What do you love about the private chef lifestyle?
Work life balance is the foundation of happiness. As a private chef, I can literally do whatever I want, whenever I want, and it's quite liberating. I want to give that feeling to the world and help others improve their own lives with balance.
What do you love about cooking?
The limitless possibilities and combinations make it fun. As an expert at my craft, I have the knowledge and ability to make anything my clients want and I enjoy allowing them to be a part of the process.
Where are you from?
I'm originally from Greenville, South Carolina, where I grew up cooking in my grandmother's Southern-style, made-from-scratch kitchen. After high school, I moved to Chicago to pursue culinary arts, where I spent 17 years building my career, starting my company, meeting my wife, and starting a family. In 2022, we moved back to Greenville after kid number two came along to be closer to family and have help with the kids. Excited to be back in the Upstate and looking forward to our growth here in the area.
What's your favorite thing to cook for yourself?
I cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for my wife and kids every single day. Occasionally, we'll go out to eat, but for the most part, I get to enjoy that every single day. If it's just me, I'm going back to my original first love - instant ramen but Chef'd up a bit. If you know, you know.
Why did you want to be a chef?
I could go on and on here but the true answer is I wanted to get out of small-town living and experience a big city but also do something that I really liked for a living. So it was the pursuit of "doing what you love for work" that drove me to be a professional. I also enjoy learning, and there's never a time where you'll stop learning in our industry, and I love that. I truly enjoy experiencing, learning about and being involved in things food and beverage related of any kind.
If you're not in the kitchen - what are some of your hobbies & interests?
I'm absolutely a golf fanatic. I live on a golf course, I coach in my spare time, and play as much as I possibly can. As a Privet Chef, I am also able to fundraise for our local non-profit The First Tee Upstate S.C. We auction off dinners at their fundraisers and raise quite a bit of money for the chapter
Why do you want to create Elite Personal Chefs aka EPC?
Another one that I could go on and on about, but simply helping my brothers and sisters in the culinary and hospitality industry live more fulfilled and happy lives. Helping other people start businesses, save for retirement, and create better work-life balance for themselves is a true mission that I am excited to work on for the rest of my life.
