Meet Rachel Udeh-jackson

We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Udeh-jackson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

I’ve been very fortunate to always have some sort of role model or community of equally yoked individuals to remind me of what I’m capable of.

My longtime role models included my great-grandfather and his wife. He was one of the first American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chefs of Color in Louisiana. She was a highly respected, in-demand gospel singer within the Second District Missionary Baptist Association in the 1940’s-70’s. Being that my great-grandfather was getting up in age; he made it his mission to appoint me to be his culinary protégé at the age of 5.

This inadvertently began a domino effect of my parents “isolating” me in predominantly black private schools and magnet schools. These schools focused mainly on developing my musical/vocal talent, literary talent, etiquette training, leadership skills, stage presence, and even improv acting.

At the same time my great-grandfather groomed me for the next 15 years on the basics of French culinary training (including knife skills, mastering flavor profiles, kitchen cleanliness, plate presentation, speed, etc.). My mother also acted as my artist development manager from the age of 2 to 16.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Currently, I’m focused on the release of my second, self-published book called “Chef Diaries: Inspirational Stories & Recipes For Foodies, Homecooks, and Aspiring Chefs”. It’s a cookbook devotional that’s tailored to sharing inspirational experiences, prayers, and recipes that guided me on my path after my great-grandfather’s sudden death in 2017. It’s being released under my second (out of five companies) that I own called The Singin Chef LLC. Which also happens to be the title of my debut EP called The Singin Chef.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I can sum up my three most important qualities, skills, and areas of knowledge in three short phrases:

I aim to be well connected and well respected in my field of expertise; and I’m always ready to leverage unexpected opportunities.

I’ve built my knowledge capital in the area of culinary arts, business management, and musical performance through books, a college education, on-the-job experience, and both paid (and unpaid) mentorship.

I leverage the power of AI to automate, delegate, and protect what I’ve built. Things like AI algorithms, video calls, a virtual assistant, search engine optimization, cloud-based technology, etc. have all been an asset in my journey (rather than a threat).

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Unapologetically Ambitious by Shellye Archambeau was a game changer for me as an entrepreneur. I identified with Shellye’s overwhelming desire to be successful; and her “never say die” attitude. She was a woman that refused to settle; but she was also very practical in her expectations and the consequences of her actions.

One major nugget of wisdom I gathered from this book was:

If I’m looking for an unpaid mentor; avoid asking outright for their mentorship. Instead consider their busy schedule; and just build a relationship with them naturally. That way I can ask all of the questions I need within a reasonable period of time. Otherwise; I’ll either scare them off or put them in a position to put their defenses up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.racheludehjackson.co/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imthesinginchef
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@racheludehjackson?si=FrzfLVmZsRqDsuoN
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hope-s-kitchen-eateries-new-york