Climb the Ladder on Your Feet — Not on Someone Else’s Shoulders

“You don’t earn your place in the kitchen by stepping over others. You earn it by showing up, every damn day.”

After several years in the kitchen — sweating through double shifts, breaking down the line after service, pushing through service on two hours of sleep and cold coffee — I’ve seen a lot.

I’m still in it. Still grinding. Still learning.
But I’ve been around long enough to see the patterns.

Some cooks rise with quiet confidence. Others try to climb by cutting corners or stepping on shoulders. And it’s always obvious who’s who.

So if you’re just getting started, or even if you’ve been at it for a few years and want to level up — here’s what I’ve learned, the hard way.

1. Respect the Craft — It’ll Take Care of You if You Take Care of It

Being a chef isn’t a title you slap on your Instagram. It’s a responsibility.

It’s the weight of the pass on a slammed Friday night.
It’s fixing a broken sauce mid-service without losing your cool.
It’s caring more about consistency than compliments.

Start with humility. Walk into every kitchen like it’s day one.
No matter how much you think you know — there’s always more to learn.

2. Learn the Game Before You Try to Lead It

You want to lead a team one day? Start by learning the basics inside out.

Dice onions like it matters. Taste your food like it’s going to your kid’s plate.
Understand why we rest meat. Why we reduce. Why balance matters.

Watch. Ask. Listen.

You don’t lead a kitchen by being the loudest. You lead it by being the most consistent — and the most accountable.

3. Build Your Roots Before You Chase the Spotlight

Jumping kitchens just for a slightly fancier title is tempting — I get it.
But don’t chase the hype. Stay somewhere long enough to actually learn.

Find a mentor. Watch how they move.
How they handle chaos. How they keep standards high when nobody’s watching.

Absorb the way they respect the brigade, not just the customers.
Then take that with you, wherever you go.

4. Be the Cook Others Want on the Line With Them

This one’s big.

Don’t try to outshine your teammates. Don’t snitch, gossip, or coast while others hustle.

The kitchen doesn’t need more egos. It needs solid people.

Cover your teammate when they’re drowning on the pans.
Help the new commis without making a scene about it.
Pick up that piece of trash on the floor — no one’s too good for that.

This is how respect is built. Quietly. Consistently.

And when it’s your time to lead, people will follow because they trust you, not because they have to.

5. Show Up — Especially on the Days You Don’t Want To

Some shifts will crush you.
You’ll burn, sweat, swear, and maybe even cry in the dry store (we’ve all been there).

But show up anyway.

Tie your apron. Sharpen your knife. Take pride in your station — even when no one’s looking.

That’s what separates cooks who plate food from cooks who own it.

If There’s One Thing I’m Proud Of, It’s This

If there’s one thing I’ve been truly proud of through the years, it’s the way I’ve always treated and guided the younger cooks who came through the kitchens I worked in. I never acted like I knew everything. I never looked down on anyone.

Respect goes both ways — and I always carry myself that way.

I’m the kind of person who feels proud when someone says they learned even the smallest thing from me. Because in our craft, the small things matter.

A sauce stirred right, a station cleaned down, a word of advice in the middle of a rough service — these are the details that shape cooks, shift by shift.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: humility takes us further than pride ever will.

What I Know for Sure

I’m not writing this from a pedestal. I’m still in the kitchen. Still pushing. Still chasing growth.
But I’ve worked next to enough great chefs — and a few awful ones — to know what it takes to truly make it.

It’s not about titles.
It’s not about politics.
It’s not about who you impressed on LinkedIn.

It’s about who you are when the printer’s screaming, the fryer’s down, and the fridge door won’t close.

So if you want to grow, thrive, and earn your stripes:
Stand tall on your own two feet.

Put in the work. Show respect. Be the kind of cook others want beside them when the kitchen gets loud.

That’s how you climb.