Sheena Nicholls

I attribute my success to hard work, integrity, and resilience. The mentors that really meant a lot to me and inspired me had a lot of integrity, and they made it clear that hard work pays off and it's not going to be easy. I was raised that way by my dad - you keep your nose down, you work hard, you show up on time, you're respectful. I've always carried that with me. I'm resilient, I'm persistent, and I like to be the best. I'm a perfectionist, so I like to do well at things. I don't like to be somewhere in the middle, I like to be excellent at things, and that takes a lot of hard work. I have high expectations of myself because I know what I'm capable of, so if I see myself doing something less than, I spot it immediately. A lot of it is also life experience. I've gone through a lot of difficult situations in my personal life in the last 10 years, and that has really built me into the person I am today. It shows up on a daily basis in my home and in the workplace because it has molded me.

The best career advice came from my mentors who had a lot of integrity. They made it clear that hard work pays off and it's not going to be easy. I was raised that way by my dad too - you keep your nose down, you work hard, you show up on time, you're respectful. I've always carried that with me throughout my career. The mentors that really inspired me were people who had strong moral codes and integrity, and when you see bosses doing things that don't fit with your moral code, it affects you. So the ones who really meant something to me were those who demonstrated that hard work, respect, and integrity are what get you where you need to be.

I want to prepare them for the reality of what the industry is. If this is something that you really love, if this is something that you have a lot of passion for, then it's worth it, then the grind is worth it. But just to prepare them mentally for what it is - this is long hours, this is weekends, this is holidays, it's not pretty work, this is greasy work. But it is one of the most fulfilling jobs, serving others. If you're passionate about it, then pursue it. So many people have the wrong idea about what the industry looks like when they enter, and they get into it and immediately are like, oh no, this isn't for me. I would say to show respect for the industry, show respect for your teammates and your boss, and honestly, just soak in everything. Ask a lot of questions, soak in all the knowledge that you can. Just learn, learn, learn, learn, learn. Those first five years of just soaking everything in is really important. And if you have any sort of ego, just drop it at the door. It's really important to keep that throughout your entire career. It's really important for me to check myself constantly and to go ask for help from my cooks, or ask their advice on what would you do on this dish. It's really important to collaborate and to not hold yourself above people to a certain extent.

The biggest challenge is navigating through this generation. Restaurants are changing, kitchens are changing so dramatically right now. Kitchens used to operate like regimes, like a dictator, and the chef was always angry and in your face. I worked for a chef like that in San Francisco, and for me personally, I could take it and it helped me, but I could see how it could break some people. With this generation, you have to be very careful what you say, you have to be very careful how you act, and the work ethic is not there. The 'I'm owed something' is there - I'm owed for just showing up. They don't want to work for anything. They're entitled, and it's really difficult to inspire entitled people. I can't pull this out of you, you have to pull this out of yourself. It's just a different generation. It's really challenging to get people motivated, to get people to go above and beyond. It's tough.

Integrity is really important to me. I think it's really important to follow through on what you say to people, on what you promise people, on how you show up for people. I think consistency is really important. I need to be consistent as a mother, I need to be consistent as a boss. Consistency, in my mind, creates a safe environment. They know I'm going to show up, they know I'm going to be there if something goes wrong, they know they don't have to be afraid to come to me if something happens. It's really important for me to create a safe environment, but where they know the lines are, those clear boundaries of this is what you are supposed to be doing, and if you don't do it, there are consequences. I run my kitchen a lot like I run my home. It flows back and forth very smoothly. Openness, honesty, and just being consistent are the values that matter most to me.