We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Laurel R. Elliott. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Laurel R. below.
Hi Laurel R., thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I was born and raised in in Trinidad and Tobago. At an early age my parents chose to get me involved in sports when my Dad took note of my physicality. He chose to enroll me in tennis and swimming. They both invested a great deal of time, energy and patience, but beyond that , they both noticed that I was intensely intrinsically motivated. Group swimming practice would get done on a Saturday and I would ask my dad if I could stay and swim some laps. I started at 25, then went to 50 and then finally settled on 100. I just wanted to see how far I could push myself and my Dad was always kind and patient enough to entertain my insane ideas. So, that became a thing. Every Saturday after group practice, I would swim 100 laps. It made me so happy. That sense of accomplishment was addictive. It has boded well for me in competitive tennis in my younger years, my culinary and foodservice career and culinary competition. Every year I layer on new skills to my arsenal. In my industry, it is important to stay sharp and ready.Most people seek to compete against others, I have always had the laser focus on incrementally improving upon certain aspects of myself and my skill set, every day, week or month. My friends are all that way as well. We chose each other wisely. They are always raising the bar for themselves. It’s important. Everything and everyone is interconnected. The passion I have for my career and my field is the same degree of passion I have for my parents, family and close friends. It’s inescapable. This year though, I am seeking to be more practical about balancing my self care, passions and work. I miss culinary competition, I hope to step back into the ring soon and engage my competitive instinct once more. There is so much going on in the Caribbean, food wise. I hope to tap into my network and aide in my region’s sustainability and culinary initiatives where I can. Living in Atlanta is a gift! The farm to table movement is very vibrant. I have been able to foster close relationships with local purveyors and farmers over the past two decades. I look forward to further developing those connections.
If passion is your fuel, you approach your career, the same as you do everything else; with intense fervor. I can’t help it. I am from the Caribbean. We live life in color and we love food and good people!
Cheers to a fantastic 2025!
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a culinary consultant with over 11 years experience with both domestic and international projects. I have been a Chef for over 19 years and I have worked in just about every segment of the food service and culinary industry. I love connecting people and seeing small businesses and farmers grow.
I have a new podcast launching this year in collaboration with my friend Edie Weintraub. We focus on all things food, farming, sustainability and culinary.
Join us: The Conscious Table Podcast
https://www.womeninrestaurants.com/the-conscious-table-podcast
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Authentic relationships: Take the time to get to know people who interest you and present themselves as genuine.
Passion: Find your passion in life and fuel it.It’s also never too late to find your passion in life. There is no roadmap. Pave your own path.
Be a seeker & Be hungry : Always seek new knowledge and understanding. Being inquisitive will grow you in ways you never expected and connect you to the right people.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am looking for people connected to the food and farming space who would like to connect or share their stories. There is a great deal of power in meaningful connection. Reach out. I would love to hear from you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.womeninrestaurants.com/the-conscious-table-podcast
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurel-r-elliott?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
