Recently, I was having a nice chat on Facebook with a chef about why he should take charge of his own PR and image. The same old advice, different day: Get a Twitter account, start a blog, post on FB, befriend journalists, get yourself out there.

That's when he bared his deepest, darkest insecurity to me:  "But I'm not a publicist," he moaned, sure that this professional fact -- indeed, he is "merely" a well-known chef -- was holding him back.

My reaction? I banged out, "PERFECT!!!" (You know, because we were chatting online, so he wouldn't have heard me when I actually shouted it. My dogs did, though, and they were a bit confused, but proudly accepted the compliment.)

You're not a publicist, either, you say? P.E.R.F.E.C.T.!!!

No one -- not your clients, nor the media -- wants to hear from a publicist. Believe me, I know, I am a publicist. 

You're th chef -- everyone wants to hear your voice, not someone's interpretation of your voice. Some of the most successful chefs are discovering that through blogs, Flip cams, videos, Twitter and the like; it's not only faster and more fun to tell their own stories rather than rely on a publicist, but it's also more effective.

The interesting thing about this direct-to-the-audience shift is that some chefs love the instant gratification and results they're seeing, and others are frozen by fear, their icy fingers clinging to a sinking ship. I call it The Wizard of Oz Effect. For so long, most chefs have relied on an elaborately crafted PR machine with smoke and mirrors and a megaphone to turn them into something different than they are. Strip it all away, and they're not even sure who the man or woman behind the curtain is anymore.

Stop being afraid that person isn't enough or right. Instead, write a few blog posts or tweets and send them my way. I'll guide you a bit until you get used to hearing the sound of your own voice.

And I promise I'll skip the whole lesson that all it takes is brains, courage, and a little bit of heart.