In Part 2 of Confessions: Beyond the Food, the conversation shifts from winning… to what it takes to sustain it.

After early success, the real test isn’t talent — it’s leadership, discipline, and how you show up when people are counting on you.

Preston Nguyen opens up about what it’s like leading in high-pressure environments — from running kitchens at international music festivals to working alongside chefs from different cultures where systems, expectations, and communication all change.

We talk about the reality behind “success”:

• The pressure that comes with it
• The responsibility of leading teams older and more experienced than you
• The discipline it takes to stay grounded when everything is moving fast
• Leading high-performance kitchens under pressure
• Cooking for VIP guests at international festivals
• Adapting to different cultures and kitchen systems
• The hidden pressure of early success
• Treating staff with respect in a high-stress industry
• Blending old-school discipline with modern leadership
• Staying grounded through faith and family

Preston also shares his approach to leadership — blending old-school standards with a new-school mindset, treating staff with respect, embracing criticism, and constantly pushing himself to grow.

For him, success isn’t just about winning.

It’s about staying rooted in what matters:
Faith.
Family.
And creating a real hospitality experience — for both guests and the people beside you.

This episode is about character, growth, and what it actually takes to lead at a high level.

At 18, Preston Nguyen didn’t plan on competing in the World Food Championships.

He was going to volunteer.

Instead, a last-minute opportunity put him in the competition — alongside his parents — going up against chefs with decades more experience… and they walked away as Rookie of the Year.

In Part 1 of Confessions: Beyond the Food, Preston shares how everything changed — from a COVID pivot into cooking, to winning Rookie of the Year, to stepping onto Next Level Chef at just 19.

This episode is about what happens when success hits early — and the pressure that comes with it.

In this episode, we cover:

• Growing up around family restaurants — but planning a future in architecture
• The COVID pivot that changed everything
• Getting a last-minute “golden ticket” into the World Food Championships
• Winning Rookie of the Year at 18 — and the pressure that followed
• Catching and cooking his own fish (despite a childhood trauma)
• Using TikTok to solve a high-level culinary challenge
• What Next Level Chef is really like behind the scenes
• The pressure of performing with cameras on and no second chances

AI isn’t the barrier in distribution.

Culture is.

In this episode of Confessions Beyond the Food, Nancy sits down with Ian Heller — AI expert and Chief Strategy Officer at Distribution Strategy Group — to explore what’s really slowing adoption across foodservice, sales, and manufacturing.

They unpack:

• Why this AI shift is fundamentally different from past technology cycles
• The growing gap between leadership urgency and frontline skepticism
• How AI challenges the traditional identity of the sales rep
• The fears reps don’t openly admit — from exposure to irrelevance
• Why “AI isn’t accurate” may be more about control than data
• The leadership mistakes that stall real adoption
• How culture quietly overrides strategy inside organizations

This conversation goes beyond technology — into trust, identity, and the uncomfortable truths shaping the future of distribution.

Learn more about Applied AI for Distributors here: https://appliedaifordistributors.com/speakers/