From water filter sales to celebrity chef, how Carla Hall’s life motto has led to success, ‘It’s all about the power of the pivot’

Carla Hall discusses her new podcast Say Yes! With Carla Hall and Season 6 of Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship.

Video Transcript

BECKY HORVATH: Carla Hall, so good to see you.

CARLA HALL: It's really good to see you, too. You look great.

BECKY HORVATH: Thanks so much. I love your little pumpkins, getting ready for Halloween. You are a woman of many talents, obviously, cookbook author, TV show host, but you also have a new podcast, "Say Yes! with Carla Hall" on Wondery. What was the inspiration behind it?

CARLA HALL: Well, I had been wanting to do a podcast for about five years, and mainly because I love radio. I love listening to people's voices without the distraction of the body and a picture. I wanted to do something that I felt like was mine, kind of telling the story of my life and seeing if there were others who went through the same process as, like, being comfortable with the uncomfortable, and how that helped you.

BECKY HORVATH: So what's the motto that kind of inspired the podcast?

CARLA HALL: Somebody had approached me about what would be my six words of advice? And I just kept thinking about it and it was "say yes, adventure follows, then growth."

Those six words of advice have become my mantra. And so that's how "Say Yes!" came about.

BECKY HORVATH: What are some of the other things you've been doing during the pandemic to keep your spirits up?

CARLA HALL: Well, one of the things that I've been doing is my recess. Every single day, I went out for 10 minutes. I grabbed a jump rope, a hula hoop, a skip ball. I think as adults we forget that we can play.

BECKY HORVATH: What would you say to women, particularly Black and brown women, who are starting out in this industry?

CARLA HALL: So right now, it is time to tell your stories, lean into your culture, and just lean into the beauty of your culture and understand that all cultures, honestly, should be represented in terms of being inclusive. My point of view has to be seen on up through the executives and through the production companies and all of that.

BECKY HORVATH: Halloween is just around the corner. And, of course, this year you've been hosting and judging on "The Halloween Baking Championship" on the Food Network.

CARLA HALL: Aaron, I had to search for the butternut squash.

BECKY HORVATH: What's it been like this year to serve as not only a judge, but also a host?

CARLA HALL: It has been really fun. So I actually got to see the bakers in their process, whereas, as a judge, I only saw the end. The other thing is I got to see the whole setup and deliver the challenges-- ah, you know, whether they wanted to see me coming or not. So that was really fantastic.

There are just such great bakers this season, and they can decorate. It is incredible.

BECKY HORVATH: What are your plans for this Halloween?

CARLA HALL: So I don't do Halloween personally. However, I will be ready to give out some pencils for the little trick-or-treaters. So Clinton and Michael, who tease me about giving away pencils, nobody is eating anybody's candy this year. A pencil seems to be the safe thing to do because the kids are where? Inside and doing virtual learning. Ha!

BECKY HORVATH: Well, Carla, it is always a pleasure to talk to you. You can catch "The Halloween Baking Championship" on Food Network. And "Say Yes! with Carla Hall" is on Apple Podcasts, on the Wondery app, and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

CARLA HALL: Yes, thank you.