meet seth
hey there seth!
How’s everything going? I feel like you’re constantly between kitchens, clients, and content — what does a “normal” week even look like for you?
Chef! First, thank you so much for including me - I love following along with everything you do both in and out of the kitchen. I really appreciate the sense of community and support that exists among chefs in our network! My weeks definitely involve a lot of bouncing around, but I’m very grateful for that. I try to keep a bit of structure so I don’t completely lose my mind. Since our work is so seasonal, my schedule changes throughout the year. Right now I’m working out of NYC and the surrounding areas doing weekly meal prep for clients on Mondays and Tuesdays. I love incorporating meal prep into my schedule because it’s a bit more relaxed compared to the pace of a dinner party. Wednesdays and Thursdays are usually dedicated to content and administrative work. I’ve been renting a kitchen close to home to shoot more recipe-based content, which I’ve really enjoyed. Most of my content has traditionally been “day in the life” style vlogs, so I’ve been experimenting with new formats and getting more comfortable talking to the camera. There’s also always something to do when it comes to running the business - answering emails, client calls, menu development, or accounting. I try to get most of that done by Thursday so I can focus on private dinners on Fridays and Saturdays. I’m not booked every weekend, so it naturally ebbs and flows, which gives me the chance to have some balance and maintain a social life as well. Once summer hits and I move into my Hamptons season, things ramp up quite a bit. I’m usually working five or six days a week doing dinner parties and other projects out east. I feel like I really enter my flow state during the summer - the energy out there is so motivating. I genuinely love what I do and enjoy how my schedule evolves throughout the year.
You’re a personal chef — which is slightly different from a traditional private chef role. When did you realize you wanted to build something independent rather than work inside one household or restaurant? Or is that still on the table?!
Yes, while the terms are often used interchangeably, there are definitely differences between personal and private chef work. My first two summers working out east in the Hamptons were with a single family for the entire season. Both families were wonderful - they treated me well and really supported my creativity when it came to menu development. It actually wasn’t until last summer that I decided to take the leap into more personal chef work. That shift was a little scary at first because instead of having one guaranteed position, I was essentially relying on different groups to book me throughout the season. It also creates more logistical work since you’re coordinating menus, schedules, and event details with new clients each time. But once the season got going and my calendar started filling up, I realized how much I enjoyed that format. I was meeting new people at every event, being part of so many different celebrations, and I loved the flexibility of being able to accept or decline requests. When you’re working as a private chef for one household, you’re usually tied to a set schedule for the season. There are definitely pros and cons to both paths, and I think it really comes down to the chef and their goals. For me right now, the personal chef model feels like the best fit. I enjoy the variety, the independence, and the ability to build something that’s truly my own.
Where did your work ethic come from? Was cooking always the plan, or did it evolve over time?
I feel like I’ve always had a strong work ethic. There’s something about building something for yourself that has always been really inspiring to me. People often tell me I have an old or mature spirit, and I think that mindset - wanting more for myself and taking things seriously - has helped me keep pushing forward and evolving into the next chapter of my career. Cooking specifically wasn’t always the plan, but food definitely was. From a young age I was always in the kitchen. My first “job” was peeling garlic with my great-grandmother and grandmother - which actually explains the garlic tattoo I have on my arm. They were really the ones who first pulled me into the kitchen. Like a lot of people in the industry, I grew up watching Food Network instead of cartoons and started experimenting more and more with cooking as I got older. In high school I enrolled in a vocational school’s culinary arts program, and that’s when I started seriously thinking about a career in food. I knew restaurants were the traditional path, but even at a young age something about that environment made me a little anxious. I couldn’t fully explain it at the time - I just knew food was right for me, even if the typical route might not be. I trusted that instinct and enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America after high school without really knowing what the final destination would look like. After graduating, I worked at a restaurant in the Hudson Valley for about three and a half years before getting my first taste of private chef work - and that’s when everything really clicked for me.
With such a client-facing career, organization must be everything. Do you rely on systems, apps, prep rituals — what keeps your operation running smoothly?
Organization is everything - both in and out of the kitchen. People often ask how I’m able to execute multi-course dinner parties completely on my own, and the honest answer is that it all comes down to organization. In the kitchen, I rely heavily on Excel to plan each event. I’ll list every dish on the menu and then break each one down into its individual components with a par for each item so I know exactly what I need and how much of it I need ahead of time. It’s a system I learned early in my training, and I’ve carried that same process into my personal chef business. On the business side, I try to keep my workflow as streamlined as possible. My process is fairly consistent: I receive an inquiry, provide pricing information, then we usually hop on a call to discuss the event details. After that, I submit a menu proposal and confirm everything from there. Even now, I’m always looking for ways to refine those systems. Running your own business is a constant learning process, and I’m always figuring out new ways to make things run more smoothly.
For those reading, a personal chef’s job goes far beyond cooking. You’re curating experiences, adapting to different homes, kitchens, dietary needs, and personalities. What’s the biggest misconception people have about what you do?
