When I graduated from culinary school, I was faced with a task that all budding cooks encounter: building a career in the industry.

Maybe it was the cookbook on my mom's shelf by Oprah’s private chef that always fascinated me, but one option kept catching my eye: being a personal chef. The need was there, and it was abundant. Instead, I opted for a more traditional route, starting front-of-house in restaurants before moving into food media. Through it all, I heard stories and learned more about the private chef world. While at my first publishing job, I met Bill Yosses, former White House Executive Pastry Chef for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Later, I was fascinated when I heard restaurateur Greg Baxtrom got his start as Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld’s private chef.

The trade has since exploded on TikTok, with creators like Meredith Hayden (wishbonekitchen) and Olivia Tiedemann (livforpasta) rising to fame by showcasing the delights and struggles—and delicious glamor shots—of working as private chefs.

So what is it really like to spend your days—and many nights—cooking for and catering to another family? To find out, I spoke with five private chefs about the highs and lows of cooking, cleaning, and eating in some of America's most prominent homes. Here's what I learned and what you can expect if you (like me) are curious about turning private cheffing into a career.

Having a more typical nine-to-five schedule instead of a 15-hour day is a major pro. Former Executive Chef Jane Doe, who needs to remain anonymous due to an NDA (common in the private chef world), is a Culinary Institute of America graduate who spent many years working the line in her native New Jersey and New York City.

During the pandemic, she decided to make a shift in her career. "After 17 years of working 12- to 14-hour days, it was time for a change," she says. Now she’s cooking for a family of four. "My life is quite enjoyable," she says. "I’m healthier than I’ve ever been because I have the time to take care of myself."

Chef Adrienne Cheatham worked in top NYC kitchens (Le Bernardin, Red Rooster) and was a Top Chef finalist, but never expected to be a private chef. After leaving restaurants and running through her savings, she found her way to a private chef job via connections at Le Bernardin and encouragement from Chef Eric Ripert. The perks—earlier hours, weekends off, and good money—won her over.

Doe notes, "You definitely have to eat a piece of humble pie. You’re going to be prepping, cooking, cleaning, and washing dishes most of the time on your own. But now I’m happier than ever, and it was the best decision I’ve made for myself."

For some private chefs, the hustle of their day job isn't enough. Phoenix-based Reilly Meehan grew up working at his father’s restaurant before attending culinary school, landing at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, and then eventually becoming a private chef in Phoenix and the Hamptons. When Meehan is in the Hamptons, he lives on his client's property, working every day: "Everyone wants to be in the Hamptons in the summer, so they have a ton of guests that come through…and it’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week." He spends his limited time off creating content for his 265,000 Instagram followers.

Celine Beitchman, Director of Nutrition at the Institute of Culinary Education and former private chef to Leonard Riggio, founder of Barnes & Noble, shows that working in the kitchen exposes you to certain hazards. She recalls an accident during a busy two weeks with family and friends in and out of the house. "On the last morning, my boss beat me to the stove and started breakfast for his buddies," she says. "I’m fuzzy on the details, but at some point he spun around with a hot sheet pan and I grabbed it with my bare hand—a nice third-degree burn I wrapped up in an icy towel and worked through for a couple of hours." Power through!

Doe’s plan is straightforward—she sketches a rough menu for the week, aiming for healthy and seasonal, with the occasional pasta night or dessert. "I’ve never been given a budget, but I will try to be mindful while still purchasing the best ingredients."

Meehan cooks breakfast and dinner for his clients and keeps the fridge stocked for lunch. "Usually it’s fresh roasted chicken and maybe some veggies that they can graze on—they’re not huge eaters during the middle of the day," he says.

Cheatham tailors her menu to both what’s in season and her client’s travel schedule, making two courses and a dessert a few times a week. Unless it’s a holiday or a special event, she rarely has to plan a menu out far in advance.

After working in restaurants, Boulder-based vegan chef Caitlin Boyer started her own gig. Throughout 13 years in business, her clientele has been star-studded, including John Mackey (co-founder of Whole Foods), musician Allen Stone, and a famous Chicago baseball player.

And you might get to stay in celeb hotspots, like Celine Beitchamn, who split her time between the Hamptons and Palm Beach Island as she catered to Leonard Riggio and his family. "The Riggios were very good people, very kind," Beitchman says, noting that they were very supportive of the arts in New York. "[Leonard] was fundamental in building the Dia Art Foundation. I was really lucky working for and putting energy into someone who was doing that work. It was cool to be a part of that."

But the perks extend beyond famous people and fancy places. Meehan occasionally travels by private jet to cook for his Phoenix-based clients in their Hamptons summer home. And with her client's blessing, Cheatham bought a PacoJet, an appliance that finely purees frozen-solid foods without thawing—and retails for nearly eight thousand dollars. "I was like, 'Are you sure?' [My client] said, 'If you want it and it’s going to make good food, buy it,'" she says.

Boyer cooks for clients three days a week, tailoring menus, grocery shopping, prepping meals in their homes, and packaging everything up. "My clients have a wide variety of restrictions, mainly being gluten-free, nut-free, sugar-free, salt-free, and oil-free," she says. She finds these dietary puzzles enjoyable: "It keeps me on my toes," she says. "I get to be creative in finding new ways to substitute for ingredients they can't have while still staying true to my menu item."

But there are challenges. As a strictly plant-based chef, Boyer has turned down requests to cook meat: "It’s happened a few times and I always stand my ground and say, 'No way!'" She says sacrificing her ethics and values for a job is something she’ll never do—she hasn’t cooked meat since she was 12.

Beitchman started with high-end fare, but her clients asked her to stop. "They told me they wanted comfort food," she says. "They wanted the food they would expect at home because all they did was eat out in these fancy restaurants or go to galas, and everything was super rich." Beitchman brought her plant-forward background to the table, sourcing from the local community.

Meehan riffs on his clients’ preferred proteins, but chicken Parmesan and chocolate cake are musts for events, and his sourdough bread is a hit.

"I’ve become very close with the family [I work for] and their extended family, which I know isn’t always the case," Doe says.

"The family was always very generous with me," Beitchman says. "And, they didn’t like me doting on them. Whenever I wasn’t preparing food or a meal, they wanted me to make myself at home in a way. They encouraged me to take advantage of the environment, to get to know the area."

"Cooking for someone in general is so personal, but going into their home weekly or even monthly is a special experience," Boyer explains. "I have long-term clients from over a decade ago that I still keep in contact with, and always hope to—deep bonds have been formed."

Boyer advocates for work-life balance and typically leaves her phone on "do not disturb." "I truly need to disconnect to decompress and unwind," she says, whether it’s salt baths, red light therapy, hiking, or "kitty snuggles."

Beitchman says being a private chef means having a good attitude. "And you can only be that if you’re well-slept, rested, and you know how to control your stress—you’re resilient," she says. "It can be a lonely life for newbies."

Meehan says the hardest part is being away from his husband and dog, Odie, during those summer months in the Hamptons. "I’m away from my family. I’m away from my routine," Meehan says, noting that his hosts are extremely accommodating, inviting his partner and friends for a weekend stay. "There’s just something about not seeing your husband, not seeing your dog—it’s tough on anyone." Still, he’s proud of the career and work-life balance he’s built.

And many chefs find the job itself rewarding. "I’m surprised at how much personal satisfaction I get from it," Cheatham says. I didn’t think that it would be this rewarding, and I didn’t think I’d have this much creative freedom. I actually find myself looking forward to what I’m going to cook tomorrow."