Chef Amy Emberling: A Conversation From Zingerman's Bakehouse

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I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUEST IS AMY EMBERLING.

SHE JOINS US FROM MICHIGAN…..

WHERE...….. SHE’S A FOUNDING BAKER …..AND PARTNER AT ZINGERMAN’S BAKEHOUSE.

EMBERLING GREW UP IN NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA.

SHE LEARNED TO COOK AND BAKE IN PARIS…. AND AT RESTAURANTS AROUND MICHIGAN.

HER JOURNEY TO THE PRESENT MOMENT IS NOT TRADITIONAL…..IN FACT HIGHER EDUCATION IS WOVEN IN…..

EMBERLING ATTENDED HARVARD UNIVERSITY…. WHERE SHE STUDIED SOCIAL MOVEMENTS…… AND SHE RECEIVED HER MBA FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. 

WE’LL BE DISCUSSING…. 

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND FOOD…..

ALSO…….WE’LL DISCUSS AN IDEA THAT DIVIDES PEOPLE INTO TWO GROUPS:

'FIXED' MINDSET…….AND ‘GROWTH' MINDSET…..WE’LL EXPLORE HOW OUR BELIEFS ABOUT OUR CAPABILITIES…. CAN INFLUENCE HOW WE LEARN…. AND WHICH PATHS WE TAKE IN LIFE…..

PLUS….WE’RE ALL JUGGLING A MILLION THINGS…..AND CONSTANTLY ON THE MOVE AND SO ARE OUR THOUGHTS….. WE’LL TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING OUT OF OUR HEADS….AND PUTTING OVERTHINKING… ON THE BACK BURNER…

SO I’LL START BY ASKING…..AS WE ALWAYS DO….AMY…..

 “HAVE YOU EATEN YET?”......

THIS COULD BE A MEAL FROM TODAY  …...OR….. IT COULD BE A MEAL FROM ANYTIME IN YOUR LIFE…. THAT YOU HAVE A REALLY GREAT MEMORY ABOUT…..

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

EARLY CAREER

IN 1988 YOU MOVED TO ANN ARBOR….

YOU WORKED IN SOME LOCAL RESTAURANTS DURING THAT TIME… 

WHAT WAS THE ANN ARBOR RESTAURANT SCENE LIKE WHEN YOU ARRIVED ? 

….WHAT TYPE OF RESTAURANTS WERE YOU WORKING IN? ……..WHAT WERE YOU DOING AT THESE RESTAURANTS?.... WERE YOU A BAKER AT THIS POINT?

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

BAKEHOUSE

IN 1992 YOU BECOME ONE OF THE ORIGINAL BAKERS….. WHEN ZINGERMAN’S BAKEHOUSE OPENED….

I’M GOING TO ROLL A FEW QUESTIONS INTO ONE…WITH THE INTENTION OF HAVING YOU TAKE US BACK TO THOSE EARLY DAYS…. 

AS YOU ALL ARE LAUNCHING THIS BUSINESS………HOW BIG OR SMALL IS YOUR TEAM ?....... ANY CHALLENGES THAT STAND OUT ? …….

ANY HIGHLIGHTS THAT YOU’RE PROUD OF ? …… WHAT WAS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU BACK THEN? ……..

BASICALLY I’M TRYING TO GET THE OVERALL FEEL… FOR THIS TIME IN YOUR LIFE……

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

PARIS

AND THEN YOU LEAVE ANN ARBOR……FOR PARIS…….YOU DECIDE THAT YOU WANT TO GO TO COOKING SCHOOL THERE….TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND YOUR SKILLS….

HOW LONG DID YOU PLAN ON BEING THERE?....WHAT PROMPTED THIS DECISION IN YOUR LIFE?

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

WHAT WAS IT LIKE AS AN AMERICAN WOMAN WORKING IN A KITCHEN IN PARIS DURING THIS TIME? 

ANY DIFFERENCES OR SIMILARITIES TO THE U.S. ? 

DID YOU SPEAK FRENCH FLUENTLY ? WAS THERE A LANGUAGE BARRIER FOR YOU ?

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

THE CALL

AND THEN YOU RETURN TO THE U.S……YOU MOVE TO NEW YORK CITY…..

AND WHILE YOU’RE THERE…. ZINGERMAN’S CALLS YOU…..AND OFFERS YOU THE TITLE OF CO-MANAGING PARTNER OF THE BAKEHOUSE……..

WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN NY WHEN YOU GET THAT CALL? ARE YOU WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY…. AT A BAKERY OR RESTAURANT? 

AND …..WHAT THOUGHTS ARE GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU RECEIVE THIS OFFER?

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT THIS PATH… WAS THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOU?

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

AMY, YOU ATTENDED HARVARD UNIVERSITY…. WHERE YOU STUDIED SOCIAL MOVEMENTS…… AND YOU RECEIVED YOUR MBA FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. 

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO STUDY SOCIAL MOVEMENTS ? WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS TOPIC ?

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS & FOOD

I’D LIKE TO DISCUSS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND FOOD…AS YOU SEE IT…..

WHEN I MENTION THIS CONNECTION…..WHAT’S THE FIRST IDEA THAT CROSSES YOUR MIND?  

