Top Chef’s Kristen Kish on Last Chances, Making Big Changes & Living a Life Accidentally On Purpose

About this sermon

She’s become a leading voice in the culinary world and now stars as the lead host of the very cooking competition show that launched her career. Kristen Kish was eliminated from Bravo’s Top Chef Season 10, only to make a triumphant return through Last Chance Kitchen, paving her way to victory. Since her 2013 win, Kristen’s been everywhere—opening her Austin restaurant Arlo Grey (with another on the way in NYC), hosting favorite food shows like Kitchens at the End of the World, Iron Chef, and now stepping into the host role at Top Chef (the student becoming the teacher). She’s also sharing her story as an author. In her new book, Accidentally on Purpose, Kristen opens up about being born in South Korea, adopted into a loving white, Midwestern family, and her journey navigating identity across racial, sexual, and professional lines. At its core, Kristen’s story is about finding her voice—and using it. While accidents may be unexpected, they’re not always at odds with our purpose. In this episode, we cover: • Pivoting, embracing change, and building a truthful, authentic life • Why the road to success is more winding and complicated than it seems • Recognizing when it’s time to make a change or take a step forward • Behind-the-scenes moments where unexpected meets intentional • Battling imposter syndrome, burnout, and quieting the voice of doubt • How life’s best opportunities often come from embracing the unexpected Quotes: “I figured out that I don't need to be anything other than myself. I figured out I don’t need to replicate somebody else’s way of doing something. My voice matters.” – Kristen Kish “I think a lot of the nurture is in my personal life and a lot of the nature is in my professional life, because I can't tell you why I'm good at certain things. I didn't have to practice holding a knife. I didn't practice putting together flavors. It just came to me.” – Kristen Kish “For a long time, I didn't know myself at all. I was too scared. I didn't want to know. I was scared of knowing where I came from because what if I found out something absolutely horrible? Sometimes you just don't want to know. And I've had to come to terms with getting to know all the really good things about myself that really have helped me move forward in life, but also really understanding the things that make me a challenge.” – Kristen Kish “I wish I would have chosen Bravo over Twitter ten years ago.” – Amy Hardin Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Top Chef - https://www.bravotv.com/top-chef Bravo! - https://www.bravotv.com/ Accidentally on Purpose by Kristen Kish - https://amzn.to/4iJQy04 Feed These People: Slam-Dunk Recipes for Your Crew by Jen Hatmaker - Arlo Grey restaurant - https://www.thelinehotel.com/austin/restaurants-bars/arlo-grey/ Stef Ferrari, food writer - https://www.theycallmeferrari.com/ferrari-here Charlotte Rose Coleman, fashion stylist - https://www.charlotterosecoleman.com/ Guest’s Links: Website - https://www.thelinehotel.com/magazine/meet-atx-family-kristen-kish/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kristenlkish/ Twitter - https://x.com/kristenlkish?lang=en Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KristenLKish/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@kristenlkish Connect with Jen! Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.

Topics

• Purpose & Calling