Secrets From an Introvert Super-Chef

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Chef Daniella Malfitano is a plant-based food virtuosa and entertainer. I met her when award-winning Livestreamer Ross Brand interviewed both of us online, and became a fan of her work. You would never guess that all three of us are introverts, given our frequent public appearances. I reached out to Malfitano to discover her recipe for success, and in the public eye, as an introvert. She shares her key ingredients and special ways of mixing them together with a little spice. You can watch her Plant-Based Made Easy show on YouTube and Facebook online and access her monthly companion cookbooks there.

NA: How did you know that food was your professional calling?

DM: I found my way to the kitchen after suffering the greatest loss of my life, the death of my best friend and sister, Angelina, in 2006. I realized I had to live out my dreams while knowing that my sister didn’t get that chance. I have been determined to honor her life. Pursuing my passion and professional calling as a chef was what my heart told me to do.

NA: Authenticity is a value you and I share. How has your commitment to it affected your career?

DM: I’ve always been enchanted by people who are unapologetically themselves—not afraid to share who they are. That is how I’ve always wanted to be. Yet it wasn’t always easy being fully me in every aspect of my life and every circle I found myself in.

This has recently started to change for me. I’ve made some big decisions about what authenticity means for me personally and professionally. Courage and grit are two ingredients that make me authentically who I am.

I’ve been a chef for my entire adult life. In 2019, I went back to school to study nutrition and became an integrative nutrition health coach. While I have been in the world of media, education, and content development for the past decade, it wasn’t until last year that I truly felt I came into my full authentic self in all aspects of my life.

NA: What was the major turning point for you?

DM: At the start of COVID-19, I felt I received a divine message to change my ethos as a chef, to stop using and eating animals. I made a commitment to go plant-based and to inspire others to consider this as well. I created an online cooking show called Plant-Based Made Easy and garnered a global community of followers who are committed to living healthfully and transforming their lives. This business iteration has been my most successful endeavor. I believe living authentically resulted in growing a global community equally committed to transforming our world—one bite at a time.

I’ve gotten off the fence about who I want to be in the world, how I want to show up, and how I want to eat. I have taken a stand for compassionate cooking and living. Also, I understand the value of tapping into and trusting the heart. I believe that leaning into our authentic self and trusting in the power of purpose can help heal, transform, and inspire the world.

NA: You have done a skillful job promoting yourself as an introvert. What lessons have you learned along the way, and what advice do you have for other introverts?

DM: What I resisted most for so long, coming out of my shell and living as fully me in all aspects of my life, is the thing that has created the most movement in my business. It has shaken things up in all ways possible, both in my personal and my professional life. By no means has it been easy. Movement in my inner world has created movement in my outer world. As hard as this uncovering process has been including losing my sister, leaving an unhealthy marriage, and losing people and opportunities along the way, the transformation has been worth it. I encourage you to take stock of where you are hiding yourself from the world, and have the courage to live authentically, as your heart is calling for you to do.

NA: As an online personality, you are vibrant and emotive. People might be surprised that you are an introvert. How do you navigate your public persona with your energy needs as an introvert?

DM: No one ever believes me when I explain that I am an introvert at my core, but it’s true. Of the many wonderful ways I’ve learned to balance my energy needs as an introvert, my favorite tool is learning to integrate my own healthy living advice into my own life on a regular basis and to see self-care as the essential nutrient for a balanced and abundant life. I have learned to take my own advice, to meditate and pray, make exercise a priority, and cook nutritious meals. I know it is vital to stay up on these practices as preventive measures for a healthy and happy life.

NA: Is there anything you’d like to add?

DM: Remember that it’s an option to focus on your journey, and not just the destination. I have developed a relationship with heeding and trusting the path of my life by living authentically. I hope I have encouraged you to do the same. Since I have finally learned to live as me, I feel fiercely and unapologetically free.

Introversion Essential Reads

Why Introverted Personalities Make Great Project Managers

3 Ways to Be a Healthier Introvert

NA: I so appreciate your encouragement to gather the ingredients of courage and grit—and combine them with living from the heart with authenticity. Your emphasis on self-care seems especially relevant for introverts in managing their energy effectively. Mixing all of this together creates a time-tested recipe for succeeding in one’s life and career, particularly as an introvert!

Copyright © 2021 Nancy Ancowitz.