Meet Ashley Simone

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Simone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.

Ashley, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
Hospitality was part of the backbone of my family. My grandfather was a Fundamentalist Baptist preacher. He’d come home from a day of calling on parishioners, bringing someone home with him and he’d ask, “Mother, do we have room at the table for another one.” And of course they always did. My own mother grew up with this mentality and it was passed on to me. I think this is where my motto as a chef came from –“Food is Love”. I add a little love into all that I do and in the food I cook. I believe in treating others with love and compassion both in business and personally. Even though at times I can be a little bit of a diva (I was a professional dancer and actress earlier in life), the way my family raised me helped me to remain humble and be generous.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As a pre-teen who was mostly a latchkey kid, I got very curious about my mother’s spice rack. For better or worse I proceeded to go through all the spices and add them to food like cooked veggies or macaroni & cheese. I think that helped my young budding palate to understand lots of different flavors. I have always been curious about food and what makes the flavors pop….or not.

But what called to me most as a teen was the stage. I took years of dance classes and was in all the musicals in high school. So it seemed natural that I would want to go to college and study dance in New York City. But Chicago was calling to me so I came back, changed schools and changed my major to theater. But I was impatient, unsatisfied, so I left home, moved to New Mexico to be near my father, and got my first job working in a restaurant as a server and part time cook. I got involved in local community theater and was delighted when the circus came through town to learn that they needed dancers. I auditioned and promptly told my boss I knew I made it and would be leaving–that was a week before I got the call, beckoning me to come to LA, hop on the train and become part of the greatest show on earth, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey. I learned about safely cooking while the train was running. Yes I learned on the circus train. On the long train runs between towns, I would bake and cook up a storm. Anyone who came through our train car would be happily fed. Food is love on wheels.

After two and a half years traveling all over the country and in Mexico while living on a train, I decided it was time to jump off. So it was back to Chicago and trying to be a performer in the city. That meant being a server and auditioning, and getting the occasional role in a film or on stage. I spent a bit of time watching cooking shows. I’m sure I learned a few things, But mostly I realized I wanted to be cooking on camera.

My first few attempts made me realize I wanted to do things right. It was time for culinary school. Finally I loved college and found I could be at my prep table for 7 AM classes. (I’m not a morning person.) Then I was ready for serious work in the culinary world–I started with a wedding catering company and ended up becoming executive chef. And I developed a cooking webseries.

Foodgasm is a webseries I filmed with my mother (and business partner) who is a filmmaker/screenwriter. We filmed 15 episodes . Personally I love the 1940’s vintage look,so I added that look into my on-camera persona. On the drive home after the first day of filming, I was filled with tears. It was the happiest moment in my life. Doing two things I love, cooking and performing.

I am grateful that along my culinary journey I have gotten the chance to work with ISI North America. They make high-end whippers (like Starbucks has for whipped cream). I am officially a Culinary Chef Ambassador for ISI and work food trade shows, do sales staff trainings and R & D (research & development of recipes). It has allowed me to really let my creative juices flow in a very professional setting.And I get to keep on top of latest food trends and showcase them in food and products. And I’ve had the chance to travel and work with many amazing chefs along the way.

While in culinary school, I worked as a personal chef on the side and gradually started doing small events. My own catering company, Zesty Catering, grew slowly and I found out what I liked doing most. I love parties. I love bringing great taste experiences to people’s celebrations and special moments. (Okay, sometimes my food is the star of the party, no matter the occasion).

Then the pandemic! In one week’s time I lost all of my business! And, like everyone in the culinary world, I had to figure out what to do.

After a few days of feeling sorry for myself, I woke up with a clear idea.. “I can bake bread for my neighbors,” I told my mother. I started posting my breads and other baked goods on Facebook to sell to neighbors and friends. I got so many requests on my personal FB page that I decided to start a FB group–Ashley’s Daily Breads and Sunday Suppers. That name was definitely a nod to my preacher grandfather.

I started offering baked goods like scones, cookies, and breads during the week and then a big dinner on Sundays. It was all contactless pick-up, perfect for during the pandemic. And like many chefs during that time, I worked out of a home kitchen since everything was shut down. Thankfully my catering has come back and my group has grown to over 1000 on FB and over 400 on my email list. I have found a local following of amazing friends and neighbors whom I got the sheer joy of feeding. I think why it clicked so well, is I helped feed people with love during very trying times. It helped me and it helped them. I am so very grateful to them on many levels.

And just this year, after many months of negotiations, I have leased a commercial kitchen space (former restaurant) and am renovating it and looking forward to a relaunch of my business, and the addition of regular cooking classes. Because I want people to experience the food is love idea from the maker’s point of view.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My palate. My work ethic. My creativity.

For palate–taste everything and often.
Work ethic–be on time, be willing to put in the work to get the job right, and treat others with respect
My creativity–sure, I love to draw and paint (something I got from my artist father) but I experience my culinary work as extremely creative, from elevating flavors, to exploring new combinations, to wowing with presentation, My advice is this–don’t be afraid to play with your food!

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Like many people of my generation, I have experienced anxiety issues. And the pandemic hasn’t made it any easier. But I have a few things that help me during times of feeling overwhelmed and stressed. First is breathing, deep slow breathing. I find just slowing down my breath and thoughts for just a moment can really help. Secondly, are lists. Boy do I love to make lists. It helps me organize my thoughts and get it down on paper ( or computer file). Seeing everything written out before me is calming. I know it can be done if it’s on my list. Lastly, yoga.Yoga is both great for my soul, my body and my mind. It helps me step away from things that are overwhelming and focus on myself for a moment.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Michelle Kaffko/Organic Headshots

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is often the x-factor that differentiates between mild and wild success. The stories of

Productivity
Beating Burnout

Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others

Leadership Development
Finding Your Why

Not knowing why you are going wherever it is that you are going sounds silly,