Famed BBQ chef didn't always have a career in food

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There's nothing better than attending the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado, because it's the perfect setting to get to know your favorite chefs for who they are, rather than just the roles they play on television and in the media.

Tim Love is one of those fan-favorite chefs with a following of people who love his personality. He's uncensored, funny, good-natured and in a lot of ways, just like us. He doesn't try to be anything he's not, he just happens to be a guy who loves barbecue and is insanely talented at cooking it.

That's why it came as such a surprise to learn that Love didn't always have his sights set on being the best BBQ chef in the world. Once upon a time, the chef was actually a professional snowboarder!

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And while we were initially shocked to hear it, it actually makes a lot of sense. Sure, snowboarding is a risky career choice for a few reasons, but so is breaking into the culinary world and the restaurant scene.

"I'm not afraid of ever losing," Love told us. "I'm the youngest of seven kids, I grew up really poor. I've already been at the bottom, so I'm not afraid of it."

It makes sense, then, that the chef took a more unconventional career path and now finds himself as an investor on the CNBC series Restaurant Startup, where he continues to take risks for what he believes in.

That said, the best advice Love ever received is to "prepare yourself for everything."

We're not sure about you, but if a little preparation and risk taking can lead us to a career that involves cooking and eating a whole lot of barbecue, we're in.

Check out photos from the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen below:

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