9 minute read
THE SECRET INGREDIENT TO SUCCESS
Feedback is at the heart of growth, whether you're competing on a cooking show or perfecting your craft at home. As Holiday Baking Competition judges, Carla Hall and Nancy Fuller Farmer are tasked with giving level expert feedback to chefs every week
In this conversation they share insights on what it takes to stay open to tough critiques, how they balance honesty with empathy, and why embracing discomfort is key to getting better After all, feedback isn’t just about improving a dish it’s about building resilience and confidence
Dive into this candid conversation to see how feedback can shape your path to success, both in the kitchen and beyond.
How do you think feedback has shaped your growth as a chef or judge, and why do you believe it is so vital to personal and professional development?
Nancy: Whether you’re a chef or a home cook, or in anything you pursue in the scope of your life, feedback is instrumental in learning any craft
Carla: Feedback is the secret to getting better. When I was on Top Chef, if you placed at the top or at the bottom of a round, you received feedback from the judges and as a contestant that is valuable information to take into the next challenge or to take home But when you were in the middle, you got nothing no information at all. They have since changed that format, but when I was competing, I would rather be on the bottom and have the opportunity to get judges’ feedback than be in the middle and not understand what did or did not connect.
Gaining knowledge was my whole goal in competing If you process it well it’s also a competitive edge.
Nancy: It's definitely about processing the feedback. The skill of knowing to dig into feedback and figure out how to translate what someone is saying and then determining what to do about it. Does their reaction pertain to the taste or the texture? Are they reacting to a lightness? A heaviness? Is it too sweet or too sour?
Listen to the critique and consider how to connect the reaction to where in your process you could alter things to change the dish. Spend time kind of grasping it and holding onto it and thinking about it and what's it going to do for you? How's it going to help you?
How do you stay open to receiving feedback even when it's tough to hear?
Nancy: If that's a personal question I'm pretty laid back raising six kids and having a dinner party three times a day I developed a very thick skin If you don't like my food, either go without or learn to cook! They would wait for me to go to bed and raid the refrigerator. Whether you are a chef or a home cook, or in anything you pursue in the scope of your life, feedback is instrumental in learning any craft.
Carla: I’ve come to realize that if I feel sensitive about something it actually means that feedback is truly meant for me to hear, and it's something that I really have to work on If I feel indifferent towards it then typically its not feedback I need to value highly. I check in with myself like that because I realize that I cannot learn from everybody, but there are times when somebody says something and it really goes into my heart That’s when I recognize this person is the messenger of my lesson. And sometimes it takes me a couple days to work through what that lesson is
Nancy: That sensitivity is like a North Star for you then, giving you direction
Carla: Yes, it's giving me direction, but I have to figure out what the direction is You know what I mean?
I have to figure out - why am I reacting so sensitively to the information? But I think as I get older, it's easier to take because I'm like, okay, I can learn. I really can learn. I mean, it's not like an old dog can't learn
Nancy: Old dogs can learn new tricks.
Carla: Yes! That.
Nancy: When we give feedback in the show, I closely watch the initial reaction. Obviously if it's positive, there's no issue But there are so many elements at play on a televised competition show that you don't want to crush them by not considering those elements
Carla: Yes but the feedback of your craft is not personal and that is important for everyone to remember. We're not talking about your eyes, your nose, or your personality We are talking about the thing you ' ve made
There are times when somebody says something and it really goes into my heart. That’s when I recognize this person is the messenger of my lesson.
It's not personal because you can change the way you make it
I don’t think viewers understand we spend a lot of time with the contestants on the show We actually talk to them quite a bit more than what the viewers at home get to see on the screen Because its also entertainment we'll deliver it in a humorous way, but ultimately we want to give something that's constructive for the baker so that when they come back and compete again they are better I mean, it's become a joke, but when I don't know what to say initially, I'm like, “oh, that plate sure is pretty”. But no matter what we are always working to be kind
Nancy: Oh, yes. We try to make something positive, and I try to be kind like I'll say, “Oh, Honey, this looked great, but that other thing you decided to do took away from the greatness” So that they understand how it’s the whole of everything they did that has to work together
If the person's passionate about their career, they'll be thankful for the advice, and if not, they'll whimper about the criticism. But at the end of the day, I'm old school, so I tell it like it is If I'm honest about a dish and it's interpreted as criticism, then that person isn't going to excel They are listening with a negative interpretation from the start.
Carla: Well, that's it Yes. And we've seen those people.
Nancy: There's some that you just can't help
What do you do when someone is obviously not accepting the feedback?
Nancy: They go home
Carla: Exactly If there are two dishes from two contestants that are equally bad, and one of those contestants embraces the judges’ critiques and one doesn’t - the one who doesn’t is the easy choice to send home We want the people who are growing to stay.
This works everywhere. In my business - on my team - I want people who are proactively trying to grow their skills all the time Because I’m trying to grow all of the time. And at the same time over time I’ve also learned how to temper my feedback as I understand people better and learn how different individuals may need to hear things. On the Baking shows we're working hard to get to know the contestants and if somebody is not willing to grow, they're gone.
The more you resist the feedback, the longer it's going to take you to get to where you think you want to go.
What would you would want to hear from someone who had just received a tough critique?
Carla: Oh, I can tell you right now what I would want to hear is “Thank you for that perspective”. Because what we're asking them to see is either they knew something already and we're confirming it or they didn't know, and we’re teaching.
I would want them to say “I hear what you're saying”. Even if they don't agree they should listen enough to hear what we are saying. Even if they don’t agree.
There are people who don't agree with what we are saying - but also there are three of us judging each dish and three people coming to the same conclusion are probably not wrong
What role does embracing discomfort and a growth mindset play in pushing yourself or others to achieve their goals, and how do you encourage this mindset?
Carla: I’m always pushing people to be uncomfortable When I was on Top Chef, what made it such a valuable experience was the necessity of leaning into being comfortable with the uncomfortable because in being uncomfortable, you'll grow. The more you resist the feedback, the longer it's going to take you to get to where you think you want to go.
I would assume the contestants all feel like this is their dream and you're crushing it. Even if you know that's the message they need to receive.
Nancy: But you're not giving them that dream every time you give feedback. You're only giving them feedback on that dish in that moment And that’s all you can give them in terms of a lesson
Carla: But also sometimes Nancy, we say, look, you've done the hard thing by saying yes to this competition Because it is hard, so they've already done a hard thing. And what we're asking them every time there's a challenge is to do one more hard thing. And sometimes they will go the distance and sometimes they won't. But what we also say to them, because you said yes to this hard thing, even if you leave first or second or whenever, it will transfer into you doing something else hard outside of this
Nancy: Exactly Because they have accomplished what they set out to do. And that's going to create confidence. Always look for the positive that you've obtained from your experience Our contestants have put themselves in a position that they are fearful of, and when they crush it or make it great, then their confidence is going to just escalate. And that's going to give them the incentive, the energy, and the power to reach their dreams.
