This week at school was business week. We had many guest speakers with a variety of backgrounds come and share insight on what they do and their journey in getting there. We had bankers come to teach us about small-business lending and how to start on a business plan. We had a presentation on personal chef services by our favorite Chef Rachel Zierzow. We learned about catering for retreats by a very grounded and mindful alum of NEACA, Chef Kelly. Another previous student shared his journey in opening and running his food truck, Bistro Vonish (it was a bit bleak, he’s in the grind of opening and running a new business).
We had a class on Culinary Conversions and Costing which the nerd in me actually LOVED even with the groans of my classmates. .. sorry ladies.
We had an amazing presentation by Dr. Shelly Sethi who is a Physician. . .gone Integrative Family Practitioner that has focused her patient care in a more holistic way. She has even recruited a Culinary Instructor aka CHEF and Health Coach into her practice to help her patients even more.
We learned about creating a web presence by Sarah K Wolf who made this a business! I struggled with this information a bit because I would like to:
A. Keep it Simple
B. Encourage people to unplug and LOOK UP
C. Create such a high quality service and/or product that the social media hype is not necessary. . . even in today’s world.
I respect the information she gave us though and it’s place. #WannaKeepItOldSchool #TakeYourShoesOffTouchTheEarthAndLookAtTheSky #TechnologyIsMakingUsDumbAndInattentive #YesIknowIhaveaBlog.
We were inspired by Shanna Leff, chef and yogi, who led us in a chocolate meditation and shared her journey to financial and scheduling independence in running her own blogs, personal chef business, and yoga teaching. Yes-you can work towards such a life and there is a chance it could happen!
We pounded out some rough drafts of our culinary resumes and professional Bios with Chef (and baker extraordinaire) Kelly Cara.
We rode the roller coaster that is life and dreaming/worrying/wondering/contemplating what the future will be for each of us after we move on from our educational experience here at culinary school. It is exciting and terrifying, invigorating and depressing, hopeful and insecure.
I think I would like to get deeper into some of the theory and practice of a specific modality. . .Ayurveda, Macrobiotics, Baking, Acquiring Insane and Amazing Knife Skills? I don’t know.
Mr. Plate has also been looking into the stepping stones that will help him round out his experiences and to be qualified and confident to provide high quality services in his areas of interest and expertise. He’s looking into getting LEED Certified, Permaculture Certified, and to get some hands-on experience in green building theory and techniques.
I would like to get Yoga teacher certified.
Little Plate would like to play outside in the dirt :).
I will trust the journey and whatever we do we will adventure, grow, learn, create, and love.
Loves!
Ashley