If we were to start a photo competition for best blog portrait, Wendy would be a serious contender. This image of her landed in our inbox one lucky day, and we couldn’t wait to learn more about the woman in the apron. It turns out that her entrepreneurial spirit is responsible for In the Kitchen – yet another California outpost that makes us wish we were left coasters (or at least ambidextrous)! The concept of a community kitchen is one that we can really get behind – in fact, it wouldn’t be so bad if all kitchens were shared spaces, so that more and more people could come together around the table. Wendy is helping make our dream come true.

What attracted you to a good food job?

I was drawn to working with food because I saw how it was a conduit for human connections. We all eat, and sharing a meal, breaking bread and cooking together is a way to connect and learn more about one another in a very easy, hands-on way. Cooking a meal for friends and family is one of the most satisfying things to me……what better thing to create a career around? I wasn’t attracted to being a regular chef in a restaurant because I didn’t think that it would allow me to also be a full time mother, something I saw in my future. I wanted a job with flexibility.

How did you get your current good food job?

I created my own niche in the food world and in my local foods community here in Nevada City. Prior to starting In the Kitchen though, I worked in restaurants, catering, classrooms and illegally, out of my home.

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

Right now, being a small business owner in the food field, I truly feel like ALL of my previous work and life experience has helped prepare me for what I do. Studying cultural anthropology in college really helped me understand how integral food is for us all. Food is a way we honor and continue our own cultural traditions……..it can be an accessible way to learn about other cultures in a tangible, non-invasive way.

What advice do you have for others in search of a good food job?

Try everything! Learning what you DON’T want to do is just as important as finding out what you want to do. All the little skills you learn while working in kitchens can help you in the rest of your life. I also suggest finding a mentor, someone you admire and do what they do…..get them to be your role model, find out how they learned to do what they do.

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

TIME! There is never enough in the day…….I am blessed that I get to do what I love and have this be a career that also makes it possible for me to be a stay-at-home mom…….but balancing it all is challenging!

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