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9 to 5ish with theSkimm

Top Chef Host Kristen Kish on the Recipe for a Great Mentor

9 to 5ish with theSkimm

theSkimm

Entrepreneurship, Careers, Business

4.71.9K Ratings

🗓️ 23 April 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Kristen Kish didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming the first woman of color to win Top Chef—or of one day hosting the show. She grew up in the Midwest as a Korean adoptee and those wins hadn’t crossed her radar. But with a little luck—and a lot of support—she got there. Listen as Kristen shares how one mentor changed everything by challenging her to think beyond day-to-day dinner service and chase a career she never thought was possible. In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Kristen shares:  Who’s cooking she loves the most (chefs, they’re just like us) The one woman who helped Kristen unlock her potential  What changed when she went from being a relatively broke chef to winning Top Chef How she confronted her ego when writing her memoir, Accidentally On Purpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Here's the truth about AI. AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built into. Service Now puts AI to work for people across your business, removing friction and frustration for your employees, supercharging productivity for your developers, providing intelligent tools for your service agents to make customers happier, all built into a single platform you can use

0:22.3

right now. That's why the world works with ServiceNow. Visit ServiceNow.com slash UK slash AI for people.

0:30.4

I got out of culinary school and I was like, I earned this job, I have a degree, I can be a chef,

0:35.5

I know how to lead a restaurant, I know how to cook great food.

0:38.4

I didn't know anything. I knew nothing about any of it. And the ego part that got in my way was

0:44.7

thinking that I could just skip up to the top. I'm Carly Zakin, and I'm Danielle Weisberg.

0:50.5

Welcome to 9 to 5-ish with the skin. We've run into so many questions over the years and had so many moments where we needed advice,

0:59.5

and we got it from women who'd been there.

1:03.0

And that's what we're bringing you at this show.

1:05.1

Each week, we're helping you get what you want out of your career by talking to the smartest

1:09.5

leaders we know.

1:10.3

Because we know your work life is a lot more than nine to five.

1:15.2

All right. Let's get into it.

1:20.0

Hi, everyone. Today our guest is Kristen Kish. She is a chef and current host of Top Chef.

1:27.2

Kristen is also the author of her new memoir, accidentally on purpose.

1:31.8

Kristen was born in Korea and was adopted in the early 80s.

1:35.2

She grew up in Michigan and studied at La Cordon Bleu in Chicago.

1:39.7

Yay, my hometown.

1:41.4

After graduating, she cooked her way through the Boston dining scene before working for

1:46.4

the chef and hospitality maven Barbara Lynch. Soon after, Barbara encouraged Kristen to go on top

1:52.5

chef, so she did. And in 2012, Kristen became the first woman of color and second woman ever to win

1:59.8

top chef. After returning from the show,

...

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