We were lucky to catch up with ED HARRIS recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi ED, thanks for joining us today. Often the greatest growth and the biggest wins come right after a defeat. Other times the failure serves as a lesson that’s helpful later in your journey. We’d appreciate if you could open up about a time you’ve failed

Of all the Food Network shows I’ve been on “Beat Bobby Flay” was the one I didn’t win. I got carried away with creating flavor for the uni topping for the crostini. So because of that, I didn’t get to finish plating the appetizer the way I would have wanted. This also caused me to doubt myself and that is not good, because having the right mindset is everything!! But with all of that and not winning I still learned a valuable lesson. Which is a winning mindset from start to finish, not overthinking what you are doing, and just going for it with everything you got. The dish was still really good. The judges couldn’t stop eating it, which I found hilarious.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Best known as Chef. Hailing from the Caribbean island of St Lucia, I credit my love for great cuisine to my Guyanese and Caribbean upbringing. With my parent’s kitchen serving as a central gathering place for the family, My fire for cooking was ignited at a very young age. My passion blossomed and ultimately was what drove me to New York City to pursue a career as a professional Chef. Thrust into the fast-paced cooking world in the city that never sleeps, New York! I was able to Chef in some of the finest kitchens, like Jean George, Buddakan, and River Cafe.

Having served in just about every role from executive chef, tournant, expediter, and saucier to consulting chef, and many in between, I draw from this collective experience to build upon my newest role as a food product developer and Spice Merchant for my company Knife N Spoon. Now with Atlanta as my home base, I launched a line of products that include specialty spices, vegan recipes on my “eat more veggies” podcast, and cookbooks, in addition to a line of designer aprons. If I’m not crafting a new flavor fusion in the kitchen, then you can find me behind the camera, I have also appeared on several food shows. I was the winner of Food Network’s CHOPPED “Turbot Powered” competition and have been on “Beat Bobby Flay”, “Chef Wanted” with Anne Burrell, and a few others.

Though my passion for cooking runs deep in my veins, community service is something I hold dear to my heart. I have participated in several events to help raise funds for different charities. Some of the organizations I have volunteered for include Autism Speaks, Taste of New York, and the James Beard Foundation.

My love for people and food all comes together at home as I regularly teach my family about the power of healthy eating, how to make good choices while shopping for produce, and the art of blending ingredients to make delicious meals for the family. At the end of the day, I feel it’s most important to instill in my family and friends the mantra to live well, eat well and be well. #eatmoreveggies

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I was in the food business, so I thought I knew what people wanted so I started out selling tshirts for foodies and chefs with creative verbiage and food designs and had a nice following but no one bought! All my Chef friends had the tshirts. We would even meet up all wearing them. So I kept going for about 2 years and still nothing. I then decided to put that on the back burner and start my consulting business, it was something i also wanted to do and this would be a way i can create more freedom for myself and my family soon to come. I started getting clients almost immediately, then that fizzled out as well. Fast forward 10 years Im selling amazing spices and seasonings and consulting for restaurant groups!!

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Working my 9-5 which was Buddakan nyc at the time. I would save a portion of each check without fail. I also used some of my savings. But I started small so I didnt need too much.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://knifenspoon.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knifenspooninc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knifenspoon
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/knifenspooninc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGTl6o5ih9WMCwwGuzV8Hiw
• Other: Kittch Culinary App https://tr.ee/7CD1wgrg0q

Image Credits
Ed Harris