EP 25: An Unfolding Life Featuring Photographer, Textile Artist and Private Chef April Valencia

This week I’m chatting with April Valencia, a photographer, textile artist, sustainability consultant and private chef. She’s shot for Apiece Apart, Levi’s Made and Crafted, Sezane, Gjusta, among others, cooked for Yola Mezcal and the ICA in London, and she’s also on the board at the Elizabeth Street Garden in Manhattan. My dear friend Caroline Ventura introduced us because she knew I was heading to LA for three months and thought we’d enjoy meeting each other. What started as a leisurely meal in Venice, turned into a friendship, and I’m so excited to share this interview with April for what I believe is her first podcast interview. I wanted to speak with her because she’s had such a wide ranging, varied life - from being married at 21 and working at Trump Tower in New York, to losing her brother and finding herself alone in the jungle of the Yucatan, April’s life has shifted and evolved as she’s grown into herself.

Nature teaches us that the only permanence is change, and April’s journey feels in harmony with nature. It’s always changing, hard to define, and that’s precisely what makes it so vibrant and beautifully complex. Be sure to listen all the way to the end of this conversation because April shares an important perspective for anyone struggling with a chronic health condition, or simply anyone who feels overwhelmed by often conflicting and confusing health advice. With that, let’s get into my conversation with the wonderful April Valencia, who actually just celebrated her birthday on Monday. Enjoy!