The idea of needing or wanting a personal chef has come up multiple times over the last eight years in coaching sessions.
When it comes to eating clean with a busy lifestyle, many of my clients conclude that the only solution is hiring a chef. It’s a common assumption, but there are actually two choices when you’re at this “fork in the road”: one road leads to hiring a chef, and the other road leads to preparing the meals yourself.
For many of my clients, hiring a chef is not an affordable option, so we focus on strategies for doing it themselves. But the reality is, if you feel you need a chef, then a new goal might be to increase your financial capacity so that you can afford one. This often means growing your business or negotiating a higher salary if you’re employed.
In fact, a lot of my clients struggle with limiting beliefs around salary negotiation and asking for what they’re worth. This is why coaching is so valuable—these limiting beliefs often come from childhood or societal conditioning, and they hold us back from claiming what we deserve.
This whole conversation reminds me of a book I read called The Whiteness of Wealth by Dorothy Brown, a tax expert. In her book, she explains how the U.S. tax system was historically designed to benefit white men and, as a result, still primarily serves their interests today. Historically, white men had jobs that paid them enough to support a family, including a stay-at-home wife who could focus on things like meal preparation.
The consequences of this system still affect us. Data shows that it takes a Black woman approximately one year and seven months to earn what a white man makes in just one year. This wage gap exists not only in employment but also in business ownership, where Black women-owned businesses often generate less revenue and face more challenges in financing than white male-owned businesses due to bias and straight up racism in the system.
This economic reality impacts the conversation around the “personal chef vs. self-preparation” dilemma. Historically, families could eat healthily because one partner (usually the wife) stayed home to prepare meals. But today’s reality is different, especially for women of color. Many professionals must juggle demanding jobs while still managing their health and nutrition.
If you can’t afford a personal chef and find yourself having to prepare meals, it’s worth considering your work situation. If you’re working such long hours that you don’t have time to prepare healthy meals and your compensation doesn’t allow you to outsource this task, then your job might be exploiting you. It’s important to reflect on whether your current position/company truly serves your needs.
Think about this: Historically, it wouldn’t make sense for a breadwinner to accept a job that couldn’t support their family’s basic needs. Today, we need to apply that same principle to our own lives, regardless of family structure. We all have responsibilities—whether it’s caring for children, supporting aging parents, or simply maintaining our own health and well-being.
The key message here is to recognize your worth and demand what you deserve. If you need higher compensation to maintain your health and well-being, you have to advocate for yourself. This is especially crucial for women and people of color, who have historically been underserved by existing systems.
It’s time to shift our mindset and stop accepting inadequate compensation or unsustainable working conditions. Instead, we need to demand what we deserve so we can maintain our health and quality of life.
Testimonial:
“My session with Samantha was wonderful! She asked questions that helped me decipher my true goals, and I was able to connect my health and fitness to my business and wealth. I felt seen and understood during our time together. I loved the way she listened and reflected back to me what I said. I walked away from the session with greater clarity on my goals and the motivation to bring them to fruition.” ~ Maisha
If you’re ready to take control of your health and your worth, apply for my Conquer Your Cravings: 3-Month Immersion Program today! Click here to apply for a free call, and I’ll walk you through the exact steps I took with Maisha!
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