Meet Jennifer Flanagan

We recently connected with Jennifer Flanagan and have shared our conversation below.

Jennifer, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I never seem to meet any men who experience imposter syndrome but I have known a lot of women, in particular, who experience imposter syndrome, and I have had to overcome that myself. On a positive note, I do see this changing with younger women, and so perhaps in a generation or two this won’t be a “thing” anymore. Wouldn’t that be amazing? For women my age and older—so many of us spent many years working among and for mostly men, and our voices were often not prioritized, and sometimes we quite literally were not invited to the table/the meeting/the networking event. But here we are—mid-fifties or older, having spent decades working in our fields and suddenly we realize we really are the expert in the room. My advice to overcome imposter syndrome is to be prepared. Do the work, know your subject and claim your space. Make yourself available to mentor others, accept invitations to speak, to teach—in so doing you will realize that you know what you are talking about. Above all, be genuine. If you believe in your work, if you are passionate about what you are doing, that comes through, and people will want to listen.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

In 2001, I was working in NYC in the publishing industry, and after 9/11, I felt strongly that I needed to do something that would be more personally meaningful to me, with more of an impact. I joined AmeriCorps Vista, which is a bit like a domestic peace corps, and accepted a project assignment in Pittsburgh. And through that experience, transitioned into working for nonprofits. I was at the Social Enterprise Alliance Conference – it was probably 2003 or 2004, and I heard about this model that integrated food service businesses and institutional meal preparation with job training for people overcoming barriers, and I was immediately interested in bringing it to Pittsburgh. I loved the idea of improving the food for people who are in settings that don’t allow them the voice or choice about what they eat—from schools to recovery houses to shelters—and combining that work with job training. To me, it was applying a market solution—food service business, to help address social problems—joblessness and hunger.
I launched a similar program under the umbrella of another nonprofit, and after 6 years of growing that business, the parent company was acquired and they closed a number of programs, including mine. After encouragement from funders and supports, I launched the model again in 2013 as Community Kitchen Pittsburgh, an independent 501c3. Recognizing the challenges to program sustainability from the beginning, we have integrated a social enterprise model designed to support our mission, with butchery, catering, contract meals, a food truck, retail/prepared foods, and community/hunger relief meals–through which we train students, provide transitional employment opportunities, and cover more than half of our operating budget. Eleven years later, Community Kitchen Pittsburgh has prepared and served over 5 million meals to our vulnerable and food insecure neighbors throughout the greater Pittsburgh region. Over 500 men and women have graduated from our training programs and are powering the back of the house in restaurants and food service companies throughout the city.

We serve people who are overcoming adversity and experiencing barriers to employment or advancement. Our trainees are returning to their communities after a period of incarceration, transitioning out of homelessness, in recovery. They may not have finished high school. Sometime the barrier is simply poverty—it is hard to seek new opportunities when you can barely cover your basic needs. We have a strong commitment to using fresh food on our institutional menus, which has had the immediate impact of invigorating our training program. We are also integrating whole animals sourced from local farms and processed in our own onsite butchery program into our catering and food truck menus.

The food truck is our newest enterprise—so many of our trainees talk about wanting to own their own food truck, so we decided to operate one so trainees can get firsthand experience. And of course, it is another revenue source supporting our programs, and a good way for us to take our mission and message out into the community.

We really do strive for our food service enterprises and training programs to connect and support the regional food economy; to support and advance the mission and impact of other NPOs as well as our own, to be an asset for the community, and to create lifelong opportunities for people who need employment.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Be genuine. You have to believe in your work.
2. Develop empathy, assume positive intent, and encourage those around you to do the same. The better you become at understanding why people do what they do, the better you will be able to lead with compassion, honesty and transparency.
3. Surround yourself with smart, motivated people, and then do everything you can to lift them up, and amplify their talent and their voices.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
This is geared to the hospitality industry, and it’s a must read for anyone in the industry. The takeaway that I believe applies to anyone in any industry is the idea of service versus hospitality. Service is answering the phone or filling a water glass. Hospitality is making someone feel valued, inviting them in, giving people a sense of belonging. And while we might think of hospitality as how to treat customers, the book encourages readers to apply that to employees (and for nonprofits, our clients too). It certainly applies to the people we train and serve here at CKP. It is what I love about this industry and why I love this work. The industry is more forgiving than most, and someone without a prior work history or overcoming past mistakes can excel in this industry. There is a place for everyone at any stage of their career, and I truly am motivated and inspired by the work – so many people just need a chance, someone to open a door so they can get to the next chapter in their story. Extending the concept of hospitality to those who work for you as well as those you serve as customers or clients is something everyone should think about—we all want to feel valued, part of something bigger, taken care of.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Third from right on top (two students in black shirts with audience) is Cody Baker
Bottom row, two on the right (solo female student in black shirt, and chef with green shirts) Pam Luu
Bottom row, far left, student in black ball cap holding sheet tray while other people are plating) Henry Malone

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