I quit my corporate job at 29 and became a yacht chef. Now I cook for high-profile executives and retired athletes.

I always worked in college and during the summers. I would serve tables, babysit, and have multiple jobs. One summer after I graduatedI saved up enough money and moved to LA without a job, really just taking a risk on myself.

There were definitely times when I struggled — Los Angeles is not cheap, and it's hard to get by.

For the first three and a half years, I was trying to stick it out in entertainment. I worked at Warner Bros. as a production assistant for different TV shows. I was also working on catering for awards shows, and I had a talent manager myself, and was doing acting classes.

I was dipping my toes into everything, not really figuring out exactly what I wanted to do.

During the pandemic, my roommate pushed me to start showing my recipes on Instagram and TikTok, so social media began as a passion project while I worked full-time.

About three years into doing my own food content, I realized that I really liked being in the food space. So, I then worked for a marketing group where I did all their restaurant accounts, and I ended up picking up a part-time assistant job for an NBA insider, so I could save enough money to eventually leave the full-time job.

At the corporate restaurant job, I had a great director who gave me advice on how to market myself, how to market a brand, and how to create content. Since I went to school for broadcasting, I had that experience with editing videos and wanting to be on camera.

It all kind of tied together in my social media.

I would do my marketing job from 9-to-5then the mornings and evenings were dedicated to my part-time assistant job or cooking and editing videos. The weekends were my two free days, so I would cook all day and invite my friends over so I would have content to edit and post throughout the week.

It was a lot to balance, but I knew it would be worth it to push through to get to where I wanted to be with my own business.

I told myself I would give myself six months of working all of these jobs, save up money, and then I could quit the full-time gig and try to create content around my recipes.

While working these jobs, there were times when I was living paycheck to paycheck and really stressed about trying to afford the lifestyle in LA, but I knew that, career-wise, that was the place I needed to be.

I hosted a dinner party series on social media that went somewhat viral. I realized I really enjoyed cooking for people and putting together food spreads.

I got connected with I Have This Friend, a platform that connects private chefs, makeup artists, and florists with clients, right before they launched. I didn't have any experience as a private chef to show the two founders, just my dinner party series, but they saw something in me and believed in me to bring me on, and that really helped me get my foot in the door with my first couple of clients.

My first gig was a New Year's Eve party last year, and I hired two of my friends as my servers and sous chefs. It was nice having them by my side because I was pretty nervous and battling imposter syndromebut the event went great, and the clients loved everything.

From there, I just kept booking dinner parties through the platform, and it exploded in a way I never really imagined.

I was a little bit nervous to leave a full-time job, but I told myself, if six months go by and it doesn't work out, I can always go back into the corporate world, and I'll know I tried and gave it my all.

I've always wanted to be my own boss and have creative freedom with what I do. It was really freeing to make that decision.

I had so much support from friends and family. They were like, “Do it. You never know what's going to happen.”

Once I leaned into becoming a private chef, it finally felt like a full-time job again, and there was more stability with clients coming in.

About six months into my business, I was in Las Vegas with my mom and sister when I woke up to a text from my friend, who was a yacht steward.

She said, “Our chef got COVID. Our charter starts in 48 hours. Is there any chance you can get to the Bahamas tomorrow?” My mom and sister were like, “You have to do it.” I knew I had to say yes.

I had to fly back to LA because that's where my passport was, and then I flew to the Bahamas. They already had most of the food since the yacht charter was starting so quickly, but we did one last grocery haul for anything else I needed.

Each day was like a game of “Chopped.” I didn't have time to plan menus because it was so impromptu, but I knew I couldn't say no. Even though I was nervous, it ended up being the best experience. My friend was there to show me the ropes, too, which really helped.

From there, I picked up a charter a few months later in the fall. Then I just started booking more charters, and now being a yacht chef is what I've been leaning into most.

That one message really changed my career trajectory. Every time I get on a boat, I think back to that first experience.

On the yachts, a lot of the clients are high-profile business executivessometimes retired athletes. I don't get too much into what they do necessarily, but I know they're high up in their fields.

When you're in it, you don't think about the wealth. At the end of the day, we're all just people.

It's so fun connecting with different families, making them dishes they love, and seeing their excitement. I love coming out to explain the dishes and chatting with them after dinner. They're always curious about the boat and our work. That makes me happy and reassures me I'm in the right place.

I get a lot of dietary preferences and allergies to accommodate, and we get preference sheets beforehand, so I know what they like — sometimes caviar, surf and turf, fancy things.

Once, I made tuna caviar cones — little waffle cones filled with spicy ahi tuna and topped with caviar. I've also made a caviar board, and for a birthday, I made filet mignon and lobster tails. We even branded the steaks with “Happy Birthday” using a hot branding tool.

When I'm on charter, I'm basically going nonstop from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. for five to seven days. I'm in the kitchen all day. Maybe I get a little break here and there, but I'm mostly cooking. Then I'll lie in my little twin bunk bed in the crew cabin and try to edit everything to post on social media. Five hours later, I'll wake up again.

I like to make everything from scratch — sourdough, hamburger buns, salad dressings, even Pop-Tarts. I don't like using super-processed stuff; everything is organic.

On the boat I work on most often, there are five of us on the crew, and there are usually five to eight guests. I cook for the crew, too — the same meals as the guests, they work hard and deserve it.

A lot of the crews just have a passion for being on boats and the water. It's fun — I get to work with captains, deckhands, and stews who all love what they do. The stews make fun cocktails that we pair with snacks. Everyone's excited to be there.

It's a physically demanding job. I try to fuel my body with protein and healthy foodstoo, but also lots of coffee.

Honestly, when I'm in the middle of it, I don't even feel it half the time. After getting back from charter, I always take a couple of recovery days — massages are always nice.

I work a lot, but I truly love it. I try to say yes to every gig I can.

I wake up excited to create menus and dishes. I'm a creative person, so the creative freedom is huge. I love sourcing ingredients, creating new dishes, and constantly learning. I'm a self-taught chef — I didn't go to culinary schoolso I feel like I'm learning daily.

It's pushed me to grow as a chef. Working with high-profile clients motivated me to keep improving, and it's given me confidence that I'm worth being a private chef in LA, too. I don't feel that imposter syndrome as much anymore.

Right now, I'm really laser-focused on growing my career. This year, I went to Europe for six weeks to take culinary courses in Italy and France. It felt like a business trip for me to level up my skills.

I'm so passionate about what I'm doing now. I'm grateful for every job I've had: editing content, working on set, and in hospitality. They all taught me something, but I don't miss sitting at a desk.

I would have regretted not taking the risk more than failing. Knowing it's paid off reassures me I made the right decision.