't know.

I didn't, you know, something maybe surprised you?

There was a lot that surprised me, to be honest with you.

But the first thing that I noticed was that they mentioned to us, the producers met us, the wellness team met us at the air, and they said, if you guys can make sure that you don't have conversations about who you are or what you do, you can have conversations about what you're seeing out the window.

But I don't want you giving.

If you're a pro chef, a social media chef, you cannot give anyone any information.

Wow.

And so at first, I'm like, man, how are we all going to connect on this bus?

Hi, I'm Elise.

My favorite color is blue.

Yep.

Kind of like.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Yeah.

What are you going to talk about?

We started.

A lot of us had kids, so we Just immediately started talking about kids.

But that was very interesting.

And then, you know, they were worried about our well being in Europe.

And so they were very much.

They were very strict about whether or not you could leave your room, which we could not, unless you were with a producer.

Really?

Yes.

You were chaperoned to the grocery store, you were chaperoned on walks, everything.

And I understood because they don't want people to find out.

Right.

And you're there to film a TV show, really, at the end of the day.

Right.

And what I really enjoyed was that I got a lot of sleep, which is.

I don't get a lot of sleep here at home.

You don't mean you don't get a lot of sleep with kids at home?

No, I don't.

That's so surprising.

I text my husband, I'm like, this is the most sleep I've gotten in.

And he's like, I gotta let you go.

Like, you probably wouldn't have.

I'm traveling for work already.

My parents are at my house with the kids, and it's just chaos over there.

I'm like, I am sleeping and I just ordered dinner to my room.

I love that.

It's funny.

So the kind of like how you were treated and like having to stay in the room again, that kind of like, I kind of still appeals to me.

I'm still like.

I'm like, quiet time, relaxing.

Yeah.

Kind of on my own a little bit doing that.

But, you know, how did the.

How do you think being in the competition changed how you cook now?

You know.

Oh, it changed.

It changed everything.

At first, when you get there and you see exactly what everyone's skills are.

When you're actually in the kitchens and you're cooking and you see the dishes that people are producing right away, the imposter syndrome.

Tries to take a seat at your table and you're trying to fight it off entire time.

Right.

Like, he really has good knife skills.

Yes.

Oh, yeah.

You notice that real really fast or plating skills, things like that.

And for me, it was just like, you know what?

I'm going to do what I can with the ingredients that I've got and just really roll with it and do my best.

And you know it.

I didn't win.

But for me, if.

If I fail or if I lose, to me, that's data and that's information.

You can use that and use that to get better.

Absolutely.

I mean, just.

Just having the courage to do it for me is amazing.

So just to do it, I think to just be in that experience is what is amazing on that.

Because a lot of people will look, maybe, you know, you could have been, like, the fourth one down on a list of people that day that someone reached out to, and they may have said, oh, I don't want to do that.

They don't have the courage to reinvent themselves to go all in.

And I think that that is something that if you haven't done that, you don't quite understand.

But if you go all in and just say, nope, this is what I'm going to do, and you find the courage and the belief before it exists, which you always have to do, unfortunately, constantly.

That's what you got to believe in yourself before anybody else.

When I started cooking, my mom would just say, are you still doing the cooking thing at home for people?

Yes, mama.

Yes, I'm still doing it.

That's so good.

Good job.

You know, but the other question I had, and this goes into just like Gordon Ramsay, because I'm a pretty big Gordon Ramsay fan as a chef.

Likewise, the TV shows, they're entertaining.

Some of them are kind of, meh, sorry, Gordon.

I'm sure he's watching.

I'll send it to him off.

Go right ahead and.

But the.

The shows, like the Netflix show that he did was.

I felt very.

Being Gordon Ramsay a lot.

And then the videos I watch on YouTube of him, like, his master class videos.

Yeah.

Amazing.

Yeah.

So I go to him constantly, repetitively over.

When I have to make something, I'm like, nope, before I do that, I'm gonna watch that video.

And, like, I want to just, you know, make myself remember, like, oh, yep, I gotta do that.

You know, Gordon said, so what is something that Gordon Ramsay, like, taught you or was able to teach you in that time that you were there?

Was there anything that, like, he.

He said or did that just resonates with you today when you cook?

You know, he taught me a lot of techniques and.

And skills and.

