We recently connected with Kevin Kendall Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Kevin, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
I have to admit that my self-discipline is definitely not innate. I was not born with it. In fact, it is still something that I continue to work on every day. I think as I have gotten older, I have often learned the hard way, which is to say I have only failed when discipline goes out. I think when I was younger, I got away with a lot. I managed to survive on talent and what some would say was just pure luck.
I have discovered that self-discipline actually comes from continually improving ones knowledge and by keeping statistics. I say this because the more I know and the more I observe my successful actions by statistics, the more disciplined I have become. You see for me, I have created self-discipline by knowing what makes me successful or not. It is much easier to be disciplined in ones actions when one knows the results one will achieve when that discipline is applied.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I found my way to food at a very young age. I also loved science as a kid. My first experiment, at the age of 4 years old, resulted in some slightly burned caramel. Interestingly, the first thing I wanted to be when I grew up was a Doctor. This was obviously not meant to be but it’s funny how my life has played out.
I have 30 years experience in the food industry mostly. After many years of working in various restaurant operations, I made the choice to work with people privately in their homes and doing small events. This more personalized approach to my craft was much more enjoyable to me. I started my own Private Chef/Catering Business
After a few years of operating my own business, I got really serious about my own health. I wanted to be the best version of myself and being in great physical condition became a big priority. It was at this point that I took a deep dive into the world of nutrition. I spent thousands of hours studying and learning about optimum nutrition and how whole food can be used as medicine. It really made sense and when I looked at my roots, growing up in that small farming community back in England, I did to a degree come full circle. I realized that the first and most important rule in food and nutrition was eating fresh, quality, organic, whole foods.
My fascination with Nutrition would go much deeper and I went back to school obtaining a Clinical Nutritionist Certification from USC Health Sciences.
I then started to operate a Nutritional Clinic in the LA area called Ideal Bodies Nutrition where we help people with various problems using whole foods and nutritional supplements. Still cooking for clients, I was now operating two businesses. Working with clients in the Clinic I noticed that there was sometimes a challenge in getting them into the condition that I wanted for them. That challenge was the actual food preparation. They didn’t have time took cook or know enough about it. This was impeding the health of my Clients. It was at this point that I realized the true solution to a very real problem. I needed to combine the Chef business and the Nutritional business creating a true Nutritional Chef business.
This new solution for peoples health problems gave me a completely different level of enthusiasm. There was opportunity everywhere and very little competition in this area. There are plenty of people who have a private chef and that see wholistic health practitioners like nutritionists but I could give them both. A one stop shop! I was like, wow, I get to do two things I really enjoy at the same time and help people. Amazing!!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
There are many reasons one succeeds or doesn’t but if I am to pick just three, they would be –
1) Always be willing to learn. In me, this manifests in a quality that makes me want to know how everything works. This has been very beneficial because I learn all areas of a business. I could run all areas of a restaurant with my eyes closed.
2) Perseverance. I never quit on something I really want. I believe that the day you quit was most likely the day before you would have broken through. Push through the resistance that the Universe throws at you and you’ll win.
3) Always deliver more than what is expected. I have found that the more I go above and beyond in anything I do, the better everything is. It’s like a natural law.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When I am feeling overwhelmed, I have one very simple action that I do. What I do is pick a task and get it completed. I have found that when I get overwhelmed, I can be prone to just stopping everything. The solution is just to start something and complete it. Then, move onto the next task and complete it. Before you know it, that feeling of being overwhelmed is gone and you’re off to the races!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kevinkendallskitchen.com and https://www.idealbodiesnutrition.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinkendallskitchen and https://www.instagram.com/idealbodiesnutrition
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kevin-kendalls-kitchen-moorpark-2?osq=Kevin+Kendalls+Kitchen and https://www.yelp.com/biz/ideal-bodies-nutrition-glendale-2
Image Credits
Christy Kendall Photography
