Restaurant Leadership Podcast: Overcome Burnout, Embrace Freedom, and Drive Growth

007 : James Beard Award Winning Chef, Janos Wilder and Desert Ecologist, Ben Wilder talk about career transition and fulfillment

No Hesitations Podcast

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On this episode, Nick and I chat with Janos and Ben Wilder about the following:

1. Janos' Double James Beard Award Victory
2. Janos' Post-Pandemic Comeback Plan
3. Ben's Transition from the Kitchen to Desert Preservation Passion


Chef Janos Wilder boasts an impressive culinary career, having earned 12 James Beard award nominations and clinched the prestigious James Beard Award twice; once for Rising Star of American cuisine in 1990 and for Top Chef in the Southwest in 2000. 

Over the course of four decades, he has owned five restaurants, lent his expertise to numerous successful dining establishments as a consultant, and authored two acclaimed cookbooks.

Janos' national renown as a trailblazer and innovator in Southwest Cuisine is rooted in his unwavering passion for French culinary traditions and his commitment to utilizing locally sourced ingredients, both of which have been fundamental to his success.

Now, breaking his retirement, Janos embarks on an exciting new venture called Studio Janos, and today, he will share more about this exciting project.


Ben Wilder is a biogeographer, botanist, and desert ecologist whose research looks at the origin and future of the Sonoran Desert.

He is co-founder and Director of the Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers (N-Gen). His scientific and conservation efforts strive to combine multiple disciplines and perspectives to better understand and care for the desert that drives his passion.

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