A Recipe for Success

Mise en place.

In the cooking world, this French phrase is learned early. Meaning “everything is in its place,” the words speak to the necessary preparation chefs face as they embark on their next journey in the kitchen. Is everything in its place before you begin? Have you planned for what problems may arise? Are you ready for what comes next?

These three words, mise en place, are tattooed on Chef Brother Luck’s forearm, and they’ve become a recipe for his life in and out of the kitchen. Brother—and, yes, his real first name is Brother—has clung to this spirit of readiness as he has forged his path from the bottom to the top of his industry: from being a celebrity television chef to Colorado Springs restaurant owner to public speaker and author.

“It’s more than my cooking station, restaurant or menu,” Brother said. “Before I start any project, I ask myself—am I ready? Have I done my prep? Am I efficient, organized, clean? And then I can begin something.”

Brother’s own beginnings started in San Francisco, where food was a focal point of his childhood. With Cajun and Creole heritage, soul food was inherent to his family’s culture as he watched his parents create a home through the kitchen.

However, when Brother’s father passed away, everything changed. His mother was lost in her grief, and, at ten years old, he found himself growing up on the urban streets. “I did a lot of things that I’m not proud of today, but it’s a part of who I am, not who I have to become,” Brother said. “I fought my way out of it and survived.”

After moving to Arizona as a teenager, Brother started to gravitate back towards the kitchen. He joined a vocational culinary program called Metro Tech in Phoenix where he discovered new skills and a dream for the future—to become a chef. “I figured I’d meet girls and get to eat free lunch,” he said, laughing. “I walked away with a career and found something in culinary that saved my life.”

Brother went on to earn a full ride to culinary school through a cooking competition, and he hasn’t picked his head up off a cutting board since. His professional career has flourished, starring on popular cooking shows such as Top Chef, Chopped, and Beat Bobby Flay, and earning a James Beard nomination. He’s also started his own restaurants—including Four and Eleven18 in Colorado Springs, where he has lived since 2013.

“I started as a dishwasher, and worked my way up through every position,” he said. “It’s been a journey. At this point, I don’t really put titles on what I do. I’m a chef through and through, but I’m also a published author, keynote speaker, consultant, television personality, entrepreneur, and DJ. I’m a little bit of everything. No one puts Brother in a corner.”

Brother’s origins—experiencing pain and beauty throughout the entirety of his journey—has not only inspired his cooking but given him a passion and platform to speak about mental health. In 2022, he published his memoir, No Lucks Given: Life Is Hard but There Is Hope, which he wrote as a way to process his own story as an at-risk teenager, looking at those who helped him along the way, and inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences.

“I didn’t realize how broken I was as a person until I started uncovering these wounds that hadn’t healed,” Brother said. “Writing a story about my own journey and the influence of my mentors helped me better understand myself, which is why I advocate so hard for mental health.”

Now, Brother has spread his reach to the public speaking sphere. A keynote speaker for events in both Colorado Springs and around the nation, he talks about depression, suicide, anxiety, and fear, reminding others that they are not alone. In his messages, he relates mental health struggles to cooking metaphors and principles, such as pressure and discipline, often while offering a cooking demonstration.

Beyond the stage, Brother utilizes his networks through the city food scene to be more involved in the Colorado Springs community. Working with organizations like Homeward Pikes Peak, a nonprofit that empowers individuals and families to access stable housing and increase mental health and economic stability, his vision is to uplift and encourage those struggling in the city and spread awareness.

“I’m an advocate that has access to a lot of people because I network, and my responsibility to the city is to speak up for the voices that don’t have those same connections and opportunities that I have,” Brother said. “I’m trying to reach people and be a catalyst to something much bigger than myself.”

For Brother, there are no problems that solutions can’t be written for. His journey is one of hard work, preparation, and experimentation, seasoned with trial, and sweetened with success. As he shares his experience and champions those with similar stories, the three words tattooed on his arm are both a reminder to himself and an inspiration to others—everything is in its place, after all.

“I’ve come from nothing and built something, and that story resonates with people,” he said. “Your past doesn’t have to define who you are. Everything comes down to a good plan, a good recipe. And tell me, who better to teach you a recipe than a chef?”