Top Chef Host Kristen Kish on the Recipe for a Great Mentor

Kristen Kish didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming the first woman of color to win Top Chef—or of one day hosting the show. She grew up in the Midwest as a Korean adoptee and those wins hadn’t crossed her radar. But with a little luck—and a lot of support—she got there. Listen as Kristen shares how one mentor changed everything by challenging her to think beyond day-to-day dinner service and chase a career she never thought was possible. In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Kristen shares: Who’s cooking she loves the most (chefs, they’re just like us) The one woman who helped Kristen unlock her potential What changed when she went from being a relatively broke chef to winning Top Chef How she confronted her ego when writing her memoir, Accidentally On Purpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can listen to Top Chef Host Kristen Kish on the Recipe for a Great Mentor online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Top Chef Host Kristen Kish on the Recipe for a Great Mentor is an episode from 9 to 5ish with theSkimm.

This episode is 34:29 long.

This episode was published on Apr 23, 2025.

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