I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that the job is always glamorous. People see the beautiful dinners, plated dishes, and the finished experience, but they don’t always see everything that happens behind the scenes. A lot of the work is actually very logistical and very independent. I’m sourcing ingredients, planning menus, coordinating schedules with clients, transporting equipment, and walking into completely different kitchens every week that I’ve never cooked in before. You really have to be able to adapt quickly and problem-solve on the spot. At the same time, you’re responsible for creating an experience that feels effortless for the client. So while there’s a lot happening behind the scenes, the goal is always to make the evening feel relaxed, seamless, and special for the people at the table. It’s definitely a beautiful job, but it’s also a lot of preparation, organization, and behind-the-scenes work that people don’t always realize.
You’ve built a strong presence online alongside your culinary work. How do you balance actually being in the kitchen with building your brand on social media?
I really love integrating social media into my work - it’s been an incredible way to market my business and connect with amazing people in similar spaces. I won’t lie, content creation is basically a second full-time job, and it can definitely get chaotic. There have been nights, especially in the summer, where I’m up until 2 AM editing videos after cooking for 13 hours just to keep posts consistent. I try to see it as entertainment for the people watching. I get a lot of comments like, “I could watch you cook all day,” and that feedback keeps me grounded - it reminds me that what I’m putting out is authentic, it’s who I am, and that authenticity is what keeps people coming back. That’s why I don’t stress about perfect camera angles or staging everything to look flawless; I want my content to feel real. I’m at a point now where I’m thinking about my brand on a larger scale - how I can reach more people, how I can teach my processes and techniques, not just show my day-to-day work. It’s a work in progress, but it’s something I’m proud of and excited to continue developing.
Creatively, how do you stay inspired? Are you constantly testing dishes, traveling, pulling from other cuisines?
A lot of my inspiration comes from a mix of places. We have the world at our fingertips, and I love exploring what chefs and restaurants are doing globally through social media. Whether it’s a plating style, a unique sauce, or an unexpected flavor combination, it keeps me excited to put my own spin on it. I also draw a lot from family favorites, dishes I grew up with, or meals I’ve loved while traveling. Those have a special emotional connection for me, and they’re some of my favorite things to cook and eat. What I find really exciting about food is that you’ll never know it all. There’s always a new technique, a better approach, or something completely unexpected to learn. Everyone has their strengths, but embracing the unknown and constantly discovering new ways to approach food is what keeps me creatively energized.
Entrepreneurship in the culinary space isn’t easy. What’s been the most challenging part of building your own path?
You’re right - it isn’t easy, but it’s definitely worth it. I think the most challenging part for me has been learning to trust that things will work out, even if they don’t unfold exactly how I originally imagined. Building something on your own requires a balance of letting go while also staying incredibly determined. You have to trust the process and believe that if you stay true to your work and your values, the right opportunities, and the right people, will find you. Another big challenge is learning the business side of things. I always joke that “I really only know how to cook,” but there’s some truth in that. When you start your own path, you suddenly have to learn everything - accounting, contracts, scheduling, technology, client management. There’s a lot that happens outside of the kitchen. I’ve definitely made mistakes along the way, but that’s part of the process. Every challenge teaches you something, and over time you start to build the systems and confidence that make everything run more smoothly.
When you think about the next chapter, is your vision centered around expansion — product lines, strategic collaborations, a broader culinary platform — or preserving the intimacy of a hands-on personal chef experience? Your recent jam collaboration was such a strong move. Congratulations — are we seeing the beginning of something bigger?And outside of cooking… what actually helps you switch off? Or is your brain always thinking about the next dish?
Thank you! The jam collaboration was so much fun to work on, and it was my first time doing something like that. I’m definitely open to exploring similar opportunities in the future. Honestly, I never imagined I’d be doing this type of work - both owning my own business and putting myself out there on social media. What’s been exciting is that it allows me to express my passion in multiple ways. Over the last five years especially, I’ve realized I tend to always be planning the next thing, sometimes without fully enjoying where I currently am, even if it was once a goal of mine.
I have a sense of where I’d like my career to go, but I also try to remind myself that we never really know who we’re going to meet, what opportunities will present themselves, or what unexpected path might completely redirect things. There’s excitement in that unknown, but also a sense of comfort in feeling like I’m exactly where I need to be right now. And truthfully, my brain is almost always on - I think that’s pretty natural for any business owner. It can definitely be overwhelming at times, which is why it’s important for me to step back when I can. I love my work and the projects I’m building, but there’s so much more to life than just work. I find I’m able to disconnect best when I’m away with my fiancé and our dog, just enjoying our time together and feeling grateful that the hard work allows me to create that balance.
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Thank you for joining this segment. It’s inspiring watching someone carve out their own lane in the culinary world while staying hands-on and intentional. Excited to see where you take it next.
