We recently connected with Chef Ashley Vazquez and have shared our conversation below.
Chef Ashley, so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.
Persisting when the haters say you can’t do something shows your true character. I have had many nay-sayers and haters in my career, and many people told me I wouldn’t amount to anything. It just gave me motivation to prove them wrong and to become a better version of myself in spite of them.
I would take their negativity and channel it into my work, and I can honestly say it has paid off. Now they can hate from afar while I am successful and doing what they said I couldn’t .
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a professional chef. I am classically trained in French cuisine, and got to train for a short time in France. I have been a chef for 14 years, and for the last 6 of those I was an executive chef.
Recently I became a culinary instructor for a school, and it has been the most wonderful career move. I also own a catering company that does really well. My company caters all types of events, large corporate events, small in home intimate caterings. I also teach cooking classes and do team building exercises.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think the three qualities that were the most impactful for me in my career was firstly determination. I was determined to be the best I could be and to prove those who said I couldn’t wrong.
The next quality is ambition. I have always been very ambitious it has helped drive me. I will set a goal and I wont stop until I reach that particular goal. I am always moving forward. I am not of the mindset of staying stagnant I had such a strong desire to move forward and reach higher.
Finally the last quality I think is important is hard work. If you are not working hard your goals will never be met. In order to be successful you have to be able to put in the work. When I first started out I would come in early and leave last to prove that I was good. This helped me get noticed and helped me climb the ladder.
The advice I would give young chefs is to just work hard and don’t give up. Sometimes it will feel like you are not getting noticed, but just keep working hard and make them notice you and it will eventually pay off.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was encourage me to be great. Growing up we didn’t have much at all. In fact we were very poor, and I always told my parents I wanted to be great one day.
My parents pushed me to do great things, my dad would tell me he wanted me to do better than what they ever could have done, and he and my mom cheered me on whenever I reached a new goal. That helped me believe in myself and helped me push forward.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @chef__ashley
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/BPpizzeria
Image Credits
me
