Oui, chef! Faceless Businesswoman #3

What is your Job Title?

Chef, but I have had many Dietary Services Director, Kitchen Manager, Bakery Chef,

Restaurant Manager, Cook

Did you get a degree, and if so is it directly related to your field, if no, what is your degree in?

I have a Bachlors in Hotel and Restaurant Management, an Associates in Hospitality

Management and Culinary

How long have you worked in your industry?

25 years

How did you get started in your industry?

I started with vending then ask a chef if I could work for him making salads and cashiering in the business and industry field.

What do you wish people knew about your industry?

How really hard people work to make beautiful food both nutritionally and how it looks.

What advice would you give someone looking for their place in your industry?

There are many areas, I started in Business and industry, then moved to family casual restaurants, then health care. Find your passion and start somewhere, always be in an attitude to learn.

What do you think are essential qualities for someone to possess if they are interested in working in your industry?

A working attitude, an ability to learn and teach, to work as a team member no one is successful on their own.

What is the hardest part of your career/industry/job for you?

I like to make people happy so working in the health industry has been both rewarding and disappointing. Sometimes no matter what you do, someone will be unhappy. You have to learn to deal with this.

What is the most fun part of your career/industry/job for you?

Working as a team, wearing kitchen clothes which are so comfortable. Playing with food, being creative, Making something as simple as a salad beautiful. No day is the same, you may be doing the same schedule everyday, but something will happen to make the day different.

If you could change one thing about your business/industry what would it be?

I really love my industry, the one thing I would change is to have temperature regulated kitchens, no matter how much companies spend, they are very hot or very cold.

If you could do it all over again would you still want to end up where you are now?

Yes! Absolutely.

If you could meet any businesswoman who would she be and why?

Oprah, she set her mind, made a plan and did what could not be done.

What does your typical daily schedule look like?

Walk in the door, check in with the dish/serving crew, they are very good at observing what is going on in the building. Then to the cook, we discuss what they need help with for the day.

Into the office to check for emails and read the days calendar. 9 o’clock onto Interdisciplinary

Leadership Team, we discuss all areas of the care and health of our residents. Back to the

kitchen then office, check the menu and make an order for the weeks fruit and vegetable

delivery. To the dining room help with serving, visiting with residents, listening to their concerns.

Help clean up the dining room, then have final discussion with cook for the next day. Make

snacks for activity team, gather up all utensils needed and delivering for the afternoon. Go to

another section of the home, and check each mini kitchen, dates, food safety, cleanliness. Then

return to dry storage to fill requests for the mini kitchens, taking dry goods back to each mini

kitchen. Go back to the kitchen check in with the PM crew, doing the same as the AM crew

check. Everything begins again for the evening, and I head out trying to rest my body and brain

for the next day.

What does work/life balance mean to you? And how do you personally achieve it?

I have not been very good at this, I have always enjoyed being at work, but I am now not able to

continue working 10-12 hour days, which is what happens in many many restaurant

management positions. I am working on changing my work style by changing my job to working

part time as a cook.

What does self care mean to you? How often do you take time for self care, or is it not

important for you?

Self care is a new idea, but for me self care is to go for a walk outside where I can see and feel nature. I try to go out 3 times a week. When I was working fulltime in foodservice, I learned to take a weekend vacation away from home and work if only an hour away. To get away and see new sites.

How often do you schedule time off and vacations?

Once a year for a week vacation. Every three months for self care weekends getting away.

What did you do for your last vacation or time off?

Went to Wisconsin for a few days of Geocaching and sightseeing, a year ago.

Are you a life planner or do you let it go with the flow?

I am a flow person, I believe that those who are planners achieve more, but I am happy.

If a planner, what is the next goal you are going to hit?

To retire, go camping and backpacking.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

A few things a Forest Ranger that worked the Look out towers for fire. A marine biologist. To play on a professional womans basketball team, I played on a pre-professional team against California teams. This was before Pro-womens basketball was available.

If you could do it all over again would you still want to end up where you are now? If no, where do you wish you had gone?

The thing I have enjoyed about my position, is that it is a team sport. Everything that is done in

the kitchen is to make the next meal successful. From dishes, to taking out trash, to cooking,

plating and serving, everything is done as a team, and when a particularly difficult day comes up

there is a palpable feeling a success as a team. I love that part of the job. The adrenaline rush is

just like playing a great game as a team together.

Fun additional questions - lightning round style (quick answers):

Favorite Book: What I’m reading at the moment

Favorite band/singer: John Denver

Favorite Hobby: Woodcarving

Favorite Food: Stirfry with chicken

Favorite Color: Blues

What’s the weirdest/funniest thing in your bag for work: Lock wrench, amazing what you

can do with that tool

Best life hack: Go for a walk, get light on your face, be yourself