Is there anything more off putting than seeing a chef with long dirty fingernails, filthy whites or just bad general hygiene? For me there is not. Because the work that we create goes into people’s mouths we have a duty to keep ourselves clean and looking good. I recently had the pleasure of working with Chef’s Paul Kahan and Mike Sheerin from Chicago’s Blackbird Restaraunt. We were catering a charity event for for the Grand Cru Wine Festival. Knowing that I was going to be rubbing elbows with the elite I made sure to get my hair cut and groom myself very well. I also went out and bought a beautiful Egyptian cotton Chef coat and a new apron and sharpened my knives. Needless to say I walked into the house feeling like a pro. These steps that I took elevated my confidence and helped me to perfrom to my fullest. Now I am not saying that an expensive coat and a haircut will make you a better chef, but it will surely help you feel great, and feeling great is a big part of being succesful. I even recieved a compliment from the co-owner of the restaraunt on my new coat. It goes to show that people notice when you take the extra steps to be the best you can be.