
I couldn’t resist asking Leslie about her story when I met her at Foodportunity last month. Foodportunity is an event that draws people from many different corners of the cooking and food world in Seattle; chefs, bloggers, published authors, health bar creators, restaurant owners and purveyors of specialty food items. Leslie’s warm personality led me to ask about her daily activites at Monica’s Waterfront Bakery and Cafe, and how she got into the food industry. I was pleasantly surprised to find out how she got where she is today!
Could you describe your day to day responsibilities at the small-town bakery and cafe you work at in Silverdale, WA?
I get there around 8:30 to make the daily soup and salad specials. By 11, I’m usually up front and working the lunch crowd. We serve sandwiches, quiche and all sorts of other tasty items to order, espresso drinks, cookies, desserts, etc. I help through the lunch rush and use the rest of my day to prep for the next. I make vegetable broth, clean produce needed etc so that all I have to do in the morning is come in to make the basics. Some soups can take hours to cook, so I try to do things the day before so my life is a little easier. I like to work both in the back and up front. It gives me a chance to interact with the people who are enjoying something that I was a part of creating. It’s a pride thing. I love hearing people say they loved the soup! I try so hard to make each one not just “yummy”, but “I-cant-stop-eating-this-I-must-have-more yummy”. I also get to help with (and sometimes head) caterers. When we host dinner parties or make plattered meals that get delivered, I get a chance to make things that we don’t make every day. Roasting salmon or making chana punjabi, or any number of other dishes, gives me the ability to learn new techniques and recipes. I’m fortunate that in making the food, I get to have contact with our local farmers and order directly from them. Monica has given me a great opportunity to connect with the food community. Sometimes my work consists of the really tough stuff… tasting wine, going to events like Foodportunity, Chef’s Collaborative F2C2 or Monica’s events like the Finn River Farm Tour… it’s a difficult job, but someone has to do it.
We met at Foodportunity here in Seattle. I couldn’t help but feel an affinity for you when you described you change of career. What was the motivation, and how did you wind up working at a bakery with no prior experience?
I worked in the computer industry before this. I had skills for it, but no passion. It was not what I wanted for myself. I worked on the phones and helped people fix their computers, finding that often they just wanted someone to blame and to yell at. I was tired of getting yelled at on a daily basis by the very people I was trying to assist. My crazy schedule and the commute to Seattle was making me a basket case. I was having panic attacks, heart burn and insomnia. It was creating a health nightmare. I remember sitting there, thinking about my cousin telling me that one of his cousins (on his mother’s side) was working in a pie shop. What I wouldn’t give to work in a bakery! I loved to bake and cook! One day I finally decided to see if there were any bakeries near my home. I found one in Silverdale and checked out the website. It was warm and inviting, so I emailed Monica…
I’ve been working as a computer technician for the past 4 years and have realized that its not at all my passion. After some searching, I figured out that I would like to work in a bakery, since I’ve been creating things from scratch in my kitchen since I was young.
I know that you’re a small shop, but I would very much love to apply for an entry level position. I love to learn and I’m a dedicated employee.If you currently don’t have any openings, would you know of any other bakery I might try? I’m sort of flying by the seat of my pants here.
Thank you so much!
Leslie
I couldn’t be happier than when I received her response. Not only were they hiring, but even if I didn’t work out this woman (who I had never met) was offering to help me talk to some local business owners to try to find a place for me. She was amazing. We met, we hit it off and I worked well with the girls that work there. I’m so grateful to Monica for letting me join Team Bakery. She had worked at her previous career for 15 years and then just up and changed. She understood me and helped me. Monica is a godsend to my sanity, career-wise. If I had not been able to make the change, I would be less than what I am now. I have direction because of the bakery.
Do you have a colorful story about a regular or something else amusing at work?
We have so many regulars! We love them all! My favorite thing to do is find out a person’s name and remember it. The next time they come in, I say hello to them, using their name. It makes them feel special, and that’s what I want. Customers should know they’re special. We depend on them, and that deserves respect. One of our regulars had tickets to a show (Celtic Thunder, ‘cause I’m Irish and a sucker for their music) and just gave them to me. She said that she couldn’t go, so I should. It was so sweet! Another customer gives us Christmas presents every year. I’ve become close friends with some of the people that come into the bakery. I cant just pick any one story. My life is richer because of the people I meet through the joy of food.
What’s your advice for someone else that wants to make a career change?
Breathe. Deep Breaths…
Now, hike up those big boy or big girl pants and do it. You have to, because you’re the only one with a vested interest in your happiness. No one else spends 24/7 with you. If you’re not willing to make yourself happy, then why on earth should anyone else?
Of course, it’s not all that easy. My decision was made with Taurus-like precision; slowly, methodically and with a great deal of worry. It took me a year to realize that I wasn’t happy, and another 6 months of my health going downhill and stressing to figure out that I had to change something. Finally, I hiked up my big girl pants and did it. I put myself out there and it was terrifying. I didn’t know what was going to happen, I didn’t know if I would succeed. I actually did worse at the beginning of this job than any other. This was the only job that I didn’t get mostly “you’re amazing” feedback. I had never really worked with mostly women before and they are VERY different than guys. Personalities conflicted and there were all sorts of tangles that after a lot of patience and hard work of everyone involved, worked out. It has not been an easy road, but its been satisfying. I used to come home from my previous job angry and crabby. Rarely do I find myself in that mood after supplying delicious food to people.
Find what makes you happy. Figure out how to make a career out of it. Don’t look back.