But it's so funny when I think back on it, time slowed down so much.

Like, when you're standing next Gordon Ramsay and you've both got knives in your hands and you're cooking, time just almost stops.

And I was just trying to soak in every single thing because he's firing on all cylinders.

Like this guy can.

He could chop a full onion with the sharpest knife in the world in sleep.

Like, you wouldn't need to look at it.

And I was just trying to soak everything in.

And I got.

It was so cool because I just got this sense that he wanted me to do well and he was on my team.

And that was the cool feeling that I took away from it, was that he wanted me to do well and he was going to support me in any way that I needed him in those moments.

And that was just one of the.

Coolest things I think is if you're a good chef, you do want that for the people that work with you.

Yeah.

And when I watch him outside of like doing the Kitchen Nightmares and the Hell's Kitchen, beyond that, when I saw the being Gordon Ramsay, he was so into developing people and making people, like carrying them through his organization all the way through and being hard on them, being direct and knowing exactly, no, this is the way I want it.

Get to that.

But then showing like, this guy started here, now he works here, and now he's at a Michelin restaurant, you know, and that was when I realized, like, he's the real deal.

Because in the culinary world, in restaurants in particular, there can be a lot of ego.

And like, you know, I'm going to keep this person down because I'm so and so and I don't want any of my people to ever be higher.

Go on, do this, do that, and be better than me.

The best chefs in the world and the best chef like in Cincinnati, who was John Ribert, in my opinion, he did that.

He brought people up.

And now his chefs are, you know, own restaurants or work at, at restaurants all over the world.

And I find that's a true mark.

So it doesn't surprise me that like he didn't, you know, I'm not going to yell and scream.

It's like, no, no, no.

I really want you to do well.

And it does come through on that show when you watch it.

He really now, you know, for me, when I watch it, I'm like, I want to be on that top kitchen every single time.

I always find it interesting that when they're on the lower, if you haven't watched it, it's like a three tier kitchen situation.

So on the bottom floor, you're basically in your parents basement trying to make dinner.

Worse than that.

It's worse.

It's like being, I mean, I would imagine it would be like a frat house kitchen.

Yeah.

With, I mean, the colanders had giant holes in them bigger than our palms.

It was crazy.

Like none of the knives were sharp.

A lot of the stuff was melted.

Like the plastic spoons were melted.

Wait a second.

The burners were faulty.

I mean, it was just.

You were able to even get Stuck something edible on the plate in the basement.

Yeah, you're a star.

Seeing people, like, forget, like, things, and, you know, they're like, oh, my God, I can't believe that, you know, and someone's like, oh, that's mine.

I gotta have that.

Because that.

I can't believe that made it to the bottom kitchen.

Because.

Yeah, you have to watch the show.

I know.

I know.

Some people might be listening if you can watch it, because it is for competition.

There's so many competitions.

There's so many competitions these days.

It's hard to.

Yeah, I think that this one is entertaining because of how that's formatted, that you have, like, Michelin kitchen at the top, and then you have, like, your regular, like, restaurant kitchen in the middle.

But like you said, at the bottom, it's like you barely have enough to make edible food.

No.

That's so crazy.

It's insane.

And the platform, when you're standing there looking at it, I was on the top a number of times and cooking on the top kitchen, and I remember looking at this platform, like, it's so full.

I don't even know.

It almost felt like I was looking at clutter.

You know what I mean?

Like, you couldn't totally identify where things were and what they were.

You just knew you had to grab a protein, and then you would just start grabbing and elbowing people next to you, trying to get something that you could work with.

Right.

But to me, I'm like, wow, that's.

I can't even.

What is happening?

You have 30 seconds, and then you have 25 minutes to make a meal.

It's like a strip of fish and, like, had a block of cheese.

And then you're like, wait a second.

What am I gonna do here?

What is going on?

They're like, you know, and then.

And then it'll cut away and they'll say, it's very interesting that Elise would take the fish with the cheese.

I'm like, you don't really like.

What you're saying is that you don't realize you just grab everything.

No.

You're just like, well, it's so awesome that I can talk to you about it, because there are, like, a lot more.

We could talk for a whole nother podcast just about it.

Because I got to that point where I did, like, multiple videos.

I did all this stuff, and then, like, never heard back from him again.

I don't know.

It just.

They ghost it.

