Brooke Williamson shares the driving force behind her go-getter attitude and success at such a young age. Brooke shares her thoughts as a 19 year-old cooking at the James Beard House and how confidence is key as a woman in a male-dominated industry. She talks about why she decided not to attend culinary school and the lessons she learned from opening her first restaurant at just 24 years old. Brooke reveals the piece of advice she would have given herself back then and how, many years later, she sees the value in learning from failure. She talks about how she met her husband and business partner and how they didn’t like one another at first before illustrating what a brainstorm between them typically looks like. Brooke shares her process for creating a cohesive menu and why she is most inspired by seasonal produce and her own home garden. She talks about overcoming the odds to win the first season of Tournament of Champions, losing to Maneet Chauhan in season two, and how she prepares for competition. Brooke talks about being a Chopped judge for the first time, judging BBQ Brawl and her own California spin on barbecue before talking about Best Thing I Ever Ate.

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Find episode transcript here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/brooke-williamson-on-why-she-decided-not-to-go-to-culinary-school

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