How Chef Maira Isabel Morales Cooked Up A Recipe For Success

Maira Isabel Morales first fell in love with food while visiting family in Venezuela. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, it was a trip she made every summer since the age of 10. While there, she would spend the warm afternoons in her great aunt’s kitchen, watching closely as she effortlessly cooked traditional dishes like arepas—a food made of ground maize dough.

“Those were some of the best years of my life. My great aunt taught me everything I know about cooking. It was very special to me to feel the energy and passion that came out of her kitchen,” Morales said. “I learned how food can be art. Ingredients by themselves are nothing, and out of the blue, you get this crazy, magical thing when you start playing with them.”

This was only the beginning of Morales’ journey with food. During the 1980s, she moved to Boston to attend art school, but after a year into the program, she realized that it wasn’t the path she envisioned for herself. So she headed down the road to Providence, Rhode Island, where she enrolled in culinary arts classes at Johnson and Wales University. Hungry for more, she went back to school in 1995, where she worked to earn a degree in food and beverage management, before heading back to Washington D.C., to earn her bachelor’s degree in business. After a brief stint working in Miami, she headed back home to Puerto Rico, where she once again went back to school—this time for an MBA program at the University of Phoenix.  

Eager to put her hard work and expertise to good use, Morales started cold calling local magazines, inquiring about placing an ad for her culinary consulting services. It was an offer she received while calling one high-end magazine that would ultimately chart the course for the rest of her life: rather than agreeing to place an ad, the woman instead wanted to introduce Morales to her best friend, who was a producer looking for a fresh face to front a new cooking show.

She was featured in that cooking show for two years before appearing on another one on Univision Puerto Rico for two more. Her charm, energy and passion made a big impression, and she was later approached by Telemundo to be featured on yet another cooking show. But this time, it would be shot live from Puerto Rico and broadcast internationally.

“That was a big moment for me. This show would be on TVs throughout 26 countries in Latin America and from coast to cast in the United States,” Morales said. “Of course, I was terrified. But it was incredible to look at this life where I could share my passion for food with thousands and thousands of people. I felt deeply blessed.”

During that time, Morales published her first book, Gourmet Para Todos Los Dias, which topped the charts in Puerto Rico. She appeared on an episode of “Bizarre Foods.” She opened up her own restaurant in Puerto Rico called Guava Restaurant. She worked as the executive chef at Disney World Golf Courses. And she’s participated in food and wine festivals alongside renowned chefs like Tom Colicchio.

The list of life accomplishments that Morales has achieved over the past 20 years could go on and on. But perhaps no other milestone was more significant than her current endeavor—serving as the corporate executive chef for FOCUS Brands and Schlotzsky’s. Morales has held that role since 2015. And it’s a position that she never thought she’d have a fighting chance of earning.

“I remember being at the airport when I received a call telling me that I got the job. It was a dream. I was so happy that I couldn’t help but cry. I cried so hard in front of TSA that they even came up to me to ask if I was OK,” Morales jokes. “Coming into this very male dominated industry both as a woman and as a Hispanic, I was worried that so many things were working against me. Getting that phone call was really one of the best and proudest moments of my life.”

Morales believes that the stereotype that women aren’t as strong; as capable; or as educated as men often holds them back. But the key, Morales says, is to know your worth—and to not be afraid to flaunt it.

“If there’s one thing I learned over the years, it’s that you can’t let other people bring you down. People told me I was crazy for writing a book. They told me I couldn’t be a chef because I looked a certain way or my background was different than most. Whatever you do—don’t listen to them. Take pride in what you do and who you are. Be bold. And never give up. We’re all deserving of incredible opportunities and happiness.”

That advice has paid off in a big way for Morales. Today, she’s found success in her dream job by simply being herself—and she’s inspired hundreds of other people along the way to do the same.

“Just be a good person. People tell me all the time that they can picture me in the kitchen smiling as I’m cooking. That means the world to me,” Morales said. “I truly believe that the best way to make a difference in this world is to first be happy with yourself—and to spread that energy to every person you meet and into everything you do.”