And I was like, I guess that's not happening.

And then when the show came on, well, when I heard that it was announced, because at first, before I heard your announce, I was like, who are these people?

Yeah, I'm gonna size these people up.

Who'd they pick?

And they didn't pick me up.

Come on.

That's not.

I think you would have crushed that competition.

I thought you.

I think you would have been good.

Thank you.

Because that's what I assume is why they did not pick me, because they knew that I was strong.

Too strong.

Everybody out of the water.

Yeah.

I mean, it should just be Ken versus Gordon Ramsay, the new show.

I would pay to watch that.

Yeah, I would get.

I would watch that.

I would get destroyed.

Are you kidding?

Well, that is amazing.

You know, I think.

And you told me, we did talk prior to that, you were starting your own business, and you were so happy that you got your llc and you're so excited.

That is.

Maybe a lot of people don't realize that, but, like, I remember getting mine and like, oh, now it's official.

And I got paperwork, and I'm like, in my office, and I'm like, I have my business license.

I'm the.

I'm officially in business.

Even though, like, you know, of course everyone's like, what are you.

What are.

What are you doing?

For me, getting the llc and like, okay, now I have insurance, and I have all this stuff was so exciting.

So talk about kind of like, what your plans are, like, what it is, you know, and what you kind of want to do.

I can't go all the way in because it's not all the way complete yet.

And my business plan is written up.

My marketing plan is written up.

Every.

Like, my financials are all there.

Right.

And I'm just.

I want to make sure that it's exactly what my vision is before I launch it out.

I did not do that.

I just wrote.

I went and said I wanted to do it, and I quit the job that I was in at the time, and I just went and, like, I'm gonna write a business plan.

And I wrote a business plan and this big idea.

I still have it somewhere.

It's somewhere at the house, and it's like a stack this thick.

Yeah.

I had.

People are gonna buy memberships, and I was gonna do these and this pop up and this, all this stuff.

And it was this.

I call it the grandiose plan.

You know, it's a Sounds something political, like governmental, but it was.

It was this grandiose plan I was going to do and all this stuff.

And, you know, it basically just Delineated down to just basically cooking for people.

You know, that's really what it is.

At the end of the day, no.

Matter what you write, you're just, you.

Want to cook for people.

And I'm like, oh, I'll start with this, and then I'll do this, and then eventually we'll get to this.

And, I mean, it all worked out, but the.

The path was a very, like, the path to get to even where I'm at now.

The journey was the destination, you know, like, getting there.

And I think you, you know, for me, and I'm sure it will be for you, because you're kind of in the second, like, iteration of you.

You know, you're reinventing yourself, and you're like, okay, I'm this now, and this is what I'm doing.

And that took a while for me.

I don't know how it will be for you, but for me, it was like this guy who was just kind of didn't have a title.

I didn't.

I had a title, but it was boring, you know?

And now I'm, like, trying to tell people, well, I'm just a chef now.

And they're like, what do you mean you're a chef?

No, I am a chef now.

I am.

And I am Chef Ken, and that's what I'm gonna be.

And, you know, most people are like,.

You will not talk me off of this.

I'm like, that's what I'm doing.

That's the title.

This is what I'm doing.

I don't care whether you get it or not.

And having that kind of blind ambition for just, like, that's what I'm going to do.

And I find that, like, business owners, when they start, they're the exact same way, you know?

I mean, you have that imposter syndrome.

I still have it.

Today, if you get in a room of people that are way better than you and smarter, you're like, I have no business being in here, but I'm here.

Like, let's go.

I want to try to learn what I can.

Bet on.

Yourself.

I know, like, used to.

And you've done it.

I mean, so have I.

You just bet on yourself, and you won't be happy unless you do that.

Yeah.

I think that a lot of people don't really grab ahold of that because they might have things get in the way, or they're like, one day, I'm gonna do this, or if I could just get this, this, and this done, then I'll do that.

Yeah, it's easier.

It's almost like a way of coddling yourself or pushing your dream away, which I did that for a long time.

And it's like, if you keep saying, I'll put it up until tomorrow or I'll wait until I'm in this position, it's never going to happen.

You just have to go both feet in, jump in, and not care if you're going to fail in front of everybody.

Okay.

At least you tried.

You jump off the cliff and eventually you're going to grow wings.

Yes.

