Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kyle Wofford. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Kyle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Yes, I believe we need to completely reframe the way we think about why people aren’t cooking more.

Everyone knows, as Michael Pollan said, “Cooking (from scratch) is the single most important thing we could do as a family to improve our health and general well-being.”

We’re inundated with gorgeous cooking videos, millions of recipes, and enough nutritional advice to make our heads spin.
And yet, fewer Americans are cooking each year, and we’re more lonely and unhealthy than ever.
If those were all we needed to make a change, everyone would already be cooking more.

In my work as a cooking coach, I’ve found that people are often carrying deeply rooted blockages—overwhelm, guilt, shame, fear, insecurity, perfectionism, or the stress of not having enough time—as well as core hopes and dreams that fuel their desire for change.

The true magic comes when we take the time to explore those inner stories. The stories are the source of the real power. They’re why people are stuck AND the inspiration they need to unlock lasting, life-altering transformation.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi, I’m Kyle and my company is Hey Food. I help people heal their relationship with cooking and turn it into a lifetime of play, connection and health.

After spending years learning how to do this for myself, it’s deeply rewarding to now help others do the same. One of my favorite parts of the work is helping people tap into their dreams for themselves and their future by asking:

* What would it feel like if cooking was a time of laughter, ease, connection, and hope?
* What would it feel like if cooking brought you closer to yourself, your family, and your friends?
* What would it feel like if you could be energized after meals and support yourself through a dietary change?

Most of my clients have hoped for small pieces of this, but didn’t realize that all of it—and more—was possible or have any idea how to get there.

My work is split between helping adults and families. For adults, I offer One-on-One Coaching and Group Classes to help people go deep and transform their lives. In Family Classes, I help parents and kids turn cooking into a time of play and connection. Everything is available in person in the Boulder / Denver area or virtually via Zoom.

Outside of Hey Food, I’m a proud dad, the volunteer Events Director for Slow Food Boulder, and regularly volunteer in schools explaining the importance of eating the rainbow to kids K-5.

Visit www.HeyFood.co to learn more and sign up for weekly tips and inspiration.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The largest and most challenging lesson I’ve had to unlearn was the generational cycle of preventable disease caused by the standard American diet. I grew up watching helplessly as my parents suffered through decades of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and eating disorders. Feeling the terror of assuming my genes would lay the same plans for me. And having no idea what to do.

Then I moved to Boulder at 18 and saw, for the first time, that another way was possible – if I could change my relationship to cooking and food. So began my journey. At 19, I deleted everything I knew about them and started over with 1 pan, 1 pot, 1 knife, 1 cutting board, and 1 cookbook.

Learning to cook was an act of self-preservation. An act of defiance. An act of hope.
Saying – “This cycle ends with me. It ends now”

Over the last 27 years, I’ve made over 20,000 meals, read hundreds of nutrition & cookbooks, experimented with countless dietary changes, and cooked with hundreds of clients, friends, chefs, and grandmas from all over the world.

What began through sheer determination, has become: my daily time of grounding and self-care; a way to connect deeply with my son; an opportunity to support my friends & community when they’re in need; a chance to be creative and play; and a path to lifelong health for my son and I.

It’s now my mission to help others heal their relationship with cooking.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In early 2020, I was at the peak of a long career managing bands and running a tour bus company for artists. Everything was looking up—until COVID stepped in to crush both businesses. A couple years, and several major life changes, later, I realized that the music industry was no longer healthy for me, especially after the deep sense of loneliness and isolation brought on by the COVID quarantine. I didn’t know what was next, but knew it had to start with healing my inner world and rebuilding community.

Cooking had always been one of my primary ways to connect—with myself and with others—so I naturally leaned into it as a way through. I took every opportunity to gather with friends and neighbors to cook together. Very quickly I learned how many of them were struggling to cook regularly. Our hangouts started morphing into informal cooking lessons, and our conversations often turned to the deeper reasons why they struggled to cook. Over time, I saw the same patterns emerge again and again. It became clear why so many people were struggling, and I realized I could use my knowledge and life-long passion to help.

From there, the next steps in my career were obvious. I spent a year working with dozens of clients to refine these concepts and find the keys to deep transformation. Now, I’m excited to publicly launched my new business, Hey Food, to help light the way for even more people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://heyfood.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyfoodco/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-wofford-now

Image Credits

All photos by Leigh Orne – @leighorne
and Kyle Wofford