Love and Vegetables: Spirituality in Life, Business, and Everything You Do

Spirituality isn’t something reserved for a temple, a yoga studio, or a quiet room with incense burning. It’s in everything—how we live, how we work, how we show up for ourselves and others. For me, it’s been alive in kitchens, in sweat, in service, and in something as simple as peeling a potato.

I’ve come to believe that spirituality can be infused into every aspect of life, including business. It’s not separate. It’s in the food we cook, the energy we bring, the way we treat people. I want to share how I found this path, and how you can live it too—through intention, presence, and love.

The Birth of Love and Vegetables:

I named my pop-up series and business Love and Vegetables after hearing a story about Neem Karoli Baba. It’s said he would only eat food that was made with love and mantra, food that was prepared while chanting with intention. That stayed with me. It wasn’t just about ingredients, it was about energy—the unseen ingredient that changes everything. That idea led me to create food, and eventually a business, rooted in love and intention.

The Power of Presence: A Story from South Beach

While working at BLT Steak on Ocean Drive in South Beach, I had an experience that grounded this idea of spiritual practice in daily life. A coworker and I were tasked with peeling potatoes in the basement. Not glamorous, not exciting—but necessary.

She asked me about meditation, and I didn’t launch into a lecture. I just said, “When you peel the potato, peel the potato.” And we got to work.

For hours, we peeled those potatoes. Every so often, she’d catch herself and laugh, saying, “Oh my God, I was just in my head again.” And I’d just say, “When you peel the potato, peel the potato.”

Nothing more, nothing less.

Meditation isn’t just something you do sitting still. It’s a living, breathing thing. It takes practice, it takes showing up. But more than anything, it takes just peeling the potatoes—being fully present in whatever you’re doing. That’s where the magic happens.

Spirituality in Business:

A lot of people separate business from spirit. I don’t. I can’t. To me, how you run your business is how you show up spiritually.

• Intentional Leadership:
  Lead from the heart. Your energy sets the tone. If you bring chaos, expect chaos. If you bring love, watch how people respond.

• Money as Energy:
  Money isn’t dirty or wrong. It’s a flow, a current. Treat it with respect, use it wisely, and let it support your mission, not control it.

• Spaces Matter:
  Create environments that feel good. From your kitchen, your office, to your website—infuse everything with care.

• Honor the Process:
  Don’t rush. Build slowly, with love. Let things grow naturally, the way a garden does.

Living Meditation in Everything You Do:

• Be Present:
  When you’re washing rice, wash the rice. When you’re writing an email, write the email. Don’t split your mind.

• Set Intentions:
  Before you start your day, ask: What energy am I bringing? What do I want to create?

• Infuse Love:
  Love isn’t just a feeling—it’s an action. Put it into your work, your food, your words.

• Rest and Reflect:
  Take time to breathe. Stillness isn’t wasted time—it’s where clarity lives.

Final Thoughts:

Spirituality is in the peeling of potatoes, in the leading of teams, in the small choices we make every day. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being present. About bringing love into the ordinary and making it sacred.

For me, it’s in Love and Vegetables. It’s in the food I cook, the way I treat people, the way I run my business. So whatever you’re doing today, do it fully. Be there for it. And if you catch yourself drifting, just come back—and peel the potato.

—
Keith Kalm