Infectious!

The spicy meat of the hot dog causes her to roll her eyes and scrunch her face. "This is soooooo good!" she manages to squeak out between bites.  Her eyes twinkle and her contagious smile is absolutely irresistible. She wouldn’t say so, because she’s too busy having fun! Watching her eat that hotdog makes you drool as she opens wide. . . and bites.

Rachael loves food – people – and life itself. Her enthusiasm for what she does is as infectious as her wholesome smile. And she’s always on the move – it’s fun just watching her, she’s so down-to-earth, warm, curious and willing to try most anything. She makes the simplest food irresistible.

Rachael Ray’s family owned several restaurants on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She grew up surrounded by food and cooks. Her mother’s side of the family came from Sicily and cooked Italian dishes and her father’s side of the family was from Louisiana and he cooked Cajun-style.

 “Everyone on both sides of my family cooks,” she says.

The allure of New York City called and success followed. She soon managed a gourmet food market. 

Her love of food, fun and family were displayed in everything she touched. . .  her warmth and openness oozed out of her market displays and food creations.  And while successful and happy, Rachael wasn't content.

As glamorous and exciting as New York City was, Rachael knew she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life there and moved back home to Lake George, New York.  Soon after the move, Rachael became the chef of an upscale gourmet market.  Wanting to increase the sales at both the market and the market's in-store restaurant she used her personal pizzazz and created what we now know as "30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray."

 It was so popular that the local CBS station signed her to do a weekly cooking show. “I did 30 Minute Meals for five years on local television, and I earned nothing the first two years. Then I earned $50 a segment. I spent more than that on gas and groceries, but I really enjoyed making the show and I loved going to a viewer’s house each week. I knew I enjoyed it, so I stuck with it even though it cost me.”

And the rest is history. . .

This young woman never attended a culinary training institute, didn’t train under a famous chef, nor did she ever work in a five-star restaurant. In fact, she never took a single cooking class. And she is criticized because of it. Her critics don’t think she should be teaching cooking because of her lack of professional credentials and her too-bubbly personality. But Rachael doesn’t let it get to her. She says, “It’s all true and I can’t do much about it at this point.”

I think that’s the key to Rachael’s wild success. She doesn’t try to be someone she isn’t. She’s just fun-loving Rachael. And you feel like she’s letting you in on some great secrets as she shares with you what she knows and what she’s discovered. She includes you in the fun – and that’s why people keep coming back to watch her shows. Rachael keeps everything simple, real and up-beat. But her success was not easy -- she wasn’t an “overnight success.” She worked hard, stayed open to opportunities and change, walked through doors that opened for her, and stayed true to herself and her values.

Whether she’s doing a cooking show, compiling another cookbook, producing her magazine, appearing on her talk show or running her non-profit organization for kids, Rachael keeps it simple, easy and enjoyable.

I hope you’ll consider Rachael’s “secrets to success” while you work toward your own success. Be real. Be yourself. Keep life simple. Give to others. And have fun!