We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amanda Bradford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Amanda, 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 think we all have a small amount of imposter syndrome but I think its important to do self reflection and do it often on where your journey started and where you are now. I teach culinary Classes and I like to reflect back to when i was in school and then all my experiences along the way that lead me to be the business owner, Chef and Instructor that I am today. I think telling that voice in your head to be quiet and remind yourself of worth and work you have put in really helps.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I have been working in kitchens and restaurants since I was 15 years old. I have done everything from the Dalai Llama’s 80th birthday cake to celebrity private events to cooking classes in client’s homes, and even running restaurants! I have cooked in a variety of restaurants and have been a Pastry Chef. I love cooking and baking and enjoy teaching people all the things I have learned along the way to put an amazing meal on the table for friends and family to enjoy.
I am a Certified Pastry Culinarian through ACF with business associates degree, certificates in business management, accounting, baking, pastry, personal training, and nutrition.
I am very involved in my community teaching classes for local businesses and libraries, partnering with non profits and working with other local places to make a thriving environment to provide delicious and fun experiences for people to enjoy.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Tenacity, Keeping a spirit of learning and being humble. You will never be the best at your craft if you aren’t constantly learning and taking feed back. Setbacks are there to teach you lessons and you have to use them as momentum to push you forward and not deter you from your goals. Always being humble is a huge one especially as you start working with people that may be underneath you in an organization. No one cares about what you know until they know how much you care.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I think we are taught to just muscle through everything but taking a pause, walking away for a small break, taking a drink of water or just removing yourself from the scenario that is overwhelming even for 5 minutes makes a huge difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bradfordbakery.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradfordbakeryco/#
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bradfordbakeryco/#
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
