What happens when a former executive chef walks away from the kitchen—and realizes she never learned how to take care of herself? When she brings up mental health the response is a best lukewarm, and at worst dismissive???

This week’s episode hit me hard. Jasmin Parks-Papadopoulos brings honesty, depth, and a kind of courage you don’t hear every day. And, I’m very excited to say, a vision of a better possible future and hope. She’s part of CHOW!—Culinary Hospitality Outreach and Wellness—and her story is one so many of us in the industry will recognize: long hours, blurred boundaries, trauma bonds, adrenaline highs, and a haunting quiet once the shift is over.

We talk about what it means to lead with empathy after years of leading with fear. About how dysfunction can feel familiar—and even comforting—if you grew up in chaos. And about the brilliant, deceptively simple power of asking someone how they’re feeling... on a scale of rare to well done!

Expect to learn why so many of us mistake survival for strength. Expect to hear about the cracks in the system—and the real work being done to fix them. And expect a conversation that might just make you rethink what hospitality could be.

Link to the organization HERE!

If this kind of honesty speaks to you, please like, share, and subscribe—it really helps.

Thanks for being here. I’m Andrew.

I talk to people in and around the service industry, trying to make sense of this wild, beautiful mess of a life. You can find more of my work at my blog, and all my social links are at the bottom of that page.

As always, I’m just here taking notes, trying to figure out what it all means.

Cheers