Chef Keith Corbin: A Conversation From Alta Adams In Los Angeles

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I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUEST IS CHEF & AUTHOR KEITH CORBIN. 

HE JOINS US FROM LOS ANGELES…..

WHERE CURRENTLY HE’S THE OWNER OF ALTA ADAMS RESTAURANT.

AND HIS MEMOIR CALIFORNIA SOUL WAS RELEASED LAST YEAR.

WE’LL BE DISCUSSING…. 

HOW TO CONNECT WITH THE SEASONS OF OUR LIFE…BEFORE DECIDING TO GROW AND EXPAND…..

AND……WE EXPLORE WHAT CHEF CORBIN’S LIFE LOOKS LIKE… SINCE HIS BOOK WAS PUBLISHED….

PLUS….WE TALK ABOUT DISCOMFORT….HOW SITTING IN IT…WHEN IT SHOWS UP….THOUGH…NOT EASY……ULTIMATELY…. DELIVERS MENTAL CLARITY AND AN OVERALL FEELING OF EASE…..

SO I’LL START BY ASKING…..AS WE ALWAYS DO…..“HAVE YOU EATEN YET ?”......

THIS COULD BE A MEAL FROM TODAY  …...OR….. IT COULD BE A MEAL FROM ANYTIME IN YOUR LIFE…. THAT YOU HAVE A REALLY GREAT MEMORY ABOUT…..

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

OPENING

I’D LIKE YOU TO TAKE ME BACK IN TIME…. TO THE DAY THAT YOU OPENED YOUR FIRST RESTAURANT.

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHAT OPENING DAY WAS LIKE …..AND WHAT THE TRANSITION INTO THE FIRST TWO YEARS WAS LIKE ?……..WHAT HURDLES….AND HIGHLIGHTS….STAND OUT TO YOU ?

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

THOUGHTS

IF I SAY……”YOUR THOUGHTS CREATE………. YOUR WORDS SHAPE”….WHAT’S THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND ?……IT COULD BE A TIME IN YOUR LIFE… A FAVORITE QUOTE ....ANYTHING….

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

TRUE

HOW DO YOU STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF WHILE NAVIGATING THE UPS AND DOWNS OF BEING A CHEF?

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

20

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR 20 YEAR OLD SELF ?….MAYBE IT’S ADVICE, A THOUGHT….OR A FEELING….….

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

BOOK

YOU RELEASED A BOOK LAST YEAR….IT’S CALLED CALIFORNIA SOUL.

IT’S YOUR MEMOIR….

FIRST, I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS! 

IT’S A FANTASTIC BOOK. WHEN I READ IT…. I DEVOURED IT….IT WAS CAPTIVATING….A TOTAL PAGE TURNER…IT WAS HEARTFELT….REAL….AND I JUST HAD THE FEELING THAT YOU WEREN'T HOLDING BACK IN ANY WAY…..AND THAT CONNECTED ME TO YOU INSTANTLY.

I’D LOVE FOR YOU TO TAKE ME THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WRITING THIS BOOK….WHEN DID YOU START WRITING….WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE ?

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

AND ONCE YOUR BOOK IS OUT IN THE WORLD…. WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE ? 

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

WHAT HAS YOUR LIFE LOOKED LIKE SINCE YOUR BOOK WAS PUBLISHED ? 

DID LIFE FEEL LIKE IT CHANGED OVERNIGHT FOR  YOU ?

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

SEASONS

IN YOUR BOOK YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR SON SAMUEL….AND THE JOURNEY THAT YOU AND YOUR PARTNER RENEE EXPERIENCED ON THE PATH… TO CONCEIVE SAMUEL…

WHILE ON THAT PATH…YOU BOTH EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE MISCARRIAGES….

AS A READER… WHO HAS EXPERIENCED MISCARRIAGE…. I WAS SHOCKED IN ALL THE BEST WAYS….I DIDN’T EXPECT TO READ ABOUT THIS IN YOUR BOOK.

THERE’S ONE DESCRIPTION THAT STOOD OUT TO ME…QUOTE:

“BEFORE I HAD SAMUEL, I NEVER REALIZED THERE WAS PREP TO DO BEFORE A CHILD WAS BORN. 

IT’S NO DIFFERENT FROM PLANTING SOMETHING…..

EVEN BEFORE YOU LAY THE SEED, YOU NEED TO PULL THE WEEDS… AND TILL THE GROUND…. TO SET IT UP FOR SUCCESS.

ON TOP OF THAT… YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE SEASONS. 

YES, YOU CAN GROW SOMETHING OUT OF SEASON…. BUT IT WON’T BE AT ITS BEST. 

TRY TO GROW A SUMMER FRUIT IN THE WINTER….AND IT’LL STRUGGLE UNDER THE HARDER LIGHT.  IT’S THE SAME WAY WITH KIDS.”

