skip to main content
Trillis Rollins
Trillis Rollins
01:24

Trillis Rollins

Peach's Restaurant

Chicago, IL USA

"If you can stay just one step ahead of yourself, then you can catch all of your mistakes before they even happen."

Career Roadmap

Trillis's work combines: Food, Art, and Being Creative

See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.

Take Roadmap Quiz

Day In The Life

Executive Chef

I am the lead chef at Peach's Restaurant in Chicago, Illinois.

My Day to Day

I come into the restaurant, make the coffee, and then make sure all of the equipment and inventory is set and ready to open that day. I set the tone for the day as my employees all come in to work. I make sure everyone is comfortable and ready to work. Then, the rest of my day revolves around managing the restaurant and putting out any "fires" that may happen throughout the day.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

I went to school for graphic design. Everyone knew me as an artist. I was the person everyone called if they needed an art project completed. When I decided to stay in the restaurant industry and become a chef, everyone was confused. However, I had made it my goal to merge my artistic abilities with my interest in becoming a chef. People may not have understood that possibility at the beginning, but now it's apparent that working in this industry has really allowed me to showcase my abilities.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Graphic Design

    Robert Morris University Illinois

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    I went to college for graphic design and graduated in 2008—this was right in the middle of a recession, so it was very difficult for me to find a job.

  • 2.

    I got a job as a dishwasher in a restaurant.

  • 3.

    I began to see that there were opportunities to utilize my artistic abilities in the restaurant industry—I made it my goal to find a way to merge those two interests as I worked my way up.

  • 4.

    I moved on from dishwashing to working in the kitchen as a prep cook, and then worked my way up to line cook.

  • 5.

    I was eventually promoted to sous chef—it was very unexpected, but one of the best moments of my life because I was being recognized as a leader within the company for all of my hard work.

  • 6.

    After another promotion, I currently work as the executive chef at Peach’s Restaurant in Chicago, Illinois.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Peers:

    What are you doing? I thought you were an artist. You're becoming a chef now? What does that even look like?

  • How I responded:

    I went to school for graphic design. Everyone knew me as an artist. I was the person everyone called if they needed an art project completed. When I decided to stay in the restaurant industry and become a chef, everyone was confused. However, I had made it my goal to merge my artistic abilities with my interest in becoming a chef. People may not have understood that possibility at the beginning, but now it's apparent that working in this industry has really allowed me to showcase my abilities.

Related Leaders

No related leaders found