The Randall Osché Podcast

Join me on The Randall Osché Podcast as I sit down with Fer Serrano, a Mexico City-born chef whose career has taken her from culinary school to some of the world’s most respected kitchens, and from Italy to New York City and now Lisbon, Portugal.

Fer’s path into cooking started in an unexpected place: watching Ratatouille. What began as curiosity led her away from the family tradition of law and into professional kitchens, including an early experience at Osteria Francescana that gave her the confidence to believe she belonged in the industry.

But as her career grew, so did the role work played in her life. Fer opens up about realizing that cooking had become almost her entire identity, and how taking a year away helped her rethink the long hours and overworking she once saw as necessary for success.

That experience shaped not only the chef she wanted to be, but the leader she wanted to become. We talk about creating kitchen cultures where people feel supported, why great leaders step in when their team is struggling, and why taking care of yourself can ultimately make you better at what you do.

We also explore Fer’s willingness to follow her gut, take chances, and trust that she’ll figure things out along the way, a mindset that has taken her from Mexico to Italy, New York, and now Lisbon.

What you’ll Learn:

• Why believing in yourself can matter more than feeling completely ready.
• How taking a break can actually strengthen your relationship with your work.
• Why great leadership is about supporting the people around you.
• How following your gut can open opportunities you never planned for.

What happens when work stops being one part of your life and becomes your entire identity? Fer shares why stepping away helped her become a better chef, leader, and person.

Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Platform:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Find Fer:

• Instagram

Find Randall:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Website

Subscribe to Our Newsletter for More Inspiring Stories

About The Randall Osché Podcast:
Every episode is a conversation with remarkable people who share their unique stories, challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned. Through honest and insightful dialogue, we explore what shapes us, what moves us, and what we learn from the experiences along the way.

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website
• Support the Show
• Link to “Buy Coffee”
• Link to Hat

Support the show

Join me on The Randall Osché Podcast as I sit down with Stella Dennig and Finn Stern, the owners of Daytrip Counter in Oakland, California.

Stella and Finn’s journey started with a shared interest in food and community and eventually led them to open Daytrip, a restaurant that received national recognition from Bon Appétit, The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and more. 

But success from the outside didn’t necessarily mean the business was working behind the scenes.

We talk about what they learned from building their first restaurant, the difficult decision to change course, and how they used those lessons to create Daytrip Counter. We also get into the realities of running a small independent restaurant, why community sits at the center of their work, and how constraints can sometimes lead to a stronger business. 

Along the way, Stella and Finn share their thoughts on leadership, persistence, knowing when to quit, and why failure can sometimes be the education you need before figuring out what actually works.

What you’ll Learn:

• Why outside recognition doesn’t always equal a sustainable business.
• How constraints can create better, more focused businesses.
• Why employees and community remain central to Stella and Finn’s approach.
• How to recognize when it’s time to stop, pivot, and build something differently.
• Why persistence isn’t always about sticking with the same idea; it can mean finding a better way forward. 

What happens when the thing you worked so hard to build isn’t working? Stella and Finn share what it took to change course, take the lessons with them, and build again.

Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Platform:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Find Stella & Finn:

• Website
• Instagram

Find Randall:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Website

Subscribe to Our Newsletter for More Inspiring Stories

About The Randall Osché Podcast:
Every episode is a conversation with remarkable people who share their unique stories, challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned. Through honest and insightful dialogue, we explore what shapes us, what moves us, and what we learn from the experiences along the way.

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website
• Support the Show
• Link to “Buy Coffee”
• Link to Hat

Support the show

Join me on The Randall Osché Podcast as I sit down with Flossie Gilles, a French chef and culinary creator whose career has taken her from a small village in the South of France to Australia and New York City.

Flossie shares how food was woven into family, identity, seasonality, and respect for nature long before she considered becoming a professional chef. She talks about entering culinary school as a teenager, starting in the dish pit, and learning the discipline, humility, and resilience that come with kitchen life.

