Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kolika Simmons. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Kolika, thanks for joining us today. f you needed to find a key partner or facility – how did you find them, what was the process of striking a deal like and what would you do differently knowing what you know now?

You can’t be shy and find partners at the same time. The key to finding and cultivating partnerships is to remember that a conversation is a dialogue, not just you waiting for your turn to speak. If you want to connect with someone, do your best to make them feel seen. A good opening line for a conversation is: “so, what are you really passionate about?” That’s a great jumping off point! People will remember how you made them feel before they remember many other things about you, and if you made them feel good then they’ll likely want to see you again.

Kolika, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When I began my culinarian journey I was a student that had just seen “Julie & Julia” in theaters. This was back in the early 2000s when blogging was at its peak, and absolutely everyone just had to have an opinion on everything – myself included. I started a silly little blog and called it ‘wannabgourmande’ because I felt like an imposter, a wannabe, that was aspiring to culinary greatness. I have no idea if I ever achieved any form of ‘greatness’ in my 12-year culinary career but I do know that I had an amazing time.

I didn’t have a real ‘point’ to my blog when I first started it. I suppose I had this idea that my readers were going to learn along with me while I told some funny stories of my life. Now, it has evolved into my manifesto of eating seasonally, living in sync with the land, having some fun with ingredients, and learning life lessons along the way. This evolved into my own brand of exploring food. I was eventually approached by Microsoft Start who asked me to write for them and create content, which is – of course – my biggest client. When that happened, I was overwhelmed with questions of “am I good enough?” or “do they really want to listen to me ramble?” Then I realized that I had something to offer: my own voice, which is – apparently – funny and accessible.

All I’ve wanted is to make food accessible and to help educate on why we should be conscious and conscientious about how we consume and how we live. It feels like a gift that even one person wants to listen to that.

I now am a mother to an amazing baby and I’m still struggling with my own Imposter Syndrome. Now that I’m in the wellness and health industry I get to go back to doing food for fun, not for profit. I get to make what I feel like with the things I have available and I get to share my thought process. Having my baby now has certainly put a huge spin on how I cook and how I eat, and I realized that more new parents likely feel this way. There’s so much information out there and most of it is contradictory when it comes to feeding children. I also personally disdain how motherhood is portrayed and approached, as if it is a divine calling or some precious yet saintly occupation for women and women alone.

Listen, we’re all just idiots that are trying our best and if anything motherhood has taught me how NOT precious it all is, and how visceral the entire process can be. I don’t think I’d ever choose ‘motherhood’ for myself again, but I love my baby so much that if it came down to it I would choose him over and over again in a heartbeat. I would kill or die for that child.

When I began to talk candidly about my struggles with PPD(postpartum depression) and how it made it difficult to create, I was flooded with messages from other mothers thanking me for my honesty, and it never occurred to me how shameful it can feel when you’re not in an accepting environment. I suppose I should count myself lucky to have a husband that treats me with basic human decency and who is a present father in our child’s life, but…should I? Or do I simply have what the absolute bare minimum is and should all new mothers have this same thing? Are we all being unfair en masse to new mothers? To all mothers?

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Your only goal is and should be to simply be your best, most-authentic self, and the right people will find you. I’m not for everybody and I accept that.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

Gross.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.wannabgourmande.com
• Instagram: @wannabgourmande
• Facebook: @Wannabgourmande
• Twitter: @Wannabgourmande