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

MOMENT OF IMPACT

IS THERE A SPECIFIC MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER WHERE YOU HAD A STRONG FEELING…… THAT YOU WERE CREATING THIS CONNECTION…..WHERE IN THAT MOMENT ……MAYBE YOU SAID..…

“IF I DIDN’T HAVE BOTH MY EDUCATIONAL AND CULINARY EXPERIENCE…..THIS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW”........

OR…. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS NATURALLY ALL THE TIME?

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

MINDSET

IN HER BOOK, "MINDSET"...... PSYCHOLOGIST CAROL DWECK SAYS THAT SUCCESS COMES FROM HAVING THE RIGHT MINDSET……… RATHER THAN INTELLIGENCE, TALENT OR EDUCATION. 

THE BASIC IDEA DIVIDES PEOPLE INTO TWO GROUPS:

'FIXED' MINDSET…….AND…… ‘GROWTH' MINDSET…..

PEOPLE WITH A FIXED MINDSET BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE BORN WITH CERTAIN INTELLIGENCE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES THAT CANNOT CHANGE.

A GROWTH MINDSET MEANS THAT YOU THRIVE ON CHALLENGE…..AND DON'T SEE FAILURE AS A WAY TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF…… BUT AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR GROWTH…… AND DEVELOPING…. YOUR ABILITIES. 

AMY, DO YOU THINK THAT SUCCESS…. IN BOTH OUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES  …..CAN BE INFLUENCED BY HOW WE THINK ABOUT OURSELVES ?

AND….DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR BELIEFS…. INFLUENCED WHICH PATHS… YOU’VE TAKEN IN LIFE….

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

THOUGHTS

THOUGHTS RUN THROUGH OUR MINDS CONSTANTLY….SOMETIMES WE ALL CAN GET INTO OUR HEADS TOO MUCH….AND OVERTHINK……

RECENTLY I READ A GREAT ANALOGY FOR THOUGHTS….. FROM AUTHOR PAM GROUT:

HERE IT IS:

“THEY’RE LIKE A LINE OF ANTS MARCHING ACROSS YOUR PICNIC BLANKET. 

YOU CAN CHOOSE TO OBSERVE THEM AS THEY KEEP ON MARCHING….. STRAIGHT OFF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BLANKET…. AND DISAPPEAR……OR….. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO SCOOP THEM UP…. AND INTERACT WITH THEM……MAKE THEM YOUR FOCUS……FUSS OVER THEM……. AND THEY’LL PROBABLY BITE YOU TOO.”

AMY, HOW DO YOU CHOOSE WHICH THOUGHTS TO ENGAGE WITH?

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

FINDING INSPIRATION

HOW DO YOU CONTINUE TO FIND INSPIRATION EACH YEAR ? ......

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

FUTURE

WHAT DOES YOUR IDEAL FUTURE LOOK LIKE ?......

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

SYNCHRONICITIES

HAVE THERE EVER BEEN ANY SIGNS OR SYNCHRONICITIES IN YOUR LIFE…. THAT LED TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU….. IN THIS INDUSTRY? ……. 

IF SO, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE MOMENT….

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

FLOW STATE:

A FLOW STATE, ALSO KNOWN AS BEING IN THE ZONE…. IS THE MENTAL STATE WHEN A PERSON IS PERFORMING AN ACTIVITY….. AND IS FULLY IMMERSED…. IN A FEELING OF ENERGIZED FOCUS, CLARITY  AND ENJOYMENT…. IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS…..

IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE WORK….IT’S EFFORTLESS ATTENTION….. THAT YOU’RE GIVING THE ACTIVITY…..IT’S A EUPHORIC FEELING… 

IT’S DURING THIS ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS…. THAT YOUR MIND FUNCTIONS… AT ITS PEAK….AND A SENSE OF HAPPINESS… FLOWS THROUGH YOUR BODY.

FOR YOU IT COULD BE AS YOU’RE BAKING PERHAPS…..

I’M WONDERING …..IF YOU’VE YOU EVER REACHED THIS STATE ?.....

IF YOU HAVE….PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR SURROUNDINGS…. LEADING IT UP TO IT….

AND WHAT IT FELT LIKE…. BEING IN THAT STATE?

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

TAKEAWAY:

AMY, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US …

I BELIEVE THAT THE JOURNEY…. IS ALWAYS GREATER THAN THE DESTINATION. 

IT’S ON THE PATH THAT WE LEARN….EVOLVE AND….. ENCOUNTER LESSONS…. THAT SHAPE US…. INTO OUR BEST SELVES.

I ALWAYS LIKE ENDING THE PODCAST…. BY ASKING…. IF THERE’S ANY TAKEAWAY THAT YOU’D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH LISTENERS…... THAT CAN POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THEIR LIVES.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED…. A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED ON YOUR JOURNEY…. OR GENERAL LIFE ADVICE THAT YOU LIVE BY ….…

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

AND WHERE OR HOW …..IS THE BEST WAY FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT…. OR GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU  ?

[[AMY EMBERLING DISCUSSES]]

OUTRO:

THANKS FOR LISTENING….AND IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY….... FOLLOW  “HAVE YOU EATEN YET?” ….WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS….

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