ATTENTION: For Professional Chefs Who Are Serious About Developing To Your Next Level...

High-Performance 
Chefs ​Aren't Born, ​
They're TRAINED.
Are you trying or are you training?
I help Professional Chefs achieve 
High-Performance results through 
strategic coaching & training.
High-Performance 
Chefs ​Aren't Born, ​
They're TRAINED.
Are you trying or are you training?
I help Professional Chefs achieve 
High-Performance results through 
strategic coaching & training.
No More Figuring It Out On Your Own
work smarter, achieve your goals faster
Chefs waste years of time and money "figuring it out" on their own.

​I know, I've been there. That's why I created Legit Concepts.

To help Chefs improve the quality of their lives by sharing my tools, systems and tactics that I've developed over 3 decades of becoming a Master of the Craft.

High-Performance Chefs aren’t born, they’re Trained. This has become my motto, my slogan. 

It’s really easy to think that people just have natural talent, to think that everything just goes right.

Quite honestly. I’ve spent a lot of my career failing my way forward. Making mistakes. Starting over. 

There’s a lot of things that I’ve done wrong and there’s a lot of things that I’ve done right. 

But the right comes after doing something wrong a few times. 

I am where I am because of the mentors I’ve worked with. Because of the coaches I’ve worked with. Because of my effort, energy, discipline and dedication. 

That’s why my slogan is what it is. 

That’s the level of training that I’m talking about and that’s why I do what I do.

I’m here to share those lessons with you.
No More Figuring It Out On Your Own
work smarter, achieve your goals faster
Chefs waste years of time and money "figuring it out" on their own.

​I know, I've been there. That's why I created Legit Concepts.

To help Chefs improve the quality of their lives by sharing my tools, systems and tactics that I've developed over 3 decades of becoming a Master of the Craft.

High-Performance Chefs aren’t born, they’re Trained. This has become my motto, my slogan. 

It’s really easy to think that people just have natural talent, to think that everything just goes right.

Quite honestly. I’ve spent a lot of my career failing my way forward. Making mistakes. Starting over. 

There’s a lot of things that I’ve done wrong and there’s a lot of things that I’ve done right. 

But the right comes after doing something wrong a few times. 

I am where I am because of the mentors I’ve worked with. Because of the coaches I’ve worked with. Because of my effort, energy, discipline and dedication. 

That’s why my slogan is what it is. 

That’s the level of training that I’m talking about.And that’s why I do what I do.

I’m here to share those lessons with you.

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Meet Gerald L. Ford, CMC

Founder of Legit Concepts & Mastery Coach

​One of 73 Certified Master Chefs and former Captain of the National Culinary Team USA, Chef Ford had stops in Michelin Starred Restaurants, The Moulin de Mougins and Eleven Madison Park. Over his career, Master Chef Ford has established himself as a professional who is focused, driven, innovative and organized beyond obsessive.

During his 30 years in the food service industry, Master Chef Ford was part of the opening team at The Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle, NYC. He also served as part of the opening team of several restaurants in New York State and worked for the Four Seasons & Ritz Carlton Hotel Companies. For the last thirteen years he has been working in Platinum-Level Private Clubs in the role of Executive Chef, Culinary Director, Executive Sous Chef & Sous Chef.

​Earning medals at the highest level of international competition and the Culinary Olympics, Chef Ford has proven his resourcefulness and honed his leadership, leading and developing the best chefs in the world.

Master Chef Ford's Journey

Something I always say is, "It’s not about being gifted or naturally talented, it’s about hard work, dedication, commitment & decision."

I grew up in Dearborn, Michigan with a family that was very food centric, German- Polish. When I was only about 12 years old, my mom started looking into cooking classes to keep me busy. 

Because of that, I had an opportunity to watch a Certified Master Chef, Chef Ed Janos, cook at Henry Ford College.

He roasted a chicken, cooked some mashed potatoes, and green beans. After I watched him cook, I knew that that was what I wanted to be when I grew up.

A Certified Master Chef. I wanted to be like that guy. 

He was witty and intelligent and he just flowed seamlessly in the kitchen from one thing to the next. A true master in the kitchen. 

So I spent the next 25 years of my life working towards that. And that guided my every decision. I went to the Culinary Institute of America and made it a point to work for Master Chefs along the way.

Knowing that I wanted to become a Certified Master Chef, I created a filter for my life which was a simple question: “Is this going to get me closer to becoming a Certified Master Chef or is this project going to get me further away from it?”

Asking that question along the way and filtering all opportunities through that question led me down a really amazing path. 

I had big goals.

Become a Certified Master Chef, compete at Bocuse d'Or, compete at the Culinary Olympics, and now become an entrepreneur and coach and train Chefs who are looking for greatness. 

Without a true solid plan for where you want to go, you're never going to get there. So my question to you is, where are you going? 

If you know, I'd be honored to go on your journey with you. 

- Gerald Ford

Master Chef Ford's Journey

Something I always say is, "It’s not about being gifted or naturally talented, it’s about hard work, dedication, commitment & decision."

I grew up in Dearborn, Michigan with a family that was very food centric, German- Polish. When I was only about 12 years old, my mom started looking into cooking classes to keep me busy. 

Because of that, I had an opportunity to watch a Certified Master Chef, Chef Ed Janos, cook at Henry Ford College.

He roasted a chicken, cooked some mashed potatoes, and green beans. After I watched him cook, I knew that that was what I wanted to be when I grew up.

A Certified Master Chef. I wanted to be like that guy. 

He was witty and intelligent and he just flowed seamlessly in the kitchen from one thing to the next. A true master in the kitchen. 

So I spent the next 25 years of my life working towards that. And that guided my every decision. I went to the Culinary Institute of America and made it a point to work for Master Chefs along the way.

Knowing that I wanted to become a Certified Master Chef, I created a filter for my life which was a simple question: “Is this going to get me closer to becoming a Certified Master Chef or is this project going to get me further away from it?”

Asking that question along the way and filtering all opportunities through that question led me down a really amazing path. 

I had big goals.

Become a Certified Master Chef, compete at Bocuse d'Or, compete at the Culinary Olympics, and now become an entrepreneur and coach and train Chefs who are looking for greatness. 

Without a true solid plan for where you want to go, you're never going to get there. So my question to you is, where are you going? 

If you know, I'd be honored to go on your journey with you. 

- Gerald Ford

Work With Master Chef Ford:

Culinary Mastery Coaching

One on One Coaching

Culinary Mastery Coaching to Achieve Your Goals Faster!

Culinary Growth & Development Live

Monthly Subscription

Advanced Demos & Lessons for Professional Chefs.

What Chefs Are Saying:

Chef Gerald Ford, CMC provides awesome educational material and puts you on the right path to success. I strongly recommend using his services. You will not get anything close anywhere else. He is an awesome mentor, career coach and master chef! 

- Chef Alex Darvishi

Chef Gerald Ford will help work with your personality by understanding your strengths and weaknesses, help create systems, give appropriate advice, and navigate a road map to success.

- Chef Geo Lanez

Chef expertly clarifies what is most important in building & growing professionalism, reinforces the importance of working toward perfect technique, drives the discipline of ongoing & focused learning, and never loses sight of the value of service to others through teaching and mentoring. “INVALUABLE” is the word I use when I describe my experiences with Master Chef Gerald Ford.  

- Chef John Miller, CEC, CCA

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"The mastery of the craft requires the mastery of the self."
- Gerald L. Ford, CMC

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