Who?
Bill Haley, owner and CEO of Culinary Recovery
Where?
Anaheim, California
What?
In 2018, alongside his partner Danika Brysha, Haley toured with the women’s event circuit, “The Brunch Series.” He catered 66 private events for more than 2,500 women in home kitchens around the country while speaking to them about the benefits of nourishing food, self-care, and mindful masculinity. A former addict himself, his main focus now is his love for the recovery community. Together with Treehouse Recovery, Haley works to educate and change the way people in recovery eat and heal themselves.
My favorite thing about cooking is…
connecting with people through food. When I was 16, I had a dinner with an Italian family. There were 25 people there—23 of whom I didn’t know. For the first time I experienced not only multiple courses and conversations, but also the experience of dining with a family.
The most important lesson I’ve learned in life is…
to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
When I’m on the road, I entertain myself with…
music. Music is the one thing that connects me with everything, but it especially connects me with myself. It helps me connect to the rhythm of my life.
I maintain friendships by…
actively participating in them. It may sound simple but I make sure to connect with at least three to five of my closest friends daily.
My No. 1 app recommendation is…
Instagram. With a click of a button and a few mindful minutes, you can share health, recovery and hope with a massive number of people. To me, that is priceless.
When I need to relax, I like to…
cook—specifically with people. Cooking for me slows life down and gets me to enjoy the very small things.
The best advice I ever got was…
during my time in Treehouse Recovery! I was not only taught but shown the value and importance of human connection. I do that through food.
I maintain focus by…
deciding what’s important. I spent most of my life giving importance to things that were not helpful and not giving enough value to things that had the most value. I have discovered that it’s easy to stay focused when you know what you want.
My “aha” moment was…
when I realized food not only heals, but it connects. I also realized that I was uniquely fitted to facilitate this interaction. We all recover from something. When done so together, over some amazing food, the magic really happens.
Photo courtesy of Bill Haley
