23 Things I accomplished in 2023. Cheesy, I know, but I love it! You should know the drill by now! I’ve been doing this every year for the past 5+ years. It not only helps keep track of what I have accomplished (tracking towards my goals), but also helps me identify gaps and most importantly (and hopefully), inspires YOU ALL to reflect back on your year, your accomplishments and your life! I think we all are living in the rush of life day in and day out, and sometimes we can forget to take a step back and pat ourselves on the back. As I get older, my life comes more into perspective, starts to make a bit more sense and my changing perspective and clarity is helping me build my patience, set achievable goals and work smarter.

Also…what is SO wrong in bragging about accomplishing cool sh*t?! Pardon my French! I mean, what’s the point of working hard and towards your dreams if you can’t share it with the people you love! And needless to say, I love you all! And certainly couldn’t do ANY of this without you.

One MAJOR difference about 2023 is – this was my first FULL year ever as a full-time entrepreneur. I wasn’t juggling multiple careers as I had been for 12+ years, I am 100% self employed now and had to get my own health insurance (this sucks and you bet I’m going to write a whole other blog post on this!). For now, let’s celebrate our wins – however big or small! I hope this inspires you to share yours with your loved ones and to keep working hard! Set those goals, baby!

23 Things I Accomplished in 2023 by Chef Priyanka Naik:

(in no particular order – I tried to do it chronologically and then got bored LOL)

1. Completed my first full year as a solo entrepreneur/chef/author/TV personality
2. Launched my first ever natural, “Pri-Approved Vegan wine bundle” with The Waves, December 2023
3. Joined the City Harvest as a member of the prestigious Food Council consisting of top chefs and culinary leaders who are dedicated to supporting the mission of feeding NYC and minimizing food waste, up to 77 millions pounds a year. November 2023
4. Profiled in Reuters for the first time by Chris Taylor – Four steps to land your dream job, November 2023
5. Interviewed by The Guardian by Whitney Bauck – Recipe for disaster: how good cooking shows can be terrible for the planet, October 2023 
6. Hosted a Guest Chef pop-up dinner with Cafe Gratitude with executive Chef Dreux Ellis – LA’s most popular plant-based restaurant, October 2023  
7. Modeled for the first time for One/Of NYC as the first South Asian & Chef model for haute couture sustainable fashion label, October 2023
8. Became a TEDx speaker!!! 8 steps to living a more eco-friendly life TEDx SUNY Binghamton University, September 2023
9. Signed with Empty Quarter Studios Production company for original show development on Chef Priyanka, August 2023 
10. Google Creators, June 2023: Named Top 10 Asian American Creators  
11. Visited country number 42: Croatia and country number 43: Bulgaria, June 2023
12. First Business Insider Profile/Feature, May 2023: I got laid off by Twitter in November, but now I’m making six figures as a food influencer.
13. Sharjah UAE Book Festival, May 2023: I was the only chef from the U.S. and only vegan chef invited by the Sharjah UAE government to cook for their largest book festival
14. TOYOTA Commercial Star (first vegan & sustainable chef to star in their campaign for their first fully EV), May 2023: TOYOTA Commercial for fully electric bZ4X
15. Attended my first Coachella ever for WORK! Gave a talk at Global Inheritance on sustainability, a TOYOTA partnership & Tastemade partnership!
16. The Information – Creator Spotlight Feature, April 2023 The Ex-Twitter Employee Going Viral with Vegan Food
17. Hosted my first pop-up series with Maker’s Mark, March-April 2023
18. Contributed twice to the TODAY Show, making it 6X total:
    • November 2023: Among Top 20 Chefs for The Big Thanksgiving Show
    • April 2023: TODAY Show Earth Day Episode on The Plaza
19. Had my 2nd guest chef appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show: April 2023: The Kelly Clarkson Show Earth Day Episode
20. TEDx speaker, March 2023: 8 steps to living a more eco-friendly life TEDx SUNY Binghamton University
21. VegNews, profile/feature, February 2023: A Day in the Life With Chef Priyanka Naik
22. Launched my first ever merch! With proceeds going to charity Glio Leo. January 2023
23. Collaborated with the most talented chefs out there, including Chef Bae, No Way Jose, Eitan Bernath, Jessica Woo, Lorna Maseko, Harley’s Food Art and SO many more!
24. BONUS: Had my most viral video this year with nearly 14 million views – Limonada suíça Cocktail!

I can’t wait for 2024. There were many more things I wanted to accomplish in 2023, but rather feel bad or expend my energy on things that didn’t happen, I’d like to expend my energy on making those happen in 2024! I wouldn’t want to go through my life not having at leas tried. And I hope you do the same!

Happy New Year! xoxo