Explain who you are and what you do!

I'm Brooke Williamson... I'm a chef and restaurateur. 

How did you get here? Did you always know this was your life’s mission?

I DID! I also feel very fortunate to have that be the case... I knew from the age of 6 or 7 that I wanted to be a chef... It was and is the only thing I ever really saw myself doing. 

What does a typical day look like for you?

I wake up early... Drink my coffee while making my 11-year old's lunch and getting him set for school... Sometimes he lets me do his hair ;)... Then school drop off, then a workout... I either spin, or run, or play tennis, or once in a while see a trainer for some real torture. I then shower and head to whichever restaurant needs me that day. I try to hit at least 2 spots in a day to see what's going on. Sometimes if work allows, I'll drive carpool to a tennis lesson or a soccer game, or sometimes I'll hang at work till a bit later and have dinner at one of the restaurants with my husband and son before heading home and spending some time catching up on emails. I try as often as possible to be home to put my son to bed to make up for all the times I can't when I'm traveling. I love the spontaneity of my job, but also sometimes crave some routine. 

Who or what inspires you?

Travel, my chef friends with their totally different approach to creativity, my son, my garden, a great spin class, you name it... there's inspiration in everything. 

Describe the “happiest and healthiest” version of yourself. 

When I'm making a point to be mindful of my food, sleep, and fitness. The physicality of my job, not to mention all of the traveling I do, is taxing... Sometimes I need to reset and pay attention to everything that I'm putting my body through on a daily basis. 

What are you most proud of on your journey thus far?

That I've managed to maintain my family and my marriage through all the chaos that is our everyday life. I work in an industry of work or get worked... I'm proud that I haven't let that dictate my family life. 

Best advice you ever received?

Don't let the boys intimidate you... simply show them that you can do it better. (My mom) 

One thing on your bucket list?

I've most recently become obsessed with visiting the swimming pigs in the Exuma islands... and I can think of 100 other places I'd like to travel to... but other than that I'm pretty content and don't have a ton on my list. 

Favorite thing to cook?

I don't have one... I think I have so many different restaurants because I like to have an outlet for whatever I feel like cooking that day... 

Favorite Health-Ade flavor?

Bubbly Rose... hands down.

What’s up next for you? Any exciting projects, trips (or restaurants!) we can look out for?

I've been working on getting a book written... and there's always a next... My husband and I thrive in the unsettled. 

What does “Follow Your Gut” mean to you?

Don't overthink. There's never a wrong path, just different ones. Trust yourself and take pride in how you present yourself to the world. 

Finding Inspiration in Everything doesn’t have to be difficult. Sometimes we make a chore out of the “finding” part. Although we should be intentional, we can also just allow it to happen and enjoy life’s experiences. Health-Ade Kombucha wants to know how will you follow your gut?

Today's blog is written by our very own Daina Trout, MS, MPH

Daina is not just our Co-Founder, she is also a nutritionist that has spent her adult life dedicated to finding and sharing health and wellness through food. With 2 masters' degrees in nutritional biochemistry and public health, Daina has called upon her education often while leading the way at Health-Ade - from how we make every batch of kombucha, to how we talk about gut health to consumers, to even how healthy our employee workplace is! She even writes a few blogs here and there. Happy reading! :)