Today we’d like to introduce you to Hailley Field.
Hailley, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started cooking at 10, using my mom’s well-worn copy of The Joy of Cooking. This truly was the cooking bible pre-internet! My mom is a great cook and I developed an interest early through watching her prepare delicious meals for our family.
Not sure what I wanted to focus on career-wise after college, I traveled the world alone for 2 years in my mid-20’s, visiting and volunteering in over 20 countries. Being exposed to so many different cuisines, family tables, and new fruits and veggies deepened my passion for food and cooking and made me further develop my creativity in the kitchen.
I’ve worked in pretty much every facet of the food and beverage industry over the years- from managing cafe kitchens to boutique bakeries to roles behind the scenes in more of an administrative capacity. I knew the traditional restaurant world wasn’t necessarily for me, and I wanted to find a way to utilize my love of new experiences, cooking for people in their homes, and getting to know the members of my community.
Homecooked gives me the opportunity to combine so many things I love to do while helping people use the food that’s already in their fridge and pantry at home.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The idea for Homecooked actually began as an offshoot to my first business, Talk to me. TalktoMe is “Confidence Consulting for a modern era”- an alternative to therapy or life-coaching where clients feel at-ease opening up confidentially to a peer in their own homes. TalktoMe still exists and I release a very limited number of monthly in-home sessions that sell out fast.
I wanted to expand my reach, and the initial ideas for what eventually became HomeCooked were born. It was meant to be a fun bonus for me and for clients, but people have really responded to it so positively that it has taken over as my main focus! I still have a lot of love for TalktoMe and the people I have helped there, and many of them use HomeCooked as well.
HomeCooked – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I personally prepare home-cooked meals for clients using the ingredients they already have in their fridge and pantry. Whether that consists of food from a meal prep delivery service like Blue Apron, leftovers, a farmer’s market haul, or any combo in between. Part of the fun is in the creativity and challenge! There are gift certificates you can buy too.
Using HomeCooked, clients can book an available session as little as 24 hours in advance and up to one calendar month in advance.
There is no other “Chef-On-Demand” service that exists here in LA! This new concept may seem unusual to some people at first, but everyone has been really pleased the results, and some clients have learned new favorite flavor combinations or preparations techniques too.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as the freedom to live the life you truly want. I, like most people, used to believe that wealth was the only way to be a success, but I now know better. Not worrying about your bills is of course it’s own success-
but beyond that, the times I feel most successful are when I’m able to be authentically myself and experience the world on my own terms.
Pricing:
- HomeCooked sessions are designed to be affordable! Current pricing is $55-75 per session, up to 2 hours, for a meal for 1-4 people.
- Optional add-ons such as gratuity or a bottle of red wine range from $10-$15.
- TalktoMe in-home 60-minute Confidence Consulting sessions range from $175-250, depending on distance.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://shecanhelpyou.com
- Phone: (415) 779-4878
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
All photos taken by James DeVore
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