5 Essential Ingredients to Doing What You Love For a Living

When I decided to leave my corporate job to pursue the culinary arts years ago, I couldn't think of anything better than doing what I love on a daily basis: cooking. But it soon became clear to me that leaving the security of one career to pursue another is not as simple as it appears.

Doing something you enjoy will motivate you to work harder, but this does not imply that you have a successful business. Hard work must eventually meet the right opportunities, and this is where entrepreneurial spirit can come in, allowing passion to meet real business sense.

My own culinary journey has taught me numerous lessons that go far beyond time and temperature. If you want to change yours, here are some tried-and-true lessons I can offer:

1. Approach goals in the same way you would a recipe. Remember to take things slowly at first.

It's easy to get caught up in the minutiae of daily life, and just because you're doing something you enjoy in general doesn't mean you'll enjoy it all of the time. I've been able to stay calm and focused on the process by segmenting my goals and having a clear vision. Keep your long-term goals in mind, but try to appreciate and not look past where you are right now. I constantly remind myself that I'm always learning and getting closer to my goal.

2. Learn about those who came before you.

I studied star chefs like Jean-Georges and Thomas Keller, as well as people with successful food and lifestyle brands like Martha Stewart and Giada de Laurentiis when I changed careers. I wanted to learn more about the landscape as well as the successes and failures these guys had experienced. I never expected to follow in their footsteps, but I did gain an understanding of what contributed to their success.

3. You should always have something to offer.

I travel a lot and learn from chefs and home cooks all over the world. When I travel to a new place, I like to shadow cooks in professional or home kitchens to learn about their techniques and dishes. As a foreigner and a woman, this has been a huge challenge. I usually begin by asking if I can observe service for the day. In exchange, I offer to prepare and cook something, whether it's the staff's family meal or a recipe the chef may not be familiar with. Taking a little more time to build trust and having something to offer helps people open up a little more.

4. Seek assistance from those who can do it better than you.

Use your network and resources wisely. If you lack a skill, chances are you know someone who does. For example, I wanted to photograph the recipes in my book myself, but I'm not a professional food photographer.

I purchased a high-quality camera, contacted a talented photographer and friend who was willing to teach me and braced myself for trial and error.

5. Be prepared to be both physically and mentally uncomfortable.

Some of the most valuable lessons and rewarding experiences have come from times when I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing. I'm not just referring to having to lift 80-pound stock vats in some of the kitchens where I worked. I was pregnant and working full-time when I agreed to write my first cookbook. The entire book had to be written, cooked, tested, and photographed by me. This concept terrified me. There were days when I couldn't get off the couch because I was so exhausted.

But the book is finished and will be published this year. It just goes to show that when you're pushed, you're going to push back. Rise to the occasion, because success may be just around the corner.