Check out my interview with these three amazing women chefs: Mary Steiger of Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery/Bistro; Rebecca Wicker of dedicated gluten free bakery & coffee shop; and Sigret Thompson of The Tasteful Kitchen!
- Food plays such a huge role in our sense memory. To this day, the smell of onion slowly cooking in butter on the stove instantly transports me next to my Mom in her kitchen. Are there particular food rituals or dishes from your childhood that inspired your love of cooking? What favorite recipe did you have to reinvent to suit how you eat now?
- As a business coach, I find myself chanting “You can sell to anyone, but who you market to should be specific.” What your Ideal Client wants should be guiding your decisions. But, I think some business owners shy away from being specific because they think they’re missing out on revenue. Each of you started a restaurant very much on your own terms and with a specific niche market in mind. I’m curious how each of you came to your respective concepts and whether you had any doubts about how they would be received.
- Women still only make up around 21% of all head chefs. So, women chefs are managing a typically male-dominated staff under fast-paced and competitive conditions. Sometimes people don’t always know how to interact with feminine energy in a leader. I know some women who feel like if they are calm and courteous, things don’t always get done. But if they act more aggressively, they either see results, experience resentment, or sometimes both. Have you ever struggled with feeling like you have to alter your personality to lead your kitchen?
