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:

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• LinkedIn
• Website

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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: info@randallosche.com
• 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: info@randallosche.com
• 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: info@randallosche.com
• Website
• Support the Show
• Link to “Buy Coffee”
• Link to Hat

Support the show