Pastry Chef & Managing Partner of The Pastry Box Bakery

Being a small business owner who is actively in the space every day, I try to show my team that I work just as hard as they do and that I'm not too good to do any job needed for the team. I thank them often and openly share my story so they can see the actions behind the wins. And, when we do win, I always let them know we wouldn't have done it without them. For education, I always rotate duties so team members can learn and experience different moving parts of the business.

So many lessons learned and to be learned. But I think the ones that stand out the most to me in this part of my career (in no particular order) are: you need a solid team to win, mentorship is important and needed in both being a mentor and having mentors, and celebrate wins that aren't yours.

When hiring, I look for confidence, passion and time management skills.

It's important to have people skills, time management and the ability to problem solve.

I find inspiration in my family, my community, and the chefs & hospitality professionals I admire.

For self-cafe, I go to the sauna for hot and cold therapy.

I read the Harvard Business Review, NYT, and am often flipping through cookbooks. "Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself" by Joe Dispenza is an audio book I reflect back to.