And you'll be fine.

Yes.

Because you jump off and you're like, scared to death.

And you're like, there's the ground.

I'm going to hit it.

And then over time, because you build confidence in yourself, because you earn it, because you keep doing the same thing.

And then you grow those wings and now you're flying.

You're like, well, I probably should have done this earlier.

And that's how I felt when I, like, should have went to culinary school right out of high school instead of waiting till 36 to go to culinary school or even pursue that.

But the dream thing, I think it's just something that I think a lot of people listening are going to relate to because everybody's got dreams, right?

I mean, nine times out of 10, the people that are what they're doing, it's like they have to do it.

Well.

When I think about my business, and I'm sure you think about it is you get to do it.

And that transition of having to do something to getting to neither one of them is easy.

But it feels different when you get to do it.

Like when you wake up every day and you remind yourself, like, this is what I get to do.

Like, I'm gonna go cook in someone's home tonight.

I can't freaking wait.

You get to decide what's for dinner.

Like, I love deciding what's for dinner.

Yes.

And there's like, okay, it's 12 hour day or 14 hour day.

I don't care.

Time goes by very fast when you're doing what you love.

Yeah.

It's still hard at 53.

I'll just say it's not.

It's getting harder, but you know.

Another cup of coffee?

Yeah.

A lot of caffeine.

It's like huge energy drinks for me now.

That's.

Yeah, I've gotten off the coffee doesn't even hit me now.

What?

Yeah, I gotta.

I gotta go to the hard stuff.

Okay.

I'm gonna have to.

I'm gonna have to cut it out at some point, like, take a little breather.

I don't know.

My heart rate.

It's like resting heart rate 140.

No, it's not really.

But, yeah, the caffeine helps.

Yeah.

Yes, it does.

But that feeling of, like, I get to do this, I love that.

And I feel that from you.

Like, when you start talking about, you know, we talked about you doing, you know, sports reporting locally, and you're like, yeah, you know, I did that.

Yeah, it was kind of cool and stuff.

But then when you talk about doing food and then how you are in the videos and how you do that, you can just tell.

Thank you.

You know, and I see that with other people, people that I work with, people that do that when they.

You can get that feeling that they get to do it and not have to do it.

And I think there's probably people listening or watching that are in that situation that need that, like, come on, man, let's go.

Like, you can do it.

Put your boots on.

Let's go.

Let's go.

And.

But, you know, I. I never did.

I cooked when I was a kid.

I cooked all the time.

I. I cooked all the time.

And I always thought, like, oh, man, that would be cool to do.

And I just, like you said, gave myself an excuse or I don't think I'd be good enough.

Nobody'd want to eat my food.

Nobody wants to do it.

You know, that was just letting yourself off the hook.

Yeah, just letting yourself off the hook so you're like, I don't have to, like, look myself in the mirror and know that I'm not doing what I really am.

Like, the gifts, you know, the gifts that you have, the gift you have of relating to people through the camera is evident.

That's why people follow you.

That's why people love your.

Your Instagram.

I don't have Tik Tok, but she's very.

You should follow her on Tik Tok, too.

I hear it's.

It's where the kids are.

I'm not.

Young people like Elise is on Tik Tok.

Old people on Tik Tok, I think is creepy.

Anyway.

No offense to anyone who's old on Tik Tok, but that's just not my jam now.

I don't know.

I don't know.

Maybe my.

It's.

It's.

It's very different from Instagram.

I mean, TikTok is very different, honestly.

But maybe we'll give it a shot.

I don't know.

You should.

Yeah, I have.

I have people I have people that do it.

Shout Out.

Amy Scalia and Pete Scalia and local creator studio Shout Out.

They are basically, help me with that.

And heck, yeah.

Yeah.

And that took a while.

I tried to do it myself to help you.

That's right.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Position.

Then just like, this is tip number one for you.

Like, the things that you don't do well at all.

It took me years to realize that I don't do social media well.

Hire really smart people that, like, can get you into that.

You've already mastered that.

So I think there might be other things.

I think you're going to grow up.

With it too, though.

But I think you're going to hammer it.

Like, I think you're just going to dominate all the parts of your business and what you're doing.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Because you've already, like, conquered.

You've been on tv, you're conquering social media with your content.

Most people have businesses and they never figure that out, how to connect with the other side of the camera.

