Meet Pamela Horowitz

We were lucky to catch up with Pamela Horowitz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Pamela, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

To me, resilience comes from within but also develops through life’s challenges, and surprises, its ups and downs. Our role models, families, circumstances in life, both personal and professional, helps shape our sense of resiliency. We model what we see and like. What works and what doesn’t, even when we don’t know the Why’s or behind the scenes story. I was the Executive Chef for the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia when 9/11 happened. I watched the entire calendar of business wipe out in one day and shortly after became a stay at home mom taking our kids to pre-school and play dates instead of working on menu development. Our own catering business was born in the wake of 9/11. One dinner or reception at a time, working out of our house, then a church then a gourmet store and finally outfitting our commissary. During the early years while working out of our house, my parents were simultaneously killed by a drunk driver as they were crossing the street, hand in hand, celebrating their 47th wedding anniversary. It leveled my world. I had never known such darkness. Our children, then ages 6 and 4, (now 29 and 27) were thankfully unaware of such sadness and had my husband to guide them- and me- through emotionally treacherous times. His unwavering commitment to our family helped all of us but especially me. A healthy dose of grief counseling also guided me to navigate everything from dealing with the business of death to understanding our newly defined family. One second, then one minute, then one hour then one day until eventually you can think.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Our catering business was booming and we started to search for a venue which led us to Texas. We purchased Hummingbird Hollow in the Piney Woods of East Texas. I lived in Philadelphia while my husband lived in Texas on our 32 acre, gorgeous, garden property. Boom along comes Covid and flatlined both businesses! I decided it was time to move too so sold our home and reinvented myself. I became a Master Gardener, was invited to attend Landscape Design at Texas A & M, juried my first art show, learned to play canasta, applied for and received a greenhouse and water harvesting grant and have met a slew of new people along the way. We launched Texas Foodie Adventures, a private dining concept featuring custom designed 5 course Chef’s Tasting menus based on each guests’ dining guidelines. Relaxed luxury is what we strive for and our accommodations, flower and vegetable gardens all play their roles in allowing guests to unplug and unwind. We still do events and now offer our guests an exceptional experience immersed in nature coupled with great food. Feedback has been beyond what I could have expected and I really enjoy blowing guests away especially since they have no idea what they are going to eat. You can buy people anything except a surprise. Trust is huge and we really like to deliver!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Stop, look and listen. Give people your undivided attention when they are speaking to you, especially if they are higher up on the ladder or head of the class. They’re juggling much more than you can imagine. Saying nothing is important but so is asking the right questions and you can’t do it if you’re not paying attention.
2. Treat everyone with kindness. It doesn’t cost you anything to be nice and you never know who is watching or where it goes. Contribution comes from everyone and as you grow, you will need everyone along the way to make your job easier.
3. Don’t give up. Even when you think you can’t, you can. Dig deep to find the path forward which may look completely different than anyone else’s. Remember, different people define success differently so weigh your options carefully and run all scenarios by someone you trust implicitly

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

My parents were tragically and horrifically killed by a drunk driver as they were crossing the street, hand in hand, on their 47th wedding anniversary. Their untimely deaths taught me how fragile life is. One minute you’re here and the next, you’re gone. Their lives and passing remined me of the importance of living every day to the fullest. Prior to their tragic death’s, they taught me the importance of hard work and family. I grew up in a family business and was born with an entrepreneurial spirit, innovation, creativity and self reliance.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hummingbirdhollow.net www.texasfoodieadventures.com
• Instagram: @Hummingbirdhollow.weddings @texasfoodieadventuresofficial
• Facebook: Hummingbird Hollow Texas Foodie Adventures

Image Credits

Marie Leu
Ashley Timmons