We were lucky to catch up with Lorie Fangio recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lorie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I had been writing about food and teaching cooking classes for almost 15 years when it happened. I was teaching a French pastries class and telling the story of carrying a beloved copper pot back from Paris on my lap when a longtime student said “Lorie, when are you going to take us with you to France?”

I stopped in my tracks and felt something churn deep inside, you know that feeling that the world is crashing over your head? That night, I had a dream in vivid color about sharing my love of food and France with students that would travel along with me. I woke up and told my husband about the dream and he said, “you have to do it!”

That very day, I cleared my schedule and begin a plan for my first group trip to Paris. I had never considered this idea before but I knew in the deepest part of myself, this was meant to be and that something special was happening. The goal was to share, MY Paris with travelers. I’d been visiting France, cooking, tasting, and sampling for several decades so it was natural to reach out to my favorite French chefs to start an itinerary. It was the hard-to-get experience and behind-the-scenes look at food and wine in Paris that I was looking for. This is what would set my trips apart.

When the trip was finally designed, I took a deep breath and put the word out to my students. Nine precious ladies took a leap of faith along with me and A Taste of Paris was born. In less than 12 months we were off for my first food and wine-centric excursion in Paris. The feeling of pure joy was indescribable as I shared all of my favorites and the best that Paris has to offer. Since then, I’ve lost count of how many groups I’ve taken, all over France. The thrill of sharing the best culinary experiences with others never gets old!

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

I have a degree in Homemeconomic from TCU and my first career was in the apparel industry, textile design. When I became a mother I wanted to be hands-on and the high-pressure, demanding field would not allow it.

Once I fell into the rhythms of motherhood, I wanted more. I had been cooking and loved nutrition since my college days so naturally, I entertained and cooked a great deal. It wasn’t until an old friend and colleague reached out to me that the idea of teaching cooking classes to adults, took shape. She happened to be managing several cooking schools for a local grocery chain. I was hooked after my first terrible class! I had so much to learn, keeping students engaged, writing proper recipes and of course planning to ensure everything came out well. I loved it!

After years of teaching all over Texas, and a 4-year stint as the host of HomeHints, a program that featured mostly recipes, on a local radio station, I really hit my stride. I started a blog, atasteofparis.net, and begin writing about food for local publications and have appeared regularly on morning TV programs.

With each year that passes, I learn more, we’ve all had to adapt to the new way of being in a social media world, there is always something new to learn if you want to stay relevant.

For several decades, I traveled to France to cook for a week or more at a time. Adapting what I’d learned for the American home chef served as the inspiration for my cooking classes.

As I look back over the last 20 years, the thrill of starting my food and wine-centric travel business to France is my greatest achievement. The thrill of the hunt for the best of France and the joy of sharing it with others is something I will always be proud of.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

In a business like mine, taking small groups to France for food and wine, my reputation is everything. People trust me with their vacation time and dollars, so it better be good!

Being consistent and having high standards of excellence have worked hand-in-hand to build my reputation. It does not matter if a client is taking a 2-hour cooking class or an 8-night trip to Provence, I strive for excellence every time. Of course in the kitchen and foreign countries, things don’t always go according to plan so the ability to laugh at mistakes and pivot quickly is important.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Having a deep understanding of who my customer is, has been the greatest strategy for building my base. There are so many opportunities pulling us in different directions it’s easy to fall down a rabbit hole with nothing to show for it. Once I realized that I needed to spend some time getting to know just who this customer of mine was; what they liked, and how they spent their time, I could easily discern what opportunities to embrace and which to pass on. This strategy allows me to focus and use my time wisely.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.atasteofparis.net
• Instagram: @atasteofparis
• Facebook: atasteofparistrips
• Linkedin: Lorie Fangio
• Youtube: Lorie Fangio
• Other: Pinterest @ataoplorie