We also explore the six years she spent in Australia, where she arrived without speaking English and learned to rely on herself, adapt to a new culture, and find her identity in another language. That journey eventually led her to New York, where an unexpected opportunity and the mentorship of chef Camille Martin helped sharpen her leadership style and culinary voice.

Along the way, we talk about pressure, people-pleasing, asserting yourself, building strong teams, creating within constraints, and why persistence often comes before opportunity and luck.

What you’ll Learn:

• What starting at the bottom of a professional kitchen teaches about humility and resilience.
• The independence, awareness, and self-trust that can come from moving somewhere unfamiliar.
• How strong leaders adapt to the different people on their team.
• The role persistence plays in creating opportunities and making the most of luck.

What if the life you planned isn’t big enough? Flossie shares what happened when she left home, embraced the unknown, and learned to trust herself.

Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Platform:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Find Flossie:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Find Randall:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Website

Subscribe to Our Newsletter for More Inspiring Stories

About The Randall Osché Podcast:
Every episode is a conversation with remarkable people who share their unique stories, challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned. Through honest and insightful dialogue, we explore what shapes us, what moves us, and what we learn from the experiences along the way.

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website
• Support the Show
• Link to “Buy Coffee”
• Link to Hat

Support the show

Join me on The Randall Osché Podcast as I sit down with Ewelina Kurtys, a strategist and executive whose career has taken her from neuroscience and brain imaging into artificial intelligence, biocomputing, and emerging technology.

Ewelina shares how her curiosity about the brain led her into science, why she eventually stepped outside the academic world, and what she discovered when she began applying her scientific background to business.

We also explore her work with FinalSpark, where researchers are working toward an ambitious idea: using living neurons to build a new generation of energy-efficient computers. Ewelina explains why biological neurons process information so efficiently, what a future bio server could look like, and why solving the challenge of teaching neurons to learn could have implications far beyond computing.

Along the way, we talk about psychology, playing to your natural strengths, controlling what you can control, changing the way you think, and why success is always influenced by circumstances we didn't choose.

What you’ll Learn:

• Why following your natural preferences can give you more energy and an advantage in your work.
• How living neurons could offer a radically different approach to energy-efficient computing.
• Why knowledge and technical ability are only part of succeeding outside academia.
• Why changing your thinking takes repetition, reflection, and the right sources.
• How luck, circumstances, attitude, and hard work all play a role in success.

If you're curious about the future of technology, the power of understanding yourself, and what happens when neuroscience meets computing, you'll find plenty to think about in this episode.

Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Platform:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Find Ewelina:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Discord

Find Randall:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Website

Subscribe to Our Newsletter for More Inspiring Stories

About The Randall Osché Podcast:
Every episode is a conversation with remarkable people who share their unique stories, challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned. Through honest and insightful dialogue, we explore what shapes us, what moves us, and what we learn from the experiences along the way.

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website
• Support the Show
• Link to “Buy Coffee”
• Link to Hat

Support the show

Join me on The Randall Osché Podcast as I sit down with Eelke Plasmeijer, chef and co-founder of Locavore NXT, one of Asia's most celebrated restaurants.

Eelke shares his journey from washing dishes in a small Dutch village to building one of the world's most respected restaurants in Bali. We talk about why he left Europe for Indonesia, how Locavore challenged traditional fine dining by eliminating imported ingredients, and what it really takes to build a restaurant that stands for something bigger than profit.

Along the way, we explore entrepreneurship, taking risks, building great teams, and why success is always a combination of hard work and luck.

What you’ll Learn:

• How Eelke and his business partner built a restaurant without chasing money.
• The importance of starting before you are ready and remaining open to unexpected opportunities. 
• Why local food tells a more meaningful story than imported luxury ingredients.

If you're searching for a fresh perspective on success, entrepreneurship, and purpose, you'll find plenty to take away from this episode.

Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Platform:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Find Eelke:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Youtube

Find Randall:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Website

Subscribe to Our Newsletter for More Inspiring Stories

About The Randall Osché Podcast:
Every episode is a conversation with remarkable people who share their unique stories, challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned. Through honest and insightful dialogue, we explore what shapes us, what moves us, and what we learn from the experiences along the way.

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website
• Support the Show
• Link to “Buy Coffee”
• Link to Hat

Support the show

Join me on The Randall Osché Podcast as I sit down with Vanetta Roy, a former special education teacher of 23 years, restaurateur, Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race contestant, and founder of Eat My Biscuits in Atlanta.

Vanetta's story goes far beyond opening a restaurant. It's about refusing to let other people decide who you should be. After more than two decades teaching in Chicago Public Schools, witnessing the realities of violence and loss in her community, and facing racism while running restaurants in Chicago, she made one of the biggest decisions of her life. She cashed out her pension, moved to Atlanta, and bet on herself.

We talk about entrepreneurship, leadership, service, resilience, identity, and why the most fulfilling path is often the one that feels most true to who you are, even when it doesn't match other people's expectations.

Whether you're thinking about changing careers, building a business, or simply trying to find the courage to take the next step, Vanetta shares lessons that are honest, practical, and hard-earned.

What you’ll Learn:

• Why teaching and running a restaurant are far more alike than most people realize.
• How Vanetta walked away from security to pursue a dream she'd carried since childhood.
• Why refusing to fit into other people's expectations became one of her greatest strengths.
• Lessons from overcoming racism, financial setbacks, and the realities of entrepreneurship.
• Why relationships, community, and genuine care remain the foundation of lasting success.

If you're tired of playing the role the world wrote for you, this conversation is your wake-up call to start betting on yourself. 

Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Platform:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Find Vanetta:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Tiktok
• LinkedIn

Find Randall:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Website

Subscribe to Our Newsletter for More Inspiring Stories

About The Randall Osché Podcast:
Every episode is a conversation with remarkable people who share their unique stories, challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned. Through honest and insightful dialogue, we explore what shapes us, what moves us, and what we learn from the experiences along the way.

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website
• Support the Show
• Link to “Buy Coffee”
• Link to Hat

Support the show

Join me on The Randall Osché Podcast as I sit down with Costanza Ventura, founder of Gelateria Nannarella, La Pizza di Nana, and Il Baretto in Lisbon.

After spending years managing humanitarian projects with NGOs and the United Nations, Costanza left behind a career focused on changing the world to build something closer to home: a tiny gelato shop rooted in craftsmanship, community, and human connection.

What started as an 18-square-meter shop with lines out the door became one of Lisbon’s most beloved brands. But unlike many entrepreneurs, Costanza never wanted endless expansion. She chose to stay an artisan, protect the quality of her product, and create a business where relationships matter more than numbers.

In this conversation, we discuss the reality of entrepreneurship, the sacrifices behind ambition, the importance of staying curious, and why food made with love can create a sense of belonging.

What you’ll Learn:

• How curiosity and responsibility shaped Costanza’s path from NGOs to entrepreneurship
• Why building a successful business doesn’t always mean becoming bigger
• The importance of preserving craftsmanship in a world driven by mass production
• How community became the foundation of Gelateria Nannarella’s success
• Why true fulfillment comes from meaningful work and human connection

What if success wasn't measured by how much you grow, but by the people you impact along the way? Catch this conversation on building a business with meaning, community, and heart.

Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Platform:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Find Costanza:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Find Randall:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Website

Subscribe to Our Newsletter for More Inspiring Stories

About The Randall Osché Podcast:
Every episode is a conversation with remarkable people who share their unique stories, challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned. Through honest and insightful dialogue, we explore what shapes us, what moves us, and what we learn from the experiences along the way.

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website
• Support the Show
• Link to “Buy Coffee”
• Link to Hat

Support the show

Join me on The Randall Osché Podcast as I sit down with Chef JJ Johnson, a James Beard Award-winning chef, author, and cultural tastemaker who was recently named to the Time 2026 Closers list.