One of the.

One of the questions that I have, because you have a home.

You have.

You got your husband, two kids, so you're living the mom life, right?

Yeah.

You know, what has that meant to it?

Like, what is home to you?

Is home to you like, that made dinner in the kitchen.

I take a lot of pride in the dinners that I make at home.

When I was growing up, my mom made incredible dinners, and she made it a point that all five of us would sit at the dinner table together and eat.

And that was a very important part of our days.

And I do the same thing with my kids.

My husband, sometimes he's on the road, he works a lot, but it's okay.

It's like, you prop the phone up and it's like, Daddy's on FaceTime.

Don't we have.

We have a big head of Mike that we'll put on the table sometimes.

You gotta put that on.

You gotta put that.

You gotta have, like the scroll.

You scroll the kitchen.

They did, like, zoom in.

It's like, dinner with Mike tonight, and.

He's in his suit.

His Bearcat suit.

Yeah.

Like, sitting there and you can have, like, food in him and have one of the girls, like, you know, putting the food in.

I'd love that.

It's just a time where everybody's doing their own thing in the family.

You know, Mike's at work, the kids, Olivia's at school.

Everyone's running around.

And then now we can come together, reconnect together, and Family is so important to me, and I didn't have children to not raise them and not be around them and not know who they are and what they're interested in and what they care about.

I just want to continue to make sure that I'm a big part of their lives and they're a big part of my lives as we all grow older.

And I think family dinner is a big part of that.

So I try to make it a big deal at our house.

It's.

To me, what you just said and how you describe bringing people to the table is basically the premise of my business.

Yeah.

It's getting people with the phones gone, and I'll serve a dish out to everyone in the table.

And I just take a moment to look and listen, and what I see is, like, this time warp.

My mom was working.

And, you know, you get to the table and you, like, need that time.

As a kid, I think I. I probably was like, whatever, Mom, I'm not eating everything.

Like, we all go through, mom, do I have to eat the peas?

You know, that kind of thing.

Yes.

And it maybe.

And appreciate it, but when I have memories back of what I think about, it was critical.

Absolutely.

It's critical because those moments that I spent, you know, times that we spent at my grandmother's house on Sunday and having dinner, and she was in the kitchen all day making food.

And those moments that are little fuzzy, but I can still remember the smells, the sound, but it was togetherness.

And I think that, like, I would love to see that trend on.

On Instagram and TikTok, you know, that people, like, not trying to make everything an Instagramable moment, like, trying to make things like, no, this is our moment, and we're gonna sit down at the table and I am giving you my full present in present attention.

I'm not checking my emails.

I'm not wondering what's going on on Facebook, you know, or whatever.

And I think, like, that is.

I'm trying to fight for that.

That's why we do the dinners.

Because when we do the dinners at people's home was one this past weekend.

You know, they were a group of friends that had known each other for a very long time, and they were just getting around to asking how they met their spouse.

Oh, my gosh.

Yeah.

I mean, and I was like, I was kind of sitting there.

I'm like, shouldn't they already know that?

Like, they've been friends for so long?

But I think it's.

You're so disconnected.

And, you know, when I.

It's easy to be in that situation.

Yeah.

I think it's cool that you were the person that was chosen to help them connect and reconnect as friends, and you provided those moments for them.

I mean, food is such an easy thing to connect over in the first place.

It's easy.

The food is just like, way I look at it, it's just an instrument.

It's like the guitar sitting on the floor doesn't make good sound.

It's only when someone picks up the guitar, it knows how to play it.

It's the sound that comes out that makes you connect with it.

So food is the same way food can.

We can have this whole table filled with food.

It doesn't mean anything until you and I, I serve it.

Two people that it's made, and it's like, here you go, you know, here's your food.

And then they're looking across the person across, and they're eating.

It's like, oh, this is so good.

And then they go, so tell me about how you and that, you know, you met.

And when I sat there, I was like, wow, that's so cool that that moment's happening right now.

And it just caught me, you know, because I, I.

The conversations they were having was like they had knew in each other.

But the fact that they connected in at that time and they weren't, you know, trying to be like, you know, scrolling selfie stuff or whatever, I mean, I'm just as guilty as anyone else.

So I do it too.

It's hard not to.

It's horrible.

You know, I've been accused, like, you're on your phone too much.

