From Wall Street to Cupcakes: How She Built a 40-Location Kitchen Empire

In this inspiring and heartwarming conversation, Kevin Rice sits down with Jessi Walter Brelsford, founder and CEO of Taste Buds Kitchen, to explore how creativity, family, and grit shaped her path from Wall Street to building a beloved national culinary entertainment brand.

What began as a small weekend hobby class in New York City has grown into more than 40 franchise locations across the country, each one designed to bring people together through the joy of cooking. Jessi shares how her upbringing in a large, entrepreneurial family shaped her values, why she believes the kitchen is one of life’s greatest classrooms, and how she balances leading a fast-growing company with being a present mom of three.

Jessi also opens up about navigating COVID with newborn twins, building a culture rooted in joy and resilience, and the rituals that keep her grounded, like Survivor Night popcorn evenings and no-phone family time. Her story is a masterclass in leading with heart, grit, and intentionality at work and at home.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
• How Jessi scaled Taste Buds Kitchen from a side project to 40+ locations
• Practical ways to set boundaries and be fully present at home
• Why cooking together fosters creativity, confidence, and connection
• How rituals like Survivor Night create family belonging and joy
• The leadership tools Jessi uses to empower her team and franchisees
• How to pivot under pressure and find opportunity in hard seasons

Top takeaways:
• Joy is a strategy that makes people light up
• Presence beats perfection and makes small moments meaningful
• Grit wins by teaching kids and teams to keep going when it is hard
• Rituals build culture at home and in the workplace
• The kitchen is a classroom for empathy, creativity, and connection

About Jessi Walter Brelsford:
Jessi Walter Brelsford is the founder and CEO of Taste Buds Kitchen, a national culinary entertainment franchise offering cooking classes, camps, parties, and team-building events for all ages. A former Wall Street VP and Harvard graduate, Jessi built her business on the belief that food brings people together. She is a wife, mom of three, and passionate advocate for creating joy and connection, one meal, one memory, and one kitchen at a time.

00:00:00 Introduction and Context Setting
00:09:20 From Wall Street to Culinary Entrepreneurship
00:17:31 Evolving as a Leader
00:21:45 Balancing Work and Family Life
00:24:00 Embracing Family Time Over Technology
00:27:00 Cooking as a Family Bonding Experience
00:32:58 Intentionality in Family Rituals
00:37:48 Leadership Lessons from Parenthood
00:41:53 Navigating Challenges and Change