We’re looking forward to introducing you to Shawn Niles. Check out our conversation below.
Shawn, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity is always the foundation that holds everything else up. Integrity is the behind the scenes work that fuels the energy and intelligence that might be seen publicly. I’ve learned this in good times, and I’ve learned it in hard times.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Shawn Niles but my friends call me The Fat Pastor. I was a pastor for 20 years before stepping full time into the Food Industry. After cooking for Gordon Ramsay and hearing him say that I was born to cook, I knew I needed to make the scary leap, and I did. And it’s been an unbelievable journey. 9 years later, I am the founder and executive chef of a growing culinary effort that includes the nation’s first legal underground dining club, Bite Club. I serve Yakima Wine Country (voted the number one wine region in the US in 2024) as a chef for winemakers dinners throughout the year. I am currently producing 2 high-budget television shows. I run a free business and culinary school for at-risk youth in the Yakima Valley. I get to work with the World Food Championships as host of their Bite Club stage, and I also compete. In 2024, I became the first competitor in the history of the Live Fire Division to score a perfect 100. On the world’s largest food sport stage, this was a crazy accomplishment and one I am eternally proud of. I am growing a spice line that is starting to make it’s way onto store shelves. I have the priceless joy of getting to share the kitchen often with my 10 year old son, Asher, who was a semi-finalist on MasterChef Junior in 2024. He continues to receive many crazy opportunities of his own in the cooking world, having cooked for prominent world leaders and celebrity chefs.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
The truth is that I’m not sure anyone, other than God, saw me clearly before I saw myself. The reason I say that is because I spent much of my life trying to perform for the applause of others. I learned, through pain, that I have to cheer for myself before anyone else will. I learned that there is great pain waiting for those who only live for the approval of others. And in that pain, there was great grace to discover my own worth, regardless of what anyone else says. I found myself ready and willing to face the world because I was ready – not because I was hoping for approval. And there was so much freedom in that. One of my great joys today is sharing with young people that lesson – that the quicker they learn it, the more freedom they will experience throughout their journey.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Early on, I hit a wall after a brief jolt of success. Because I was still learning the value of living out my unique identity for my own approval, I was ready to throw in the towel. But there was a woman of faith who reached out on the night that I secretly quit, less than a year into my journey. I had told no one. But she called and said that she had seen a vision of Jesus, and that he had told her to call me and tell me not to quit. It blew my mind. And I recommitted to following out my passion in the food industry. While I had no idea where it would take me, I’m so glad I did. And I’m grateful that Jesus was willing to call someone else and tell them to reach out to me, since I clearly wasn’t listening to Him on my own!
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think that many people in the food industry are struggling to survive their own self-doubt. Food is kind of like comedy. You don’t know if you’re funny until you stand on the stage and tell your jokes. But the problem is that for many, one night of failed cooking can erase the success of multiple nights without a single flaw. Identity is the result of internal belief that “What I do matters and is unique to me.” In other words, no one else can give the world what I can. When I truly believe that, failures and success both become stepping stones. Failure doesn’t define me, and success encourages me to be even better tomorrow. I learn to give myself grace, I take my own reviews more seriously than the reviews of others, and I let the feedback of others become a tool in my arsenal rather than a weapon that destroys me. No one gets to narrate my life but me. I love supporting players, but I am the lead in what I’ve been created to do.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
There are a lot of things people will never know about my story and that is okay. Many will think that I did nothing to deserve the experiences I’ve had, and to be quite honest – they may be right! But reality is that those experiences have come from a deep place of belief that I was put on this earth to do more than survive from day to day. And believe me – there have been days where survival has been difficult. There have been moments of pain so great that I thought that they would take me out. But in those moments, something greater held on to me, some ONE greater, and reminded me that I have a purpose to fulfill. I have done a lot of writing and reflecting and what I’ve learned is that when God makes you a promise, you stand on it. And you don’t move until He tells you something else. It doesn’t matter how huge and intimidating the future is, if you know the end result then you keep moving forward. My life and my legacy come down to dreaming, taking risks, and simply taking the next step. It hasn’t always been pretty – but I trust that the end result will be something that will last forever.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thefatpastor.com
- Instagram: @the.fatpastor
- Facebook: @thefatpastoryakima
- Other: TikTok: @thefatpastoryakima
Image Credits
First Photo (white Jacket) – Thayne Jongewaard
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