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It’s been nearly 10 years since Padma Lakshmi kicked off her reign as the queen of culinary television, hosting Bravo’s Emmy Award-winning competition series “Top Chef.” But off the small screen, the 44-year-old former globe-trotting model is now at the helm of her own rapidly expanding, multimillion-dollar business and philanthropic empire — which she leads while being a single mom to her spirited daughter, Krishna, 5.
“I rule the world with a wooden spoon,” says Lakshmi, laughing. The Indian-born, New York City-raised beauty oversees the Padma’s Easy Exotic brand, which includes a line of frozen paella and rice entrees available at retailers like Whole Foods, as well as a stylish kitchen collection available at target.com, kohls.com, and Meijer stores. And that’s just the half of it.
Surprisingly, Lakshmi scoffs at being described as an executive or a brand, despite her obvious business acumen, expanding portfolio and payroll. She also has a line of tabletop and home accessories, the Padma Collection, sold at Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Nordstrom. Not to mention the best-selling cookbooks — “Easy Exotic” won the International Versailles Event for best cookbook by a first-time author.
“I’m not a power executive — I wouldn’t know how to be one,” says Lakshmi, who earned a bachelor’s degree in theater arts and American literature from Massachusetts’ Clark University. “I am a creator of things that make people’s lives better. I think of myself as a human being with great taste and something to share.”
Regardless of how Lakshmi perceives herself, one thing is undeniable: She’s got a lot on her plate.
“I don’t juggle it all — I’m very privileged,” admits Lakshmi, whose staff includes a live-in nanny, an assistant and a director of operations. “I have a lot of hands helping me. My hours are so crazy. If I have to be on the ‘Today’ show at 7:15, for example, who is going to take my daughter to school? My nanny is awesome. She was in the Indian army for five years. She was a female paratrooper. And she’s a great cook.”
Still, it’s up to the global glamazon to keep it all together. “Every day is different,” says Lakshmi, who arranges trips to her frozen-food plant in Arkansas from her home base in New York around “Top Chef” tapings, meetings and phone calls about various stages of product development, and writing a memoir, slated for release next year. “The best advice I give to other women is to make a mental list of everything you need to get done and prioritize that list. Attack it in that order. Don’t leave what’s most important until the last minute.”
Despite her frenetic schedule, Lakshmi is adamant about her fitness regimen. “My meditation is boxing [at Mendez Boxing on East 26th Street],” she says. “I exercise constantly, because half of my life is shoving food in my face. And my body is changing. My metabolism is not what it was when I was 22.”
And of course, being a single mom may be considered by some as an additional stressor. (Krishna’s father is venture capitalist Adam Dell. He and Lakshmi had a brief romance.) For Lakshmi, “it’s the only way of life I’ve known. I was raised by a single mom. I was told I couldn’t have children, so every day I am kissing the sky with happiness about it.”
Krishna helps her to stay grounded. “I am in control of my reaction to life,” she says. “I’m very conscious of not extending myself. I’m very conscious of not drinking my own Kool-Aid. If I don’t make it, it’s OK, the world will survive.”
It’s this determination that has made her so highly regarded on “Top Chef” and in other ventures. “I am an executive producer,” she says, “so I do have a level of say, and sometimes I’ll say I don’t think [the contestants] have enough time to do a good job.” She adds, laughing, “Or a lot of times I’m yelling on the phone to Arkansas, where our factory for the rice is. I love going there. It’s really wonderful to wear a hairnet and not wear mascara sometimes.”
With her drive comes a sense of compassion. “I do feel I am a role model,” says Lakshmi, who has spoken publicly about her struggle with endometriosis, a condition that typically can be associated with infertility (she has had surgeries to alleviate its debilitating symptoms). “That’s why I started the Endometriosis Foundation of America. It’s not like I had a burning desire to get in front of large rooms and talk about my vagina! But I thought it was useful to do so.”
And doing good is key to Lakshmi’s life plan. She particularly wants to inspire, encourage and help young women. “What I really would like to do more of next is pump more money into the foundation,” she says. With those funds, she says, “we could advertise our annual fundraiser, the Blossom Ball, or [help more] young girls who have problems with their period to see a specialist. [The foundation] has been a great by-product of doing well in my career — it’s giving me power I never had.”
And this is where Lakshmi speaks of her experience as an immigrant, and how she wants to be a voice of inspiration to young women with similar backgrounds.
“As an immigrant, when you come to this country, and you’re a brown-skinned person, you do feel powerless. I never wanted to be in a position of powerlessness. It wasn’t really about the money — it was about controlling my own destiny. No one is ever going to give you something for free. No one is ever going to give you something for free. And I think that is very important for women to understand.”
Where Padma was shot: The Centurion Lounge from American Express at LaGuardia Airport
American Express’ Centurion Lounge is a swanky hideaway in LaGuardia’s Terminal B that’s free to AMEX Platinum and Centurion card-holders (regular AMEX cardholders can access the lounge for $50). Sporting a contemporary design scheme and a full range of business-traveler services, the Lounge offers everything from work desks to concierge services. Opened last summer, it’s one of four nationwide — Las Vegas, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Francisco round out the list — with Miami and Seattle outposts arriving later this year. Each Centurion Lounge includes upmarket culinary and cocktail partners — like chef Cedric Vongerichten of Perry Street restaurant and mixologist Jim Meehan at LaGuardia. It’s conveniently located before security — close to departure gates, yet far from the traveling masses. thecenturionlounge.com
Photo shoot by Jim Wright
Stylist: Johannah Masters Makeup: Birgitte for Sisley-Paris Hair: Kozmo at Bryan Bantry Agency using Phyto Hair Care
Fashion credits for first split image: (Left) Akris Punto blazer, $1,390 at Bloomingdale’s, 1000 Third Ave.; top, $265 at tibi.com; pants, $295 at theory.com; Hermès purse, Padma’s own; Rolex watch, Padma’s own (Right) Jacket, $3,775, and pants, $1,495, both at Giorgio Armani, 760 Madison Ave.; top, $265 at tibi.com; ring, $4,100 at H. Stern, 645 Fifth Ave.
Fashion credits for second split image: (Left) Victoria Beckham dress, $2,495 at net-a-porter.com; bangles, $3,495 each at ippolita.com (Right) Vest, $2,995 at Brunello Cucinelli, 379 Bleecker St.; Stella McCartney pants, Padma’s own; pumps, $625 at jimmychoo.com