Hey there,

Confession time: there are parts of running my business that I seriously dread.

If you’ve ever thought that loving your personal chef business means loving every single thing you do… allow me to lovingly pop that bubble for you.

Case in point: grocery shopping.
Yes, I know—I cook for a living. I’ve spent years in and out of grocery stores. But sometimes?

I cannot stand it.

The people. The carts with the squeaky wheels. The endless loop of “where the heck did they move the coconut milk this time?” 😩

And then there’s the fun of having to go back AGAIN because I grabbed the wrong thing, or a piece of produce was rotten on the inside, etc.

Last week I literally had a moment where I was like, “Am I about to scream in a Sprouts?”
(Almost. I was this close.)

And that’s not even the only thing.

All. The. Paperwork. I mean really, who loves it?

Bookkeeping. I just noticed an error on my tracking of estimated tax payments ANXIETY.

My happy place? The pool, some good tunes, snacks, and a cocktail. 💯

So why do I still do the stuff I don’t enjoy?

Because I love what my business gets me.

I want growth. 💰
I want to make an impact. 💪
I want connection—with clients, students, email subscribers, all of you. 🥰

And the truth is: you don’t have to love every single part of building your personal chef business.

(Pretty sure that’s scientifically impossible. I ran the data. Lab results came back: “You’re totally normal.”)

You just have to stay connected to why you started this in the first place.

Your “why” is what makes the hard stuff worth it.

It’s like that line from Sex and the City when Charlotte says, “I love him every day. I just don’t like him every minute.”

That’s how I feel about my business. I love it every day. I just don’t like every minute.

You don't need to enjoy every task. But you do need to stay connected to your bigger why.

Because the un-fun stuff? That's what opens the doors to the business and life you truly want. And that part is always worth it.

So here’s your challenge this week:

What’s one UN-FUN thing you’re going to do for your business anyway—because it’s going to move you forward?

Hit reply and tell me. I shared mine, now it’s your turn.

Xiania, Friends, high fantasy - books i’m reading

Legends and Lattes - high fantasy/low stakes. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is. Fun, light read. Who doesn’t love a pastry baking rattkin who’s a coffee addict? https://amzn.to/43YI7J2

Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and More - I’ve just started this one and have high hopes. https://amzn.to/4kI2IaN

Will Wight’s NYT bestselling 12 book Cradle series. It’s xianxia which is a popular Chinese fantasy genre that translates to "immortal heroes". It focuses on characters who cultivate to become immortal, often through magical arts and spiritual growth, and typically involves a quest for power and eternal life. I’m on book 4 and it’s a great series. If you’re interested in starting this genre, try Beware of Chicken by CasualFarmer which is a great, funny read. https://amzn.to/3HmbBrz also on Kindle Unlimited

What I’m cooking

We just got back from a trip to Italy and Spain, so I’m making pan con tomate which is ridiculously delicious for how easy it is. Some recipes have you grate the tomato, I prefer to just rub the bread with the tomato and then chop the tomato up in a salad.

​
Also made Ina Garten’s easy Lemon Linguine with Zucchini & Basil recipe from Food Network magazine which has a different method of cooking pasta which I loved. https://shop.thefoodnetworkmag.com/food-network-magazine.html

​
​I am ALWAYS in the market for a great read or recipe. Hit reply right now and share one of your favorites with me. I'll be reading/cooking it by this weekend!

Great chat. Can't wait to do it again.
​
​In the meantime, do the paperwork, publish the post, talk to some potential clients, and remember that liking your business 100% of the time is not required.

Cheers 🍹
Chef Shelley

P.S. You don’t have to love marketing to get clients—but you do need to be consistent and do it well. That’s exactly what I teach inside the Academy. If you're feeling stuck on what to say or tired of not having enough clients, the marketing lessons are going to change your life (and your Calls/DMs/Emails).

Not in the Academy yet? Let’s fix that.
​Join us here and start getting clients the simple way.​