We recently had the chance to connect with Casey Easton and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Casey, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I am most definitely doing both. I think there is a path I walk, but continuously wander, all while knowing the walking path is guiding me!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Casey Easton and I started Food Lab in Boulder in 2015, and now am open in Denvers Platt Park neighborhood with my eyes on more locations. Food Lab is a recreational cooking school and we curate cooking experiences for team builds, kids , camps and date nights. I started this concept after years of being a personal chef, knowing I wanted to be in this industry but not in a restaurant kitchen. I had our kitchen in my home designed to be able to teach classes in, and had my babysitter come and watch my daughter down in the basement while I taught classes. After I had my son, I realized this was not sustainable and began dreaming of what I could do bigger, so I started looking at real estate and going on trips to visit other cooking schools around the country. A business plan, business books, and a lot of starting and stopping (raising 2 kids), I signed a lease on Pearl Street in Boulder in 2014. I opened late 2015 and really was all growth and madness since. I signed the lease for Denver in 2024, with plans to open more in the next couple of years.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I am not sure the world has told me who to be, for good or bad! I have always done my thing, the way I wanted to do it. Which I consider an amazing asset and has gotten me where I am today and also a liability and has gotten me in some trouble.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
While suffering is a strong word, I would say maybe more mistakes or wrong choices? Which I think only these things can lead to true success. Resilience cannot be taught and lessons cannot be learned without suffering, mistakes and wrong choices. I have learned the most in my life, and in cooking, from doing the wrong thing, The lesson is to remember and only do that wrong thing once, learn and move on,
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Hopefully my kids and family! Its been a journey trying to balance it all, but I hope they see the work I do and appreciate it. Although they say their goals in life are to be nepo babies, so maybe I messed up. Hahaha. But my kids are my center and really help maintain clarity and whats important in life.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Im not sure if I was born to do this but I will say more people told me not to do this than to do this. A lot of people did not understand my vision, and did not think I would find success. Those people are the people who light my fire when I get down, make me remember to keep going, so I thank them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.foodlabinc.com
- Instagram: foodlabcolorado
- Linkedin: casey easton
- Facebook: Food Lab
Image Credits
mike thurk