FOR SOME REASON THIS HIT ME RIGHT AWAY….IT MADE SO MUCH SENSE…AND YOU BROKE IT DOWN IN A SIMPLE WAY ….AND IT JUST FELT RIGHT IN MY SOUL.

TAKE ME BACK TO WHEN YOU WERE WRITING THIS…. TO THE MOMENT THAT THIS LIFE LESSON HIT YOU…AND PLEASE EXPAND ON THIS AWESOME EXAMPLE.

 [[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

THE BEAUTY OF THIS EXAMPLE OF THE SEASONS… IS THAT IT GOES BEYOND CONCEPTION AND PREGNANCY…..I THINK IT CAN BE USED IN MANY ASPECTS OF LIFE……FOR SOMEONE LISTENING NOW….MAYBE THEY WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE….GROW AND EXPAND AS A PERSON….CAN YOU GIVE THEM ADVICE ON HOW THEY CAN CONNECT WITH THE SEASONS OF LIFE…AND PREPARE THEMSELVES….SO THEY FEEL SUPPORTED …..

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TRIP

LOOKING BACK AT YOUR LIFE….WHAT’S ONE TRIP THAT YOU’VE BEEN ON THAT HAS POSITIVELY IMPACTED YOUR LIFE…THIS COULD BE AN ACTUAL TRIP….. OVERSEAS…..OR HERE IN THIS COUNTRY….IT COULD BE A TRIP CLOSE TO HOME….. OR….MAYBE IT’S A GOOD MEMORY….LIKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE…….OR…..IT COULD BE A PSYCHEDELIC TRIP…..  

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

FLY

IF I WAS A FLY ON THE WALL….WHAT WOULD I SEE IN YOUR LIFE….THAT NOBODY SEES OR HEARS ABOUT….IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT DO FEEL IS OVERLOOKED ABOUT YOU….THAT YOU’D LIKE THE WORLD TO KNOW ?

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

NEXT

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU ?.... WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW ? ….WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED FOR IN THE MONTHS TO COME ? 

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

DISCOMFORT

DEALING WITH DISCOMFORT IS CHALLENGING.

WHETHER IT'S RELATIONSHIPS…..CAREER…..FAMILY…. 

MOST PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT DISCOMFORT…THEY MIGHT CONTINUE TO INTERACT AS IF EVERYTHING IS NORMAL….

BUT, HERE’S WHAT I THINK: ….SITTING IN THAT DISCOMFORT….AND REALLY FEELING IT…..NOT SUPPRESSING IT….THAT’S WHEN GROWTH HAPPENS.

WHEN WE FACE OUR DISCOMFORT….WE SEE WHAT NEEDS TO BE HEALED…..AND THAT GETS YOU ON THE TRAIN…LET’S CALL IT THE DISCOMFORT TRAIN… 

NEXT STOP: SURRENDER….AFTER THAT: MOVING FORWARD….AFTER THAT: BECOMING MORE WHOLE IN OUR DAILY LIVES….AND THAT LEADS TO… THRIVING…..MENTAL CLARITY….AND AN OVERALL FEELING OF EASE….

FOR ME….THE POSITIVES OUTWEIGH THE NEGATIVES WHEN IT COMES TO FACING DISCOMFORT….

HOW ABOUT YOU CHEF CORBIN….IS THERE AN EXPERIENCE WITH DISCOMFORT…WHERE YOU LOOK BACK AND SAY  “I’M SO GLAD THAT I FACED THAT HEAD ON?”

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

FINDING INSPIRATION

HOW DO YOU CONTINUE TO FIND INSPIRATION EACH YEAR ? ......

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

FUTURE

WHAT DOES YOUR IDEAL FUTURE LOOK LIKE ?......

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

SYNCHRONICITIES

HAVE THERE EVER BEEN ANY SIGNS OR SYNCHRONICITIES IN YOUR LIFE…. THAT LED TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU….. IN THIS INDUSTRY? ……. 

IF SO, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE MOMENT….

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

REMEMBERED

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

TAKEAWAY

THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WISDOM WITH US …

I BELIEVE THAT THE JOURNEY…. IS ALWAYS GREATER THAN THE DESTINATION. 

IT’S ON THE PATH THAT WE LEARN….EVOLVE AND….. ENCOUNTER LESSONS…. THAT SHAPE US…. INTO OUR BEST SELVES.

I ALWAYS LIKE ENDING THE PODCAST…. BY ASKING…. IF THERE’S ANY TAKEAWAY THAT YOU’D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH LISTENERS…... THAT CAN POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THEIR LIVES.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED…. A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED ON YOUR JOURNEY…. OR GENERAL LIFE ADVICE THAT YOU LIVE BY ….…

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

AND WHERE OR HOW …..IS THE BEST WAY FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT…. OR GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU  ?

[[CHEF KEITH CORBIN DISCUSSES]]

OUTRO:

THANKS FOR LISTENING….AND IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY….... FOLLOW  “HAVE YOU EATEN YET?” ….WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS….

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