Carla Hall has never been afraid to change direction. The award-winning cookbook author and television host has built a remarkable career on her willingness to pivot, to learn new skills, and follow her heart into her next adventure.
A Dream Five Years in the Making
Next June, Hall’s biggest dream yet will come to life: her one-woman show, “Carla Hall: Please Underestimate Me,” will debut at the Olney Theatre in Maryland from June 3 through July 12. The 80-minute show tells Hall’s life story through the framework of a cooking talk show.
It’s a full circle moment for Hall, who grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, dreaming of becoming “the black Carol Burnett.” And like most accomplishments in her life, Hall figured out the recipe to make it happen. She talked to people about her desire to do a show and went ahead and wrote it, despite there not being much interest at first.
“A lot of times you mention your dreams and people say, ‘Oh, it just happened, just fell into your lap.’ No,” Hall insists. “But sometimes you need to have the party in order to clean your house. You know what I mean?”
A Career Built on Heart-Felt Pivots
Carla Hall had hoped to study the performing arts in college, but she was deferred from Boston University’s theatre program.
“I felt rejection from theater. I liked my accounting teacher. So I said, Okay, accounting.” Hall recalled, and she followed her sister to Howard University. She landed a job at Price Waterhouse and stayed for two years, but was unhappy.
“I was so afraid of being 40 and hating my job,” Hall recalls. “And a lot of people will stay in something. I’m like, oh no, my spirit knows it cannot do something that I’m not into. I just can’t do it,”
That fear inspired her next leap: she traveled to Paris, where she initially pursued modeling. Her time there led to an interest in cooking, and she began buying cookbooks and approaching recipes like puzzles to solve.
Back in the States, she opened a catering business and studied at L’Academie de Cuisine in Maryland. She transitioned to working in restaurants, but her curious spirit remained open.
The Enneagram Seven: Always Open to What’s Next
Carla Hall describes herself as a “seven on the Enneagram,” the popular personality assessment. Her type: the adventurer. It’s a trait that has defined her career trajectory.
One adventure she took on: agreeing to have a friend sign her up for Match.com at age 42. Her username: “Scrabble Girl.” It was intentionally nerdy in order to attract exactly the right person, and it worked. Her very first match was Matthew Lyons, and the two married in 2006.
It was Lyons who encouraged Hall to audition for “Top Chef.” While she didn’t win the cooking competition, it opened a whole new set of doors for her, leading to a hosting gig on the ABC daytime show, “The Chew” for seven seasons.
Lessons From “The Chew”
Hosting a network TV talk show, alongside Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Daphne Oz, and Clinton Kelly, had its challenges. After the first season, she was told her performance was not up to par, and it was suggested that she go to a media trainer.
“When I was told the guys were better, I think something broke in me,” Hall remembers
But despite her efforts to up her game, she felt she was still being overlooked and denied the opportunity to develop.
One instance that stung: Gladys Knight was a guest on the show and was going to cook smothered chicken. Carla had hoped that she would be tapped to host the segment, but she was passed over. She took it as a sign to have a sit-down with the show’s executive producer and share her concerns.
She recalls saying: “’If you didn’t think about that, I would want to cook with Gladys Knight because I’m from the south and with the same background, that is your report card, and you fail. And if there was some reason that you didn’t want to have me there and you didn’t share that with me, that is your report card, and you fail.’ I think in that moment I really had the F-its because I was going to say everything I needed to say, because if I’m fired after this, I don’t want to sit at home and say, I wish I had said whatever.”
And after that meeting, she recalls, is when she started to do her best work on the show.
Taking Ownership On “Chewed Up”
“The Chew” wrapped production after seven seasons in 2018, but Hall, Symon, and Kelly have remained tight. This year, they launched a new project: a podcast and YouTube show called (with a wink to their experiences on their former show) “Chewed Up.”
It’s another example of Hall making a leap: the three hosts are funding it themselves, along with a production company.
“It is 30-minute shows, three episodes a week, and it is absolutely the best time. And we were like, okay, let’s give it six months. if it works. If it doesn’t, it’s okay. No harm, no foul,” Hall said.
Carla Hall loves having the ownership and the freedom that the platforms give the trio. “God forbid if the networks pick it up, I’m out,” she jokes. “I don’t want to have a bunch of bosses.”
The MeMenu: Investing in Yourself
Hall’s other major project, which channels her desire to teach and share her experiences, is The MeMenu, an online coaching platform she founded with executive coach Deborah E. Riegel. It’s designed for women, especially those 50 and older, who Hall believes need more “main dish energy” in their lives.
“We have taken care of the family, we’ve taken care of our jobs, but at the end of the day, we’ve taken care of everyone but ourselves,” Hall reflects. The program helps women assess their strengths and chart new paths.
Hall’s guidance for new users of the platform mirrors her outlook on her own personal growth. “The hardest thing, one is to remember this is an investment in you…Whatever you put in is the thing that you’re going to get out. Sometimes, when I have to remind myself, when I think I’m really busy and I don’t have time to do things, I’m like, But am I too busy for myself?” Hall asks.
As Hall prepares to step onto the stage alone next summer, sharing her story, it’s clear she understands her greatest strengths. They include an openness to learning, encouraging others, and knowing instinctively when to leap. and trusting she’ll figure out the landing.
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