Cooking Without Recipes & Living Without Limits with Makenna Held

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In this flavorful and fearless episode, Tracy Spears sits down with culinary entrepreneur Makenna Held, the powerhouse behind the Courageous Cooking School and the bold new platform Recipe Kick. Makenna opens up about her extraordinary leap of faith—buying Julia Child’s summer home, La Pitchoune, sight unseen—and the revolutionary path she’s carved in the world of food since. 

From embracing recipe-free cooking to redefining the culinary classroom, Makenna shares how creativity, courage, and criticism have shaped her journey. She reveals the magic (and madness) behind running an immersive cooking school in the South of France, the challenges of building a sustainable food business, and the pressure of being tethered to Julia Child’s legacy. 

Get ready for a refreshingly honest conversation about what it takes to cook, live, and lead on your own terms. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

• Why Makenna bought Julia Child’s home without ever seeing it
• How a movie (The Hundred-Foot Journey) inspired her life-altering move to France
• The philosophy behind her recipe-free approach to cooking
• What it’s like to run a cooking school inside a culinary icon’s home
• The deeper meaning behind The Courageous Cooking School
• How Recipe Kick is shifting the future of food education
• The unexpected impact (and pitfalls) of fame and TV exposure
• Why sustainable business models are essential 
• How Makenna is building a legacy of culinary creativity and personal empowerment

00:00 Introduction to Makenna Held and La Pitchoune
02:52 The Journey to France and Buying Julia Child's Home
06:01 Risk-Taking and Culinary Aspirations
08:57 The Courageous Cooking School Experience
11:53 Immersive Culinary Experiences and Cooking Philosophy
14:51 Recipe-Free Cooking and Creativity
17:58 The Evolution of Recipe Kick
20:47 The Cookbook and Culinary Education
29:24 The Spirit of Julia Child
30:43 Sustainable Business Models in Culinary Education
31:51 The Journey to Television Stardom
32:49 Navigating Fame and Criticism
40:03 Future Aspirations and Business Shifts
47:04 Defining Legacy Beyond Julia Child
51:54 Looking Ahead: New Ventures and Opportunities
 

Connect with Makenna

Instagram
@makennaheld @recipekick.tv @lapeetchfr

https://okay-perfect.com/

See Makenna on Tour: MakennaHeld.com

Connect with Tracy

Instagram @tracylspears 

TikTok @tracyspearsspeaker

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