I'm like, I know, but aren't we all, though?

I. I think everyone.

I think it's an addiction at this point.

Sometimes I wish I could just throw it in the Ohio River.

Well, it's funny because I'll say this on the podcast, I do have another account that does not have my face on it.

It's a hobby page.

It's just my hobby page that I have hobby stuff on.

What are your hobbies?

Like smoking cigars.

Okay, that's a good one.

Driving my Corvette and doing things, traveling, but very rarely bourbon.

Like, just different places.

I go, no food on that page whatsoever.

Like, there's no food.

There's no detection of.

Like, that's what I would do, you know?

And that's just like, I never post my face.

Nothing.

Nobody in my world isn't just.

It's just like a POV of like, where's he at?

What's he doing?

And I don't post on there very often and don't go try and look for it.

Whatever.

It's mine.

We're gonna sniff it out.

No former reporter will find.

No.

Ah, man, she will find it.

It's not hard to find, but I think, like, I do that just for my sanity, because before I started my.

My, my stuff, like you said, you had your own little page, and it was like, yeah, my secret little.

It's like nobody knows that it's out there.

It's kind of the same thing because, like, when I just want to have fun with Instagram and connect with those people, like, the people that follow that, they don't really know.

Like, that's what I do.

I think they just know that I know a lot about cigars and bourbon and stuff like that.

So, you know, those are the people.

And I can have conversations about a certain cigar or a lot of car guys.

It's a big car guy.

Pete's on it.

I think Pete the producer is on it.

So you're giving us clues.

This is another clue that it will allow me to find.

Gone.

So you're giving yourself away.

I'll find it within an hour.

You figured me out.

Can't hang out with reporters, man.

Former.

Former.

Former, yeah.

Investigative reporter.

We are going into the new title.

Ken.

Oh, my God.

New title of Food Instagram influencer.

Oh, I wouldn't say.

I feel like influencers are trying to, like, they make food.

Well, I don't want to dish on no dish.

Let's go.

Let's go.

They make food and it might look good, but what if it doesn't taste good for me, it's like, it could look like crap.

Picture doesn't have to taste good.

Do you know that?

I don't know.

Well, if there's a recipe attached, and there have been so many social media recipes that I've tried out and at least looks amazing.

And then I try it out, I'm like, wow, that was horrible.

That was like, the worst meal I've ever made in my life.

And so, like, that's.

That's really important for my own social media, is that I have to love it.

My husband has to like it too.

And that kind of gives me an idea of whether or not I'm on.

The right track of approval.

Yeah.

I mean, that's how you build trust with the people that follow you and care to know what your recipe is, that they know that it will be good when they go to make it themselves.

That's right.

That's kind of important.

Yes.

Lightly.

Yeah.

I have found, and I will not mention, but I have cookbooks, and I've used cookbooks, and I've looked at it.

I love them.

Yeah.

I collect them.

Yeah, absolutely.

And I'm like.

I look down, I'm like, do this and that.

I don't know about that.

Like, I don't know.

I don't know about that.

And, you know, try it.

I'm like, I don't know.

That's not how I do it.

That's.

I feel like that's too many steps or whatever.

I follow the recipe, but I am.

I am admittedly a horrible follower recipe guy.

I. I like to make my own music.

Like, I don't.

I.

If it's something technical, I'll go on YouTube, watch videos, and then if I still, like, don't understand something, I probably will look it up in one of my, like, chefs that I trust.

Yeah.

You know, when I was really first starting to learn how to make creme brulee, for instance, I've worked at the Summit.

Shout out Chef Kagi, he was there, and he came to me and he said, this was in culinary school.

First kitchen I ever walked into to work at.

Oh, my gosh.

Yeah.

And he's like, everybody starts in pastry, and tonight we're doing creme brulee.

Yeah.

No one wants to start in pastry.

That's why they.

What do you mean?

So fun.

Nobody at culinary school wants to do anything but the past.

The pastry people are the only people that want to do pastry.

Keep the container separate.

Yeah.

I'm like,.

Onions.

I was given this opportunity.

I'm like, I gotta figure this out.

Like, who.

Who can I turn to?

Who can I look online and, like, dial up on YouTube?

And it was Martha Stewart.

Shout out Martha Stewart.

Because I absolutely adore her.

