Her Story
About Gabrielle
Gabrielle Smith is a chef with over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry since 2011. She holds a hospitality degree from Cornell University and attended the Culinary Institute of America. Her career includes work in upscale restaurants in Columbus Ohio, New York City, New York State, Chicago, and five years in Norway. She incorporates Scandinavian influences in her cooking, with a focus on fish-based dishes, local sourcing from farmers and purveyors, and heirloom or heritage ingredients. She holds a mycology certificate or license to forage and sell in multiple states including South Carolina. She attributes her success to hard work, determination, and sacrifice, noting that when doing something you love it does not feel like work. The bonds formed with colleagues who become lifelong friends through shared struggles also contribute. The best career advice she received is to make goals, set a line from A to Z, put on blinders, and focus on getting to the end goal efficiently. Her advice to young women entering the industry is to be brave, have self-respect, set boundaries, noting it is a male-populated not male-dominated field where women chefs are often dominant and successful.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Gabrielle
01What do you attribute your success to?
A lot of hard work, a lot of determination, and a lot of sacrifice. As chefs, we miss weddings, baby showers, weekends, but when you're doing something you love, it doesn't feel like work. The bonds formed with colleagues who become lifelong friends through shared struggles also contribute.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Make your goals and set a line from A to Z, put your blinders on and focus on getting to Z. There will be people around you doing cool things that might tempt you off your path, but focus on your end goal and get there as efficiently and quickly as possible.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
To be brave, have self-respect, and set your boundaries. It's a male-populated industry, not male-dominated. Women chefs are often the dominant ones in the kitchen and are badasses. There are many successful female chefs like Claire Smith and Sophie Picks. It just takes a little more elbow grease.
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