Meet Zetti Carnell | Personal Chef & Songwriter/Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zetti Carnell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zetti, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
In certain situations, I want to use all the motivation, willpower, and courage I can muster to keep going. And in other situations, I need strength, humility, and insight to let go and move on. The only qualified teacher is time. Time has a way of revealing everything. Seeds that are planted take time to grow. If things aren’t growing after a period of time then I need to re- evaluate what I’m planting or how I’m planting. My mother has always said things that are healthy grow. Only time can tell if I’ve made the right choice, or not. But there is a question that can help in leveraging past experiences, and what time has taught us so far. Ive learned it’s not about being brave or weak. It’s about being honest. So the question I want to answer truthfully is: Knowing what I know now, would I want to start this task today, or not? I go with whatever comes to mind first. Then I sit with the answer for a bit, and: Look into my past experiences and how I feel about them. I Imagine my life without doing something, how would I feel? Imagine my life if I keep going, how would do I feel? I pay attention to my inner dialogue, is it assuring or fearful? If my answer is no, then it’s time to stop, and cut my losses. If my answer is yes, it’s time to make my task a priority, and go for it with all my heart.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I love the term used here; Artist. Another way I define that is “creator”. What am I “creating” in this season of my life. Currently besides my music and being a first time author, I am a personal chef. I have the pleasure of “creating” beautiful and inspired meals for clients regularly. It is really exciting to get to play with food. You start out with a few ingredients and then make something magical with them. I am still growing professionally and haven’t arrived yet, to where I’d like to be in my career but everyday is an opportunity for another level. Nothing has ever been easy for me, some things come naturally but the work itself although fulfilling is not easy. The biggest challenges I’ve had to face along the way have more to do with my own insecurities and fears and limits I put on myself more than anything else. If you can master your mind you can master your life. When I’m creating music, or a story or even a beautifully prepared dish, I’m in control , I’m in the drivers seat. All the other variables I can’t control. So I focus on what I can control. I’d say my story is a tapestry and to understand me you’d have to go back to my roots in rural Louisiana. I was raised in the Deep South in a humble ministers home , where God, music and food, were the way of life. Those three things nourish me, and have helped me through every challenge and trial in life. My brand is simple it can be summed up like this ; “ Did ya eat yet?” , “What are you listening to?” and “Have you talked to God about it ?” For more of my story see my article in the voyage magazine..

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First stop would be somewhere fun to eat. I really love the food pavilion at the Dallas Farmers market. They have a variety of food artisans and vendors there where you can sample all kinds of different cuisine while shopping for artisan soaps, vintage t- shirts and unique Texas treasures. After that we may head over to Deep Ellum and grab a sweet treat from Hurts Doughnuts or some BBQ from Pecan Lodge. Then we’d hang at one of my favorite spots “Louie Louie’s” piano bar. If you haven’t been there , you need to go! After that we would probably head to lower Greenville and hit up HGSPLY rooftop bar for a drink. Then onto Aurora Lights drive in art installation and eventually end up at The Tipsy Alchemist in Dallas for a Mad Hatter!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m very blessed to have an amazing inner circle that have gone the distance with me. If it weren’t for family and friends I don’t think I’d have the courage to do half the things I’ve done. I have an amazing mentor who has helped me manage my life and my belief system, Dr. Jim Richards. His book breaking the cycle, has helped me grow as a person and helped how I view the world around me. Get it on Amazon! I have an amazing mother, Reba Burch who listens and supports my dreams and I have a best friend Tiffany Caballero who “shows up” in life for me and walks it out with me. She defines the word entrepreneur- so if you need a house or the best CBD oil on the market – look her up! There are countless others who journey with me as I do them. We are all in this thing together!

Website: Www.ZettiCrocker.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crockerzetti/?hl=en

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Personal-Chef/zetticrocker/posts/

Image Credits
Kirstie Perez