We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tina Cusker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tina below.
Hi Tina, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I believe my work ethic came from both genetics and family expectations (nurture). My ancestors came to Montana from Ireland and Germany. They were farmers; hardworking, resilient, focused people with aspirations for a new life, and new opportunities for their families. The people who committed their lives to moving west and farming the land were not weak people. That lifestyle required endurance, fortitude and probably a whole lot of stubbornness. When I was 6 years old, we moved onto the family farm where my father remains a 3rd generation farmer on the land east of Billings, along the banks of the Yellowstone River. My memories are very clear of pulling weeds in the sugar beet fields, scraping and painting barns with a brush, mowing acres of grass every week in the summer, and laying out gated pipe among our 700+ acres of irrigated farmland. It was modeled for me daily there is work to be done and you get up each day and make it happen. You don’t have to like the chores, you don’t have to find it fun all the time, but you take pride in what you create by taking care of it to the best of your ability.
Most of my family, to include my grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts/uncles are independent, small business owners. Before I opened my business, I was one of a very few who relied on government related employment for a living. My husband was an active duty Air Force office for 25 years and I was a teacher. It was modeled for me from the beginning of my life that small businesses are the heartbeat of the country, and our opportunity to make a difference in our communities. It was expected from a very young age that I contribute to that community. First, by learning to wrap gifts during the holiday season at my grandmother’s clothing store and helping on the farm. Later, I learned retail sales and merchandising which surely is foundational to what I do every day in my own store.
During high school and college summers, I typically held up to 3 jobs at a time. During the school year, a part time job in addition to significant time demands on the drill team, school work, all while still helping on the farm. There was never a question if I would work and learn to pay for a lot of my own expenses. It was simply understood I would.
Today, I am an incredibly driven person, striving to make a difference in my community. There are times when I believe it is an unhealthy form of workaholism, because it is very difficult for me to take time off, decompress and to simply rest. Simply put, I take great pride in all I do. I strive to represent quality, dedication and perseverance to complete tasks and do them well. It was somewhat drilled into me as a child, “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”
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?
La Cuisine is a French-inspired boutique kitchen store and culinary classroom in Bozeman, Montana. We specialize in unique, high-quality European and Montana-made products for your kitchen and dining table. Whether you’re looking for beautiful cookware, elegant serving pieces, or thoughtful gifts, we’ve got you covered with our personalized kitchen curations tailored for cooking and entertaining at home.
At La Cuisine, we also believe in bringing people together through the joy of cooking. Our weekly classes, led by local chefs and culinary experts, are designed to inspire confidence and creativity in the kitchen, no matter your skill level. It’s more than a store—it’s a space to connect, learn, and celebrate the art of cooking and hosting.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My tech skills have most likely made the biggest difference in my entrepreneurial journey. Prior to opening my business, I spent a career in K-12 education, with my final 5 years at the university level, teaching aspiring teachers. As an early adopter for technology and many years spent teaching others to use and integrate technology gave me the broad experience to effectively implement web design, a CMS, a point of sale system, digital marketing strategies and financial management – all without having to hire someone else. Honestly, I don’t know how you could run a successful business in today’s marketplace without advanced tech skills.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
My greatest obstacle right now is related to staffing. Our business has grown between 20-30% each year. It’s an unsustainable pace without the right staff in place to grow with it. Finding a store manager with the right skills, of similar drive and expertise, and the respect to treat my business as if it were their own is key to our future. I am working with an organizational consultant to identify staff strengths and responsibilities, set firm expectations and develop a team culture that can see beyond the here and now. I cannot continue to work at the pace I have been and I need the right teammates who are willing to do the work to take us to the next level.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lacuisine-bozeman.com
- Instagram: @LaCuisineBZN
- Facebook: LaCuisineBZN
Image Credits
PC: Christina Samuelson Portraits
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