Oct 01

“Prison doesn’t work for everyone, but it worked for me:” Chef Jeff at Lifestyle Session

“Prison doesn’t work for everyone,” Chef Jeff Henderson likes to say. “But it worked for me.” Henderson shared his inspirational story during the Lifestyle Session on Monday morning at NECA 2012 Las Vegas to about 200 people.

Born in Los Angeles to a single mother, Henderson was a drug dealer and went to prison at the age of 24. It was while he was sulking away in prison that his true calling in life was revealed to him. It wasn’t on the streets – it was in the kitchen.

“I discovered my gift in prison … once you know who you are, you can become anything you want to be,” he said.

His talk, a high-energy mix of inspiration and business principles, emphasized the realizing the power of potential. Henderson is undoubtedly a commanding presence and was alternately funny and poignant in his portrayal of a life, once lost, and now found.


Henderson is a best-selling author and continues to cook as the star of “The Chef Jeff Project” on Food Network. But he isn’t only passionate about food; he’s passionate about reaching out to young people who might be facing the same issues he did. He knows that he can help them out – because he was them.

“I’m not going to (play) the victim card,” he said. “I don’t justify my poor decisions because I grew up poor. I grew up with a dream.”

Watch Chef Jeff Henderson at 2012 Lifestyle

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