We recently connected with Lisa Caldwell and have shared our conversation below.
Lisa , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?
I’m going to talk about the job/ position that launched me into the now. I had a few small jobs in the field in college, but this story is where it all began.
I was working as a pastry cook at a busy Italian restaurant and finally decided I wasn’t going to go to culinary school. I had just graduated with a B.S. in Nutrition, which was not the “cool” topic that it is today. So, I put it on the shelf for the better part of 20 years and committed to gaining experience in the world of all things French Pastry.
An old boyfriend was going to a job fair at The Four Seasons, Boston for a position he was qualified for. He knew I was going to be looking for a new job, so he asked me if I wanted to join him. The only open position in the pastry shop at the time was Assistant Ex. Pastry Chef, which I was NOT qualified for. But with it being the only position open, I shrugged my shoulders and filled out the questionnaire anyway.
I was also woefully underdressed: white t-shirt, jeans and low cut cowboy boots. I looked around the room, and realized I was in over my head. But I told myself ‘hey, if nothing else comes of today, you practiced doing interviews and you will be prepared the next time you go for a job.” So I waited, and then I was called over to speak with the Human Resources Manager.
He looked at me and smiled. The kind of smile when you realize someone is very young, inexperienced and obviously clueless. I like to think he was mildly entertained, because the rest of the conversation was just that, for the both of us.
He read my answers to the questions back to me, verifying the information I entered was true. When he read over my work experience, his eyes grew wide and his eyebrows raised higher and higher after every line. When he reached the end, he stated “You are not qualified for this position!”
” You’re right, I’m not”, I said gleefully.
“Then why are you here?” he asked with a worried laugh.
“I’m practicing interviews, I have to start somewhere.” I said with a shrug and a smile.
“So, if we had a position that you were qualified for, would you be interested in it?” he inquired.
“Sure, why not”, I said.
We chatted for a little while, then I shook his hand, thanked him for his time and left. A week went by and I received a call from the secretary of Human Resources at The Four Seasons, Boston.
A pastry line cook had recently given notice and they wanted to know if I could come in for an interview. I said yes and scheduled an appointment three days later. The first of four interviews was with the secretary, then the manager I had met at the open house, followed by the Ex. Pastry Chef and Ex. Chef. The manager informed me that I was called in not just because something opened up, but it was my positive, can-do nature that kept me as the frontrunner for the newly opened position. He had never met anyone who was so enthusiastic about sitting through an interview for a position they were not qualified for.
Three weeks later I started working at The Four Seasons, Boston. Everything I learned there, I still utilize to this very day.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
For as long as I can remember, I have always been in love with food. This passion was also born as a result of experiencing a parent’s chronic illness, for the joy of eating and being an avid athlete. Whether it was cooking as a young girl or obtaining a B.S. degree in Nutrition, I found myself in flow, lost in the textures, fragrance, and combinations of individual ingredients that promised flavor and solid nutrition. I focused on healthy eating to be a better athlete, which then evolved into a business model, albeit a lean one.
I own and run a certified woman-owned, award-winning business. I have worked as a chef /nutritionist for more than 30 years’, preparing food and teaching cooking classes on a range of topics at a professional level. This knowledge and skill unite to make great tasting, healthy food. Yes, “healthy” can taste good. I smile with delight when people come to realize that the dish they are enjoying is also benefiting their health and not just their taste buds. When people ask how a nutritionist becomes a pastry chef, I smile. “Well, it might seem like I’m living a lie, however nutritionists eat dessert too. It has its place in our diets, which is why it comes at the end of the meal.”
The opportunity to marry together my pastry skills and nutritional knowledge presented itself when working for Whole Foods Market. Initially I was hired to help re-imagine the bakery department, but a new position called “Healthy Eating Specialist” was created and I was offered the position. I dove in, head first. Fortunately I can work independently, it’s where I shine.
The dietary guidelines were strict at first, mostly vegan and had little to zero tolerance for sugar, salt, fat or processed foods. So I relied on techniques and knowledge of herbs, spices and what fruits and vegetables could lend to dishes. Eventually I had my own cooking class, then a local cable show. I even hosted a lunch cart every week in the store to sell meals and teach customers what the program was all about. Back 15 years ago, many were confused, the program was too far out there. Fast forward to now, everyone is subscribed to a specific dietary lifestyle and a way of cooking “clean” food.
For the past 10 years, I have been providing weekly prepared meals to people who have auto-immune diseases and diet-related illnesses, as well as those with recreationally and professionally athletic lives. The meals I prepare cater to my clients’ needs, tastes, and adhere to an anti-inflammatory dietary lifestyle, consisting of whole foods, low to no sugar, salt, healthy fats and few processed ingredients. Meals are gluten free and dairy free, however other allergies and aversions are taken into consideration during preparation.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Other than training and knowledge, I think the willingness to be flexible and open minded to our chosen field is imperative to success.
Long before the epidemic, as a pastry chef I had to find a new way to stay working in the field without being tethered to a bench, so I consulted and substituted for pastry chefs or cooks in restaurants. I discovered new ways of making standard dishes, styles of service, flavors and ingredients. Because of my experience working at Whole Foods Market, I was hired by one of their French Pastry vendors to open their bakery departments and train their bakery team members nationwide. Now I work and travel with clients on occasion, and have to be very resourceful when working in new environments. It gets a little crazy out there sometimes, but it’s a lot of fun too!
I have found the more I learn, the more opportunities I have. I don’t think it has become diluted, more like it has evolved. I think of it as widening my base of experience, know-how and easier ways to share my skill set with my clients. One moment becomes the stepping stone of another. And being able to explain how nutrition, food and cooking work together has made it much easier on my clients to feel good when making their own food or choices.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
I would most certainly choose the same profession. There are many things about the business that make it hard, but that’s every profession, hence why it’s called work and not play.
Fortunately, I had many mentors along the way. All of them were very, very good to me and I deeply appreciate all of them.
If I could go back, I would slow down my journey to the ‘top’, enjoy the process and ask more questions.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lisaecaldwell.com
- Instagram: LisaYourKitchenConfidant
- Facebook: Lisa Caldwell Your Kitchen Confidant
- Linkedin: Lisa Caldwell Your Kitchen Confidant
- Other: www.Cozymeal.com for cooking classes, in person and online www.Batch.com