And her recipe, when I read it, was so simple, you know, And I can't.

That's what recipes are.

They're very, very, very simple, straightforward.

No playing around.

Do it this way, this way, this way.

This much time.

Not one second over, and that's it.

And I'm like, that has been my recipe that I use every single time I make creme brulee.

A lot for my business and people love it.

It's super good.

And oh, yeah, I've had people.

I'm just saying bring any today.

I've had people tell me it's better than a prominent French chef in Cincinnati.

I'm just saying we're not gonna name him anyway, so.

I'm so happy that you came on.

I think this conversation has been great for me.

I love listening to your passion and everything that you do.

We're gonna just finish with some rapid fire questions.

Oh, I love those.

Those are so fun.

So we're gonna go rapid fire and.

The first one you can take a drink for.

All right.

Yeah, let's.

Let's take a drink.

Yeah, I'm like, let's take a drink.

All right, then you can bring it on.

All right.

Okay.

And Ros.

All fire away.

Okay, let's here first one.

Everyone wants to know in Cincinnati.

Skyline Gold star.

Skyline Gold Star.

I'm going to go with Skyline.

Sorry, I was slow on that.

We don't eat Skyline a lot cuz my husband's from Minnesota.

Oh, so.

So.

But if I have the Jews.

Skyline.

Yeah.

Minnesota.

He's meat and potatoes.

Meat and potatoes.

Love it.

Yeah.

So I know Skyline Goldstar.

It's kind of like Gold Star is like, to me like the sleeper.

But everyone wants to put themselves with Skyline because Skyline's like the cooler guy.

He's a cool kid in class.

Cinnamon and the chocolate in there.

Chili, like the cocoa that I get from that.

I love the.

I love it.

Yeah.

No, I love Skyline.

I want to get Skyline on the way out.

I can't eat that.

I wish I could.

I wish I could.

Yeah.

Favorite late night snack.

Oh, my gosh.

Okay.

You're gonna think I'm a weirdo.

Burrata.

Just a straight up grab a big chunk of burrata and you're eating it like an apple.

Creamy burrata that I'm getting burrata too when I leave.

Oh, my God.

Oh, I love it when burrata is so creamy.

Where you can like have a toast point or some bread and you just smear it on.

Have you ever put it on pizza with real peaches and prosciutto?

Hot honey game.

Yes.

Throw hot honey on.

Game over.

That's the best thing there is.

Absolutely.

Okay.

What do you think?

Just what do you think is the most overrated food trend right now you see online?

Oh, my gosh.

I'm trying to think.

I think the most overrated food trend is the mukbang thing where people eat as much food as Possible in one sitting.

I get kind of like I have to scroll past that because it makes me sick watching it.

I should have known that was a thing because I did that pretty much my entire life.

No, listen.

I have beaten.

I'm undefeated in food eating contests, by the way.

Oh, I've beaten off.

Oh.

I think that's a call out to anybody.

I think that's a call out.

I will challenge anyone and I will beat you.

Speed eating is my game, and I own that.

Okay.

Okay.

You need to follow man versus.

I can't watch myself do it.

Man versus beard beats food.

Have you ever watched him?

No.

Okay.

He's the big leagues.

He's the major league guy.

Beard meets food.

When you go home, go put the video on and watch him.

He is undefeated like he is.

We watch it.

I knew we had.

I could only watch that by myself because when I show people that, I do that.

But.

And then one last question.

If you could cook dinner for three.

Three people dead, alive, or who's at the table?

What?

Yes.

That's a hard one.

Okay, well, I've already cooked for Gordon.

Ramsay, so does it obvious?

Obvious.

Gordon Ramsay.

Gordon Ramsay, for sure.

I would cook again for my grandma Jesse, because I never really got to cook for her when she was alive.

And I mean, the other people that I cook for, I cook for every single day.

Right.

So, I mean, I'm down to cook for anyone.

Absolutely.

Anytime.

There you go.

I love that.

I think that's a perfect way.

I would love that.

You heard her say it.

She's going to cook for me.

I love when people cook for me.

Yeah, me too.

I think that you saying you're going to cook for me is a perfect way to end it.

Elise, we are so happy that you were the first guest on the Seat at the Table podcast.

And cheers.

Cheers.

Thank you for having me.

You're welcome.

Thank you.

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