Meet Debbie Meritsky

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Debbie Meritsky a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Debbie, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I’d say my resilience was really forged early in life. Growing up, I faced challenges that required me to rely on myself more than most at a young age. There were moments when I could have easily gotten stuck in circumstances, but instead, I learned to build myself up piece by piece.
A big part of that came from learning to advocate for myself — not waiting for others to “rescue” me, but deciding to speak up, make choices, and move forward even when the path wasn’t clear, I realized that no one was coming to save me or protect me, that was my job! Over time, I also realized the importance of surrounding myself with a few really good people — the kind who see beyond the surface, who recognize strengths that others may not understand, and who remind you of your own potential when things get tough.
Resilience, to me, isn’t about never falling down — it’s about getting back up, again and again, and turning those experiences into a foundation for growth. I’ve taken every challenge as a chance to sharpen my focus, trust my instincts, and keep building a life that reflects who I really am.
Other qualities that shaped my resilience:
Adaptability – being willing to pivot when things don’t go as planned.
Self-awareness – knowing my limits but also pushing them when necessary.
Persistence – keeping long-term goals in view, even through setbacks.
Optimism with grit – holding onto possibility while doing the hard work to make it real.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’ve spent my life weaving together food, art, and healing into experiences that help people reconnect with themselves and their communities. Formally trained as a chef, I’ve worked over 20 years as a personal chef and caterer, owned and operated a beloved farm-to-table inn for 15 years, and developed “Eat My Granola!”—a line of custom, organically sourced blends. I founded the F.L.A.V.O.R Studio to explore creativity through art, and then rebranded to Master Repurposers upon our move to Knoxville to inspire hands-on art and sustainability. After more than 15 years teaching mosaics, resin, jewelry, and mixed media. I also co-created the Art Trail, Arts in Bloom in the Finger Lakes, helping build vibrant local connections through creativity. Beyond the kitchen and studio, I’m trained in the Root Cause Protocol (RCP), tying together nutrition, whole foods, lifestyle, and cellular healing. Whether it’s through food, art, or health coaching, my work is about transformation—helping people shift from processed to whole, from stuck to creative, from surviving to thriving. Work with me if you want a guide who blends expertise, creativity, and resilience to help you nourish your body, spark your imagination, and build a healthier, more intentional life.

connect with me at:
https://www.eatmygranolanow.net
https://www.masterrepurposers.com
[email protected]

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

Looking back, the three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are adaptability, persistence, and vision — but they were forged through real-life experiences, not theory. I’ve faced some profound losses, including the suicide of a loved one and the heartbreak of losing family connections. Those moments forced me to rebuild my reality from the ground up, to find meaning and purpose again, and to learn how to stand firmly in who I am.
Adaptability came from having to reinvent myself — moving from chef to innkeeper to artist to wellness guide — and learning to see each new chapter not as an ending, but as an evolution. Persistence was what got me through the days when grief or doubt might have stopped me; it’s the quiet discipline of showing up again and again for yourself and your vision. And vision is what allowed me to connect all these threads — food, art, and cellular healing — into a mission that helps others move from surviving to thriving.
For people early in their journey, my advice is this:
Adaptability: Be open to rewriting your story. Sometimes the life you planned isn’t the life that will fulfill you.
Persistence: When pain or setbacks come, don’t let them define you; let them refine you. Keep showing up for yourself even when no one else is watching.
Vision: Take time to know your “why.” When you’re clear on your purpose, you can build a new reality even after loss, and you’ll naturally attract the people who see you and support you.
You don’t have to have it all figured out to begin — but you do need to start building yourself up piece by piece, and to surround yourself with even a few good people who see beyond what others may not understand. That’s how resilience is born.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me actually came through loss. After losing one parent to suicide, I was left with the other, who was more focused on his own survival than on guiding me. At the time, it felt like a void — but looking back, that gap pushed me to figure things out on my own. I had to learn independence, resourcefulness, and how to be my own best advocate at a much younger age than most. Because I wasn’t handed anything, I was forced to figure it out on my own, very different than todays situations.
It wasn’t the kind of “impact” anyone hopes for, but it shaped me. It gave me a sense of resilience that I now carry into everything I do — building businesses, creating art, teaching, and guiding others in food and wellness. In a way, it taught me to not wait for someone else to give me direction, but to create my own path and surround myself with people who truly see and support me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.eatmygranolanow.net
• Instagram: https://wwwinstagram.com/eatmygranola
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eatmygranola

Image Credits

credit for all photos goes to Debbie Meritsky