Meet Kisha Washington

We were lucky to catch up with Kisha Washington recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kisha, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?
Through my life, I have been through some really tough times. Suffering a miscarriage in 2009, losing a close friend randomly in 2017, losing my fiance in 2020 due to suicide, and suffering my own grief and depression for two years through covid. These are just a few things that had significant moments of shaping my empathy. I have always put myself in others shoes to see where they are coming from… but these past few years have really shaped how I look at others, give people grace, and realize everyone is human as well. Sometimes through loss, heart break, grief, etc… you lose who you are in it. You blame life for why all these things are happening to you. Yet, instead of blaming, I really reframed and refocused it. It’s a gift. A gift I give myself and others. Allowing myself to not be judgemental towards others. Taking a moment to get to know someone, see where they are coming from and realize, they are like I am or vice versa. Empathy is a gift.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Hi. I’m an Executive Chef of my own personal chef business TheKeyIngredient LLC where I do upscale private dining for clients. I’m also the Founder of an organization called Cookzcreed Foundation where we help chefs and hospitality individuals get mental health and substance abuse resources and mentorship. I’m also a competition chef, competing in multiple competitions through out the year.

With all the competitions, I have won numerous awards such as 6 time Top 10 finish at the World Food Championships in multiple categories. 1st place and grand prize at the NCACS for Cupcakes and designs. 1st place and grand prize at the Riunite Chili Challenge, and many more accolades.

Through those things I’m also an Advisor with the James Beard Foundation Legacy Network Cohort Program, Dmv Chaptet President with Just Call Me Chef, and partner with the Mental Health Hospitality Coalition.

This is going to big with the rebranding of both businesses, 10 years for my personal chef business, and a ebook coming out with the nonprofit organization to help those with their mental health.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
3 Qualities that impacted my journey has to be: patience, self awareness, and asking for help.

Patience is big. Everything happens when it’s supposed to happen. And, sometimes you have to put in the work to make it happen. It’s never about the destination…

Self awareness is so important. You have to be able to check in with yourself on how you feel, what you want, what works for You.

Asking for help is something that not everyone thinks about. You have to be able to ask for help or support. You can’t do it all by yourself. It’s ok to ask for help or support.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I would say, being more well rounded has helped so much. For your blind spots, or places where you don’t feel as confident or strong in, go to those places, ask why I feel this, and work on it. For things you are interested in or hobbies that you put to the side, do them. It build strength, character, and skill.

For me, that’s one of my goals this 2024, work in the areas I feel less confident about, or need to better my skills in. The places I need to get good in, or add more story, or depth. It’s called the shadow work. When you get comfortable with the uncomfortable, you are unstoppable.

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