JJ shares his journey from standing on a milk crate in his grandmother's kitchen to breaking away from rigid, uniform Eurocentric fine dining to build his own fast-casual culinary empire. We talk openly about what it actually costs to dream, the unfair roadblocks Black founders face when trying to raise money, and why you have to stop trying to do everything yourself if you want to scale a business.

What you’ll Learn:

• The difference between working in your business versus working on your business.  
• Why you should look at older, successful brands in their early days, rather than where they are today.  
• How to use your frontline staff as a feedback loop to find out what customers actually want.  
• What it takes to survive the months when you can't take a paycheck as an entrepreneur.

Don't miss this episode. We explore the realities of entrepreneurship, overcoming self-doubt, and what it takes to build something on your own terms.

Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Platform:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Find Chef JJ:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Tiktok

Find Randall:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Website

Subscribe to Our Newsletter for More Inspiring Stories

About The Randall Osché Podcast:
Every episode is a conversation with remarkable people who share their unique stories, challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned. Through honest and insightful dialogue, we explore what shapes us, what moves us, and what we learn from the experiences along the way.

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website
• Support the Show
• Link to “Buy Coffee”
• Link to Hat

Support the show

Join me on The Randall Osché Podcast as I sit down with Chef Nick Liu, a Toronto-based executive chef and owner of the award-winning restaurant DaiLo and cocktail bar Lo Pan.

Nick shares his incredible journey from being a troubled, undiagnosed dyslexic kid who fell through the cracks of the school system, to completely hitting rock bottom, living out of his car, and moving back in with his parents. We get into how he found his identity in the kitchen, his battle with addiction, and what it took to finally achieve true work-life balance and sobriety after 30 years in a grueling industry.

What you’ll Learn:

• How dyslexia and feeling like an outsider helped shape Nick's success
• Why cooking was the first thing that made him feel capable and confident
• The lessons learned from failed restaurant launches and crushing debt
• How finding the right business partner changed the trajectory of his life
• Why sobriety, fitness, and self-awareness transformed his relationships and career

Don't miss this conversation about resilience, identity, second chances, and what happens when you finally find the thing that makes sense.

Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Platform:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Find Nick:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Find Randall:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Website

Subscribe to Our Newsletter for More Inspiring Stories

About The Randall Osché Podcast:
Every episode is a conversation with remarkable people who share their unique stories, challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned. Through honest and insightful dialogue, we explore what shapes us, what moves us, and what we learn from the experiences along the way.

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website
• Support the Show
• Link to “Buy Coffee”
• Link to Hat

Support the show

Join me on The Randall Osché Podcast as I sit down with Pádraic Óg Gallagher, chef, restaurateur, Irish food champion, and founder of Gallagher’s Boxty House.

Pádraic Óg shares the story behind building one of Dublin’s most iconic Irish restaurants and how a simple potato pancake helped spark a lifelong mission to preserve and celebrate Irish food culture. From washing pots in Venezuela to surviving financial crashes, COVID shutdowns, and decades in hospitality, this conversation takes a look at resilience, leadership, travel, and what it really means to create an experience people remember.

What you’ll Learn:

• Why hospitality teaches life skills most jobs never will
• How travel shaped Pádraic’s worldview and business philosophy
• The hidden history and cultural significance of Irish food
• What it takes to survive nearly 40 years in the restaurant industry
• Why creating memorable experiences matters more than perfection

Don’t miss this episode about resilience, hospitality, Irish identity, and building something that lasts.

Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Platform:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Find Pádraic Óg:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Find Randall:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Website

Subscribe to Our Newsletter for More Inspiring Stories

About The Randall Osché Podcast:
Every episode is a conversation with remarkable people who share their unique stories, challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned. Through honest and insightful dialogue, we explore what shapes us, what moves us, and what we learn from the experiences along the way.

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website
• Support the Show
• Link to “Buy Coffee”
• Link to Hat

Support the show