In our ever-changing world, it’s important to strengthen your adaptability. After all, whether it’s learning a new platform or hack for your business, it’s Darwinism at its finest—you have to evolve to survive.
That may sound very serious, but it’s true for any career. As meditation apps like my beloved Headspace tout, the only constant is change. The only thing you can count on is impermanence.
I was delighted to speak with one of my food media icons who is really a master at being a career and storytelling chameleon: Chandra Ram. You may recognize Chandra from her decade and a half heading up Plate Magazine and the last few years with Food & Wine.
I first saw Chandra moderating and judging a pitch competition at Chicago’s UTILITY Conference two summers ago, holding her own with Tom Colicchio, Kevin Boehm of BOKA Restaurant Group, and Paul Needham of The Infatuation. We got to chatting between panels and I was curious to learn more about the woman who helps share other people’s stories so well.
These days, Chandra is continuing to help others with their own storytelling, but she also is leaning into her own voice on her Substack, . Her pieces highlight all the smart ways you can use your leftovers in more upscale manners than simply throwing them into nachos and tacos (but she loves that too!), and reading each note is like catching up with a friend you’ve known for decades.
What I’d love for us to all take away from Chandra is her ability to show all her colors and play into different strengths when called for, whether it’s her own pieces or helping write and edit on behalf of the culinary luminaries in her circle—all while staying true to herself and helping others sound like themselves, but better. It’s not about losing yourself in different channels or stories, but highlighting all of your unique facets.
Chandra Ram’s Perfect Bite
Chandra’s entire story shows what a chameleon she has been throughout her entire career, even before she became the magazine and cookbook maven we know her to be today. Growing up in an Indian and Irish household with a mother who adored trying new dishes, Chandra learned how to blend and balance culture and cuisine at an early age.
As she tested different roles in food throughout her career, each step led her to the work she would become known for at Plate Magazine, Food & Wine, and the cookbooks she has written, including Indian Instant Pot Cookbook, the James-Beard nominated Korean BBQ with Chef Bill Kim, and The Eiffel Tower Restaurant Cookbook with Jean Joho.
Chandra has proven time and time again that she can help tell any author’s story and keep it true to their ethos—whether with her own works or while assisting others. I can’t wait for you to listen in on how she got to where she is today and what version of Chandra is coming next!
Subscribe to Chandra’s Substack ! You can learn more about her past work and purchase any of her cookbooks at www.chandraram.net. You can follow Chandra on Instagram @chandrasplate.
Storytelling Secret Ingredient: Embrace Your Storytelling Chameleon
From editor and moderator to James Beard-nominated cookbook author, Chandra proves how you can do it all while staying yourself.
Like changing our wardrobe for different gatherings, it’s important to know how to show up in different marketing channels and for your unique customer profiles. It’s all about learning how to evolve while staying recognizable.
Here are a few ways you can think about how to show your different storytelling colors while staying true to your core perspective:
Think about your storytelling format: A Substack newsletter versus a TikTok video versus a live interview panel are all going to require different formats. Think not only about length and time, but which pillars of your storytelling you need to lean into to keep that channel’s attention. Your Substack is a great place to lean into lengthier pieces and play with your words. For a live TV segment, you have to condense your top messaging points into just a few minutes. And on social, it’s all about which platform you’re on in terms of your hooks and caption elements. The story stays the same—you’re just switching it up based on what works well for that format.
Choose different language and themes based on your audience members: You can think similarly about how you speak to your different customer profiles. Email newsletters allow you to get into the nitty gritty of segmentation, sending different types of messages based on what that audience member type needs to hear to buy into your brand or service—whether that’s education, emotional messaging, the overall vision, or your own story. It’s harder to segment your messaging on wider platforms, so that’s where it’s important to provide content that regularly supports all of your messaging pillars.
Build a portfolio of stories: This is where we get into your portfolio of stories behind your main mission. Just like you need to rotate messaging to reach your different audience members on different formats, you need a portfolio of stories to tell so that you’re not inconsistent. Think of rotating between: your origin story and pain points, current work, exciting new developments, industry observations, customer reviews and UGC, and what you’re thinking for the future.
Storytelling secret ingredient: Adapt your storytelling without losing your core identity. Different channels and audiences require tweaks, but always stick to your voice and main mission pillars.
Strategic Shape-Shifters
These F&B brands know how to evolve their messaging, platforms, and storytelling without losing their core identity:
I always think of former pod guest Chef Ed Porter when I think of someone who sticks to who they are and their brand, but knows how to change his messaging and language based on where he’s showing up. Ed is a renaissance person through and through. What he focuses on when he’s on a show like Netflix’s “Pressure Cooker” and how he chats on his own podcast Taste Music Hear Food are going to be different based on the format and audience he’s talking to—but at his core, he’s always going to be Ed and stick by his values.
Fishwife is another brand that you always know is Fishwife, even when they’re doing collaborations, are focusing on team stories, or are integrated into other creator’s content. Sometimes they’re the main character, but they’re also comfortable being the backup singer—showing up as themselves in different settings and proving they can be adaptable.
Local Columbus non-profit Freedom a la Cart understands when to lean into their different messaging based on whom they’re talking to. The non-profit provides workforce development programming for survivors of human trafficking and also operates as a lovely coffee shop, staffed by said survivors to give them experience. The FALC team understands that their mission focuses on a really heavy topic, so they rotate between highlighting their survivors, their impact, and their delicious bites on their social media. You can listen to my chat with CEO Paula Haines here! Thanks so much for being part of The Perfect Bite’s journey and supporting these founders’ stories. Feel free to respond to any of these messages with thoughts on how I can improve my storytelling in the future or if you have any guest ideas!Subscribe nowLove TPB? Share it with a friend!Share The Perfect Bite Podcast