New Book Launch…
In honor of Mother’s Day, The Cheesemonger: A Career Story is a sneak peek into one of the fun and inspiring stories in our new book.
Title
Creatives in Leadership
Overview
This book offers insightful guidance into unlocking problem-solving strategies by hearing from a collective of creative leaders and their experiences, empowering you to cultivate a forward-thinking approach across your teams and operations. Together, we can unlock a wealth of innovative ideas and possibilities that can propel our organizations forward in an ever-evolving world.
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Credits
Noel Tocci, Eileen Riestra, Phillip Oettle, Lara Vukson, Shani Sandy, Bekki Bennett, Nathalie Heywood Smith, Andy Brenits, Vivian Fransen, Kevin Kearns, Anil Sharad, Katie Lee O’Sullivan, Chauncey Zalkin, Robin McLoughlin
Read more about creative leadership
Leadership Vol 1: Best Practices and Processes for in-house creative leaders.
Leadership Vol 2: From the Trenches. Stories + Anecdotes + Insights.
THE CHEESEMONGER: A career story
Inspiration comes in all sorts of shapes and forms. A fun task to think back on is: What began to mold you into who you are today in your career? I can certainly look to my parents for leadership skills and motivation. Both of them ran their own successful businesses, never called in sick, and seemed to never run out of steam. From them I learned resilience, organization, leadership, and motivation to make just about any challenge work.
Here’s the inside scoop on my mom’s career story that you may also appreciate. Before most Americans even knew what a cheesemonger was, my mother was the queen of the mongers in Westchester County, New York.
She was proud to be an Italian American, having grown up in a household with authentic home cooking, fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs—all growing in the backyard—and whose mom, legend has it, made the best meatballs on this continent.
Mom was knowledgeable about the varieties, flavors, and textures of different types of cheese and skilled in the art of pairing cheeses with complementary snacks and wine, recently referred to as “charcuterie boards.” In our house, it was and still is referred to as the antipasti board! My mom was always career-driven, having grown up at IBM and willing to do whatever it took, along with my dad, to support their family. So what else does an IBMer do when she’s looking for a new challenge and opportunity? She creates a cheese shop, of course!
My obsessive love for cheese originated from visiting my mom’s shop to taste and poke at everything. I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like: Soft, hard, stinky, spreadable—bring it on!
When I travel, I must leave room in my suitcase for the ten pounds of cheese I’m going to return with and share with my family. The same goes for wine, but that’s a different story.
Mom cared about the details and her brand, and went the extra mile to learn calligraphy and bow-making for her handmade labels and perfectly wrapped gift baskets. This attention to detail set her apart from the run-of-the-mill gift shops. Handmade labels showcase a level of craft not found in mass production. This personal touch communicated to customers that her brand valued quality and individuality.
When her customers saw that her brand was going the extra mile in terms of the details, it increased customer awareness and loyalty. This is a great example of customers are more likely to recommend brands to others when they come across unique and thoughtful touches.
My mom was also focused on hiring and training the right staff for her cheese shop. She created a knowledgeable and enthusiastic team that delivered excellent customer service, which drove business growth. She was able to recognize when her staff needed to continue developing their expertise and helped them get over the line to enhance their knowledge and hands-on skills, which also kept them engaged and motivated. She quickly became acclimated to her vendors, customers, and staff—leading with grace.
Today I still look back and think of my mom as a trailblazer in the 1980s: a strong, confident lady who was able to set up her own successful business at a time when a lot of moms were homemakers.
What I take from her life experience with so many vivid memories is the courage to lead. She had the tenacity to figure it all out—starting a new business from scratch is no joke and not for the weak. But she ran it all successfully by building a strong team with even stronger values and a vision to make it work.
My brave leader of a mom was and still is a driving force and positive role model for me, other career women, her entire family, and anyone who is lucky enough to know her.
