Summary
In this episode of Maps Are Dead, Mike Dauphinee sits down with Michelin-starred chef Erin Sykes to explore resilience, grit, and redefining success in high-performance environments. Erin shares her unlikely path into fine dining, starting at 25, fighting to be taken seriously, and eventually becoming the only female Michelin-starred chef in Denmark this year. They dive into the mental toll of failure, the balance of motherhood and leadership, and what it takes to keep moving when critics doubt you. Erin’s story shows that resilience isn’t about never falling, it’s about standing back up, again and again.
About Erin Sykes
(Communication Competition Significance Command Activator)
From catching crayfish in the North Carolina streams to becoming a Michelin head chef, Erin’s journey has been anything but usual. All the way from childhood she has fond memories around food, of lobster diving in Miami and baking key lime pies with her Grandma Jane, but didn’t imagine it would lead to a culinary career.
At 21 she left the US and lived in Ecuador and India before landing in Denmark to take her master’s degree. Out of pure luck she got a job in a cafe kitchen to pay for her degree and ended up falling in love with the challenge, creativity and passion the work demanded.
From perfecting techniques with fish and shellfish at Kødbyens Fiskebar to learning details and flavors at 2 star Michelin restaurant AOC, Erin has now become the only current female head chef of a Michelin restaurant in Denmark. Erin has led the team at restaurant Texture in Copenhagen since it’s opening in 2024 with the owner, Karim Khouani. For Erin this is only the start of more adventures and excitement to come.
Learn more about Erin
https://www.instagram.com/erin_sykes?igsh=MWl1dTNwMW1zbTF3aQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Takeaways
Success isn’t defined by age or timing, it’s defined by willingness.
Resilience is letting failure sting for a moment, then letting it go.
Balancing motherhood and high-performance leadership is possible.
Critics don’t define you. Your response to them does.
Mentorship and community accelerate growth.
Daily routines and discipline create long-term excellence.
Courage is moving forward without a guarantee.
Sound bites
“Failure creates emotional inebriation. How long do you want to stay drunk?”
“I started cooking at 25. That didn’t stop me.”
“Resilience isn’t fearlessness. It’s the willingness to keep showing up.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Erin’s Unlikely Start
04:10 Late Beginnings: From 25 to Professional Kitchen
09:42 Facing Failure and Pushing Forward
15:21 The Role of Mentorship and Community
20:36 Balancing Motherhood and Michelin Standards
26:15 Critics, Doubt, and Redefining Success
33:00 Resilience as a Daily Practice
40:22 From Fear to Courage: Leading with Clarity
47:18 Building Legacy Through Food and Leadership
