We were lucky to catch up with Kayla Robison recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kayla , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Back in 2015, I had just landed my first executive chef role at Nation Kitchen and Bar, a gourmet burger restaurant in a neighborhood of downtown Cincinnati, OH. The whole Instagram craze was just taking off, and I wanted a catchy name that showed off my skills in a fun way. Little did I know that this name, Commander N’ Beef, would turn into something bigger and become my whole brand. Since then, I’ve been featured on many national levels- having won Guys Grocery Games and Chopped- so the name is here to stay!

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.

I often get dubbed the title celebrity chef since I do a lot of TV gigs, but I honestly find that title cringy. I’m truly no different than anyone else who works their butts off in this industry. You’ll still find me washing dishes and in the trenches with my team because above all, I am a chef/leader and that’s what good management should do. I was not handed my success, I worked incredibly hard for it and am grateful for all the obstacles, struggles, and successes that have come my way.

My culinary journey stared when I was 14 years old at my first job in my hometown in North Dakota. I worked front-of-house but had always admired the folks who worked in the back. If you’re familiar with the works of Anthony Bourdain, then you’d understand the type of admiration I’m talking about. The grit and rawness of these type of people was something I found so intriguing. I saw how hard they worked, and how hard they partied (sometimes even at work) and I wanted to be a part of it. The passion alone that came from what they did in the kitchen was enough for me to try my hand at their world. But, I was a girl, and as my boss at the time would say, “Girl’s don’t work in the kitchen.”

I never liked being told no. And now looking back on it, this was most likely where my life’s motto of “Finding a way of turning a no into a yes” came from because I sure as hell wasn’t taking no for an answer. I pestered my boss every shift for weeks, maybe even months before he cut a deal with me of proving I could handle the work by busting tables and washing dishes for awhile. Not too long after, I was in the kitchen.

Throughout high school I worked in restaurants, so when I found myself pregnant at a young age trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life to provide for my kid and I, all I really knew at the time was restaurants. That’s when it became a passion. I knew I wanted to go to college, I didn’t want to be a single mom statistic, so I did my research and found a great culinary school in Cincinnati, where I had family there to help me with my daughter- who at the time was one years old. In 2011, we packed up our lives and made the move and I enrolled in the Culinary and Pastry Arts program at Midwest Culinary Institute.

Moving to a city was a culture shock. I dreamt as a kid leaving the flat prairie lands full of wheat and cows to a concrete jungle with buildings so high the side streets were cold because it blocked the sun. At first, Cincinnati felt like NYC- or what I imagined it to be. Now I laugh because Cincy is what I like to call a little big city. Sure, there’s a handful of tall buildings, but you can walk from one side of it to the other in 30 mins. But like big cities, our food scene is vibrant, versatile, fast pace, and overall fun. As an early culinary student, I looked up to local chef legends like Jean Robert, Renee Schuler, Jose Salazar, and Jimmy Gibson. Two of these fine chefs have now passed but I’m so lucky to have called all four of them friends. Working side by side with them on many occasions as interns and eventually, as equals.

After graduating, I worked as a pastry chef for the early part of my career and usually two other side jobs either bartending or as line cook. I was on government assistance, trying to make ends meet, over worked and definitely underpaid. I tried leaving the industry for a more “suitable” job as a woman and mother so I could get off of assistance but was miserable and still working multiple jobs because one job wasn’t enough to pay the bills.

At 23, I found myself at a time of my life where I truly felt at rock bottom. I was back at Job and Family Services, in a cubicle sobbing to a case worker as I enrolled back on government assistance. I wish I could remember what that case worker had said to me verbatim because it was a turning point in my life. All I remember is he made me look up at him through teary eyes and told me that he could tell I was a hard worker and a good mom. That these programs are here to help get me on my feet. To not feel ashamed and that one day, we will celebrate the day where I land that big job and am able to provide for my daughter all on my own. One year later, I landed that job.

Throughout my 18 years in this industry, I have made friendships that have turned into family for my daughter and I, who is now 13 years old. She’s grown up sitting on pickle buckets in the corners of kitchens watching me and the many others in this crazy world bust our butts and there’s no doubt in my mind she’s seen what good work ethic looks like. Though my roles in this industry are starting to change as a venture on doing more TV/social media work as it does provide a more balance structure for mom life, the grit and rawness of the kitchen will always have my heart.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The meaning of success. At first, I thought it meant being the best. What I’ve learned is that success as a chef and as a leader is training your cooks to one day take your job, because a good chef should make other good chefs who go on to run their own kitchens.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

At first social media was a marketing strategy to get people to try my food at the restaurant. I grew a love for it as it quickly became a way to connect with other like-minded people through my culinary world. Once I had a community of followers, brands started reaching out but I was very selective about who I worked with and what I represented. I have never put my name on something I haven’t 100% backed up on a personal/professional level. I recently got to a point where my work on social media provided enough income and structure for me to make the move to make it my main focus. Now, as a chef I get to connect and build a bigger community around food full time!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @commandernbeef
• Other: TikTok @commandernbeef

Image Credits
Harris Media Shanghai Imaging