If you're passionate about sustainability as a realistic business model, but you find yourself  wondering what exactly that word 'sustainability' really means - given that people use it multiple times a day, from morning coffee to cocktail party conversation - Monica has an answer for you. In fact, she founded GritWork so that she could answer that question for lots of other individuals and companies, in tangible, valuable ways.

When did you know that you wanted to work in food?

I wanted to do something I enjoyed, what more so than "eating" and "traveling".  It seemed like a somewhat scientific and glamorous method to choosing a college for an 18 year old.  The rest happened organically, for lack of a better of word.  The people and personalities on the food side had more fun.  If I wanted to get righteous, then I would say that food is a fundamental human right and I wanted to choose something that impacted every-day life.  However, the former rather than the latter was the driving force.

How did you get your current good food job?

It was built on a foundation over all the years I have worked within food.  Before cross-sector or corporate social responsibility were regularly used words, in the late 1990's, I was working within it.  For example, my first internship was teaching food budget and food nutrition for Share Our Strength for those in low income neighborhoods.  Over time, I have worked for food not-for-profits, NGOs, and of course, for profit companies.  It has given me a breadth of knowledge that allows me to communicate effectively to different audiences.

How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for a good food job?

The critical part to my current job is that I have had the operations experience to think like a business owner or customer/client to do the job right. If I am on assignment to develop an all-natural menu, I think back to the customer service calls and cards I have answered in the past that allows me to anticipate what a customer might say.  Also, if we are talking about logistics issues in supply chain, I know what it's like when the freight container is late or if a truck breaks down or if the cold chain is broken from temperature control issues.  How this impacts your company, morale, staffing, P&L, etc - all comes together beside bringing good food to customers.

What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your Good Food Job dream?

Taking a leap to do it by myself and saying that I have the knowledge base to do it, and if I don't, I will figure it out.  When I give career advice, I advise folks that it's not chasing the job or the specific job description but finding a mutual match (for employee/employer) and knowing the type of environment suitable for you.  For example, I am not very good at working alone.  I enjoy collaboration and working on a team.  Consulting can be rather isolating but it affords me the flexibility I need right now.  That said, I have been able to pinpoint partners as needed for certain jobs and that has provided a solution to the workplace setting for me.   The second major issue is that I consult on an "idea".  This notion of sustainability or sustainable supply chain still needs to be translated into something tangible, and that can be difficult for folks who run a business every day and do not have the luxury to think esoterically or philosophically about food, since they are worried about turning a profit.  I think part of it is generational and it is starting to shift.

What can you identify as the greatest opportunities in food right now?

I do think having tangible skills, for example, analytical skills are critical.  Many of us coming out of college are taught to think more critically, and more collaboratively. Walking into a new organization (start-up), the best advice is to get a dashboard of "metrics" that can act like a cockpit for flying your concept/business. Many are caught up in the "brand" and less in the nuts and bolts that is required to take the next leap.  Some of us can play that #2 or #3 voice that gives a realistic base for choosing X over Y.  There are also plenty of successful second and third generation businesses that also need "objectivity".  These organizations are often highly siloed and it is important to collaborate, for example, between R&D/Sales/Operations/Purchasing to make wise and smart product development choices that truly embrace the concepts we all talk about.

If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?

Fresh ramen and dumplings.  And, a really good slice of cake.