We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Terry Smith-Rawecki. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Terry below.

Terry, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

Previously, I worked as a Geologist at the Department of Defense in California. While Geology was what I majored in college, the work wasn’t fulfilling and the work environment was frustrating. I was the only Deaf employee with maybe two or three hearing people who were willing t0 learn enough ASL to communicate the basics. There were no Video Phones or even cell phones to text with at this time. Imagine!

I then became an Assistant Professor at a local college for the Interpreter Training Program. I enjoyed teaching others how to communicate and interact appropriately with Deaf individuals and the Deaf community. This was a much more fulfilling job, but there were still barriers. One example is at staff meetings, I was once again the only Deaf person. Also, I had no decision making authority. When I would make a suggestion or recommendation, it was often turned down by those above me because they were hearing individuals who did not fully understand the impact or importance of my requests.

Fast forward to today. I now own and operate my own business. I am Deaf and I finally get to make the decisions!
Smile. We make a point to hire mostly Deaf staff. The few hearing staff we have all communicate strictly in sign language and are aware of Deaf Culture. The factory is equipped with lights to indicate when a customer enters, when someone is working in the freezer, or when different things happen with machines such as something is stuck or labels have run out. We have worked hard to create a quality pierogie that is often better than others! We have persevered through the challenges that will always happen when a Deaf person takes trainings and tests for certifications, large purchases, licenses, etc, but we do that to prove that Deaf Can! I am proud to report that Gosia’s recently received our Women Owned Certification!

Now that Gosia’s is more established, we were able to hire an assistant who is also a Certified Interpreter. Having an interpreter on staff makes communication in any setting much easier! They know our jargon and are more accurate in business specific situations. This makes everything much more efficient for everyone! I am proud of how far we have come and the obstacles I personally experienced and overcame. Our business is successful because of a hard working, Deaf-led team!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As mentioned before, my degree is in Geology. I worked as a Geologist for 9 years. Then I transitioned to working as an Assistant Professor for a local college teaching at the Interpreter Training Program.

One summer, my husband’s family came to America from Poland to visit. We made authentic Polish pierogies in our kitchen just for fun. We sold a few dozen at a farmer’s market and immediately sold out. We were asked to return to the farmer’s market again and again, each time selling out more and more of our pierogies! We needed a name for our pierogies, so we named them after Jan’s Polish sister, Gosia.

Things were going well and we were enjoying our pierogie “hobby,” so we decided to build a small commercial kitchen onto our home. There we made even more pierogies, attended more farmer’s markets, festivals, and even started selling our pierogies in local stores. It was at this point that I resigned from teaching to focus on pierogie making full-time. After 16 years, we outgrew the commercial kitchen and were finally able to build our own factory.

We are proud of our pierogies because they are made from our very own authentic Polish family recipe. We hand peel our potatoes, use only fresh ingredients, use no preservatives, and even boil the pierogies when we make them. When you buy our frozen pierogies, you just have to thaw and sauté. Easy!

People love our many flavors:
*Potato & Cheese
*Sauerkraut
*Sweet Potato
*Potato & Feta
*Potato, Cheese, & Jalapeno
*Cottage Cheese with Chives

We have seasonal/limited time flavors, too:
*Potato & Dill Pickle
*Sweet Cabbage
*Prune/Lekvar
*Blueberry

We sell retail to stores, restaurants and distribution centers. We also love providing simple and delicious fundraisers to the community near and far. People have driven over 4 hours to get our pierogies! Unfortunately, we don’t ship – yet.

But what I am most proud of is getting to this point. I’m always full speed forward, but when I stop and look back… wow, it doesn’t feel real! I’m proud to be a Deaf Woman who has accomplished so much over the years. I have this successful business that employs Deaf individuals. I’m proud to be recognized as Women Owned. And I’m proud of making an amazing pierogie and seeing people say “Wow! This reminds me of my grandma’s!” or “I’ve NEVER had a pierogie this good before!”

We continue to grow and I can’t wait for what’s next!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Definitely word of mouth. People have to taste our pierogie to truly understand what they’re getting. We’re not just another box pierogie made from flakes! My reputation within the Deaf community helped people trust me and be willing to support our business. Being loyal and showing up consistently.

And also only producing a quality pierogie. One time the wrong kind of cheese was delivered. We didn’t catch it until we tasted a pierogie off the line. I was not willing to sell our pierogie with the WRONG cheese. It wasn’t dangerous or “bad,” but it wasn’t right and it wasn’t our pierogie. So instead of throwing it all away, we donated several bins of pierogies to a local homeless shelter. They were so excited to get this donation and I was happy nothing was wasted.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’ve mentioned it previously, but the three main careers I’ve had in my life are the perfect example. First a Geologist, then Assistant Professor, and now Business Owner!

Each career served its purpose at the time, but I’m glad I am where I am!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.GosiasPierogies.com
• Instagram: @pierogiesgosias
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GosiasPierogiesPittsburgh/

Image Credits

Gosia’s Pierogies
Jessica Adams