SHARPEN

The Industry’s Premier 2-Day Intensive for Culinary Leaders and Their Teams

 

Chef Deb Coaching | SHARPEN
[ WHO SHARPEN IS FOR ]

For Culinary Business Owners Ready to Build What Comes Next

You’ve built a business — but it doesn’t feel as stable, scalable, or sustainable as you want it to be.

SHARPEN is designed for culinary business owners who:
  • Want more consistent income and stronger cash flow, not just busy seasons followed by stress
  • Are unsure where their next clients are coming from or how to find them reliably
  • Feel stuck managing everything themselves and want a business that doesn’t run them
  • Are struggling to hire, train, or grow a dependable team
  • Want to shift from operator to leader and build a team-led company
  • Need clearer direction, stronger foundations, and confident decision-making as they grow

This is for owners who know they’re capable of more — they just need the structure, strategy, and support to get there.

[ WHAT MAKES SHARPEN DIFFERENT ]

Strategic. Immersive. Proven.

For over 10 years, SHARPEN has been built by a culinary business owner, for culinary business owners — not consultants guessing from the outside.

  • Real-time coaching with Chef Deb, grounded in real-world experience running and growing culinary businesses
  • A decade of refinement and results, with every workshop shaped by what actually works
  • An immersive, small-group experience with guided breakout sessions, allowing for hands-on work, discussion, and personalized feedback
  • Strategic sessions focused on real industry challenges led by Deb and other leading industry experts, including hiring and managing employees, increasing revenue and cash flow, finding and retaining clients, and building systems that support growth
  • A room of owners who think like CEOs, committed to building sustainable, team-led businesses — not side hustles
  • A customized action plan you can implement immediately, so you leave with clarity, priorities, and next steps — not just ideas
Chef Deb Coaching | SHARPEN
Chef Deb Coaching | SHARPEN | What You'll Experience

What You'll Experience

Day 1: Strategic Foundations

What's Included:
  • Clarifying what’s working + what’s blocking growth

  • Brand + business refinement

  • Operational systems that eliminate chaos

  • Leadership development grounded in real behavioral patterns

  • High-level teaching + tactical frameworks

  • CEO hot seats / group collaboration

Two Days. One Transformative Trajectory.

Day 2: Acceleration + Action Planning

What's Included:
  • Vision and growth mapping
  • Packaging revenue lines for profitability
  • Team + hiring strategies
  • Real-world problem solving
  • Breakthrough coaching from Chef Deb
  • Your 12-month roadmap finalized
Chef Deb Coaching | SHARPEN | What You'll Leave With

What You'll Leave With

This is the clarity most culinary business owners try to find alone — and rarely do.

What's Included:
  • A prioritized, custom strategic plan built specifically for your business — so you know exactly what to focus on first, next, and later

  • Clear positioning and direction that helps you attract the right clients and opportunities (and say no to the wrong ones)

  • Practical systems for team, operations, and delivery that support consistent income and healthier cash flow

  • A shift from behind the stove to CEO — moving out of daily firefighting and into true leadership

  • Renewed confidence in your ability to grow sustainably without burning out or doing everything yourself

  • A trusted network of peers who understand your challenges and continue to support you long after SHARPEN ends

  • A reset in how you think, decide, and lead, giving you clarity instead of constant second-guessing

[ EVENT DETAILS ]

The 11th Annual SHARPEN

Chef Deb Advisory | ELEVATE
January 1/28–1/29 of 2027

Fort Worth, Texas

2-day in-person intensive
Reserve Your Spot
Meet Chef Deb | From Kitchen Chaos to Clarity
[ about chef deb ]

Meet Your Coach

Chef Deb Cantrell is a culinary CEO, serial entrepreneur, award-winning coach, and #1 bestselling author who has spent 20+ years building, scaling, and advising food-based companies.

She's known for:
  • Her no-BS, straight-to-the-point coaching
  • Her ability to identify the holes in your operations and plug them seamlessly
  • Her industry authority and deep operational expertise
  • Helping owners build businesses that grow — without burning them out
[ the curated speakers ]

Meet Your Speakers

Becca Cooper Leebove

Becca Cooper Leebove

Marketing & Brand Strategist, Founder of ShuBu Creative Group, Becca is a nationally recognized branding expert with 22 years of experience leading high-impact marketing initiatives for organizations like Vail Resorts, Starz Entertainment, and culinary companies such as The Pickled Beet, Savor Culinary, and Homestyle Direct.
Kelly Lucente

Kelly Lucente

Brand Positioning Expert, with over 30 years of experience, 32 industry awards, and a unique blend of expertise in both branding and sales, Kelly Lucente is a transformative force in brand strategy. From leading hig-performing sales teams to guiding entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 brands, Kelly has perfected the art of positioning, differentiation, and sustainable growth.
Nichelle Craig

Nichelle Craig

Financial Strategist, Speaker, and Educator, Nichelle helps individuals, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders take control of their money and keep more of what they earn. She specializes in uncovering hidden money pits that quietly drain profits and potential, equipping clients with practical tools to reduce financial stress, improve cash flow, and maximize results.
Rachael Leventhal Garnet

Rachael Leventhal Garnet

She is one of the first globally AI-certified consultants and the founder of EaaS AI, a Fort Worth, Texas-based consultancy that helps small businesses and non-profits adopt AI without confusion or overwhelm. She's an educator, speaker, 4x international best-selling co-author, and recipient of the McKnight Tech 2025 Silver Innovator of the Year award for creating AI tools that work in the real world.

This Is Your Year to Lead at a Higher Level

If you’re ready for the next version of your business — and the next version of yourself — SHARPEN is where it starts.