Who’s Really in Your Kitchen?

The 6 Food Safety Archetypes—and How to Lead from Where You Are

At The Paperwork Chef, we don’t just teach food safety, we teach food business transformation.

Over the years, I’ve worked with everyone from pop-up vendors to corporate VPs, and I

started noticing patterns: the same types of entrepreneurs/leaders kept showing up with the same strengths, gaps, and mindsets. I’ve been in many food roles; inspector, quality manager, baker, coach, and cleaning crew, if needed. And let me tell you something: how we show up in the kitchen says a lot about how we lead in business.

Some of us are out here freestyling with flavor and hoping the paperwork keeps up. Others are laminating logbooks and color-coding schedules. And most of us? We’re somewhere in between doing our best but maybe not always sure what’s next. Different menus, different zip codes… but some of the same patterns and habits. So of course, I pulled some thoughts together and created these six Food Safety Archetypes.

Do any of them fit? Do you see yourself? Who is missing?

1. The Hustling Hero “I’m out here doing it all—what’s an SOP?”

You're talented. You’re resourceful. You make it work with what you’ve got. But food safety lives in your head and your hands... not your documents.

Core Need: Basic systems, checklists, and understanding of what must be documented.

Action Step: Start with a food safety checklist and a one-page SOP for prep or sanitation.

2. The Accidental CEO “I didn’t plan to grow this fast…”

You started small, now you’re in demand and your business is outgrowing your current setup. You’re trying to manage people, permits, and inspections while still cooking.

Core Need: Delegation, documentation, and structure.

Action Step: Use tools like The Ultimate Food Vendor Planner to build your FSMS-in-progress or book a Coaching Sprint with The Paperwork Chef to knock out your top 3 systems this week.

3. The Risk-Taker “They’ve never caught me, so I must be good.”

You’re selling food with little to no permits, training, or documentation. Maybe it’s a side hustle. Maybe it’s survival. But deep down, you know you’re not protected.

Core Need: Legal compliance and a real plan.

Action Step: Register your business, get a cottage food or commissary plan in place, and take your food handler course this week. Let’s get you legal.

4. The Clean Machine “My setup stays clean. But I don’t know what the law says.”

You’re big on cleanliness and presentation. You might even pass an inspection visually, but if asked for your SOPs, you’ll panic.

Core Need: Training on regulations and documentation.

Action Step: Take a certified Food Protection Manager course and start writing one SOP a week for your operation.

5. The Systems Thinker “I’ve got logs, plans, and a staff who follows them.”

You understand food safety is more than temperature, it’s culture. You’ve built systems, but now you’re leading others and want to scale or audit your compliance.

Core Need: Ongoing checks, professional development, and leadership support.

Action Step: Book a coach/consult package for bi-weekly guidance or schedule a compliance audit to keep your systems tight as you grow.

6. The Compliance Coach “I’m already teaching others, now I want to lead.”

You’ve mastered your systems, trained your team, and may even help others. You want to lead at a higher level, maybe even teach or create programs.

Core Need: Thought leadership and strategic partnership.

Action Step: Let’s talk about collaborating, mentoring others, or building a signature training program rooted in compliance and culture.

Each of these archetypes is a starting point—not a label. Take some time to reflect, journal about it, and take the steps to move toward your definition of success. You Got This and if you need some support, we are just a Free Exploratory Call Away!

Exploratory Call

15

Book Now