We’re looking forward to introducing you to Andre Natera. Check out our conversation below.
Andre, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
Mentoring and confidence. If you go on Instagram, X, TikTok, or any other social media platform, it doesn’t take long to realize people have a knack for sarcasm and insults. Constantly pushing buttons, trying to get a razz out of someone and be provocative. What is interesting is a lot of the same people I see commenting are the same ones privately asking for advice and help. The mask is worn in public, but in private, in real human connections, is where the vulnerability and seeking of help is.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am André Natera. I was a chef for over 27 years until I left cooking actively in early 2022. I figured it was time, and I wanted to do something different. My real passion was helping people and also mentoring chefs and cooks in the culinary industry. It started as a joke and a way to de-stress from all the built-up pressure from the kitchens. I would post a comical Chef’s PSA more as a joke. I was just trying to get my chef friends to laugh. But as time went on, I realized that my passion for mentoring and lifting up the next generation of chefs and cooks was aligned with the Chef’s PSA. So it became my full-time focus. Now it is a full-on media company with a lot of other moving parts. One of the top culinary podcasts globally, where I am able to bring conversations with world-class chefs to the masses, making mentorship easily accessible for cooks and chefs everywhere. A book series now with six published, with each one directed at different levels of chefs, from line cook to head chef. Public speaking, coaching, consulting, a chef line of fashion, and other business that all started from a joke and a little bit of passion.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was an intelligent kid growing up in a rough neighborhood. Being smart wasn’t cool, so I hid my nerdiness to fit in. I wanted to be in the cool crowd, but privately I was always immersed in books and study. I left home at 17 and went to culinary school not because I wanted to, but because it seemed like an easy option. When I got there, I discovered I was good at it. I had played sports and was athletic and loved gym culture, so kitchen culture felt like a natural fit. It wasn’t until a few years of cooking that I realized being a bit nerdy was beneficial to my growth. Creativity was celebrated in the culinary world, and so was a hard work ethic. I had both, so it was easy to fit in.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I learned that it is not about the food and how good you are if you want to succeed. It is about the team and the culture and how much you’re investing in making them good. I noticed that my success was up and down. Sometimes I was on top, and right after that, not. I couldn’t understand why. If I was a better chef and cook with each passing year, why was the success not matching? It was when I realized that the places where I had been most successful, I was focused on the people and culture, and where I was least successful, I was only focused on myself and the culture failed. I realized that people and culture were the foundation for success. Once I changed that focus, it was like having a cheat code to success.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
A version of it, sure. What you see in public is what I allow people to see. It is real and authentic, but I don’t share everything. I keep some things for myself. Part of what I do is also brand-driven, and a lot of my interests are outside the culinary world. I’d say about 30% is culinary, and the rest is not. I value privacy, and I’m a shy person in real life.
It’s funny, I once met someone who had been a longtime listener of the podcast and we had coffee. They said to me, you’re just like you are on the podcast in real life. They were surprised. I don’t fake it. That is really me. I like to have fun, tell jokes, and I’m passionate about leadership and helping people. That’s who I am in real life.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
That you can’t change people, even when you see they are doing things that are hurting them in some way. They have to come to that decision themselves. I leave breadcrumbs everywhere with advice, but you have to act upon the advice given. Sometimes the advice makes sense years later. You always want the best for people, but you can’t force it, or it won’t stick.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chefspsa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefspsa/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andr%C3%A9-natera-60234117/
- Twitter: https://x.com/ChefsPSA
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chefsPSA
