“This personal chef life is nothing to play with. People look at it from the outside looking in, and of course you look at Instagram, but you have no idea what’s going on. You see the shine, but you just don’t see the grind.” Ingraham works hard at his craft, and the hustle never stops. Looking back over his life, several themes emerge: adaptability, ingenuity, and resiliency. Yet, none of this would have been possible without Ingraham’s relentless dedication to whatever he pursues.
Unlike other high-profile chefs, Ingraham didn’t hone his work ethic in elite restaurants. He credits his parents and the world of music. After playing the tuba in middle school and high school, things dramatically changed for him when he joined the incomparable Marching 100 band at Florida A&M University where showmanship and musical ability are equally valued. “I took it to a whole ‘nother level, because every single day, I wanted to quit,” Ingraham emphasized. “Every single day. But I just knew that if I persisted, I would be successful. And in being selected to be in such a prestigious band like that, I knew that hard work is what got me there, and what kept me there as long as I was.” He still draws strength from that experience.
Yet, Ingraham chose hairstyling as his profession rather than music, and he was quite good at it. After hairstyling in Miami for several years, Ingraham and his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia. There he pivoted again and enrolled in the culinary arts program at the Art Institute of Atlanta. After graduating and cooking professionally for a time, Ingraham moved to Miami and became a culinary arts instructor at a homeless shelter, and later at a couple of local high schools.
Ingraham is a case study of the constant hustle. In addition to maintaining the full, and sometimes hectic schedule, of being the Wades’ private chef, Ingraham started a company called “ChefRLI.” The company connects private chefs with athletes and entertainers across the country. He’s also written a book, Eating Well to Win which shows its readers how to eat healthy and keep the flavor. Ingraham continues to implement this cooking philosophy for the Wades. “Because if they gained weight, or they’re not looking the way that they want to look for a photo shoot or something, now I have to work even harder to get that weight off of them.” Ingraham elaborated, “So, I have to kind of… Even though it’s great for me when they want to splurge, because I can just get as creative as I want to be and it’s so fun, but I have to be able to reel myself in as well and remember that: ‘Hey, listen. You put those pounds on, you’re going to be responsible for taking them off.’ And it’s harder to take them off than to put them on. Believe me.”
Ingraham has certainly hit his stride professionally, and in the kitchen, he stays in the groove by returning to his first love before food: music. “If you like listening to music like me, whenever I get ready to start cooking, and my family they hear that music going, they’re like, ‘Oh boy. It’s about to go down. He’s kind of doing something.’ You know what I mean?” Yes, chef, yes, we do.
