Chef Anna Gordon: A Conversation From The Good Batch In Brooklyn

[MUSIC]]

I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUEST IS CHEF ANNA GORDON.

SHE JOINS US FROM BROOKLYN…..

WHERE SHE’S FOUNDER AND CHEF…. OF THE GOOD BATCH.

CHEF GORDON STARTED OUT SELLING COOKIES AT THE BROOKLYN FLEA BACK IN 20-10……THEN LAUNCHED HER BAKERY….

AND MOST RECENTLY….. CREATED A LINE OF…. ICE CREAM SANDWICHES….. SOLD IN MARKETS…. ON THE EAST COAST….

WE’LL BE DISCUSSING…. 

THE JOURNEY TO PREGNANCY…. WHILE RUNNING A THRIVING  BUSINESS  …….

AND…… IF YOU WANT SUCCESS…..YOU NEED TO PURSUE HAPPINESS…..MANY PEOPLE CHASE ACHIEVEMENT…… ASSUMING IT WILL LEAD TO WELL-BEING….BUT A NEW IDEA ARGUES…….THEY SHOULD REVERSE THAT ORDER….

PLUS…..ACHIEVEMENTS HAPPEN…..WHEN FOCUS…. IS FRONT AND CENTER……CHEF GORDON WEIGHS IN….. ON WHAT IT TAKES TO IMPLEMENT FOCUS….. IN LIFE……

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

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

BROOKLYN FLEA

YOU STARTED YOUR COMPANY BACK IN 20-10…..TAKE US BACK TO THAT TIME….WHEN YOU’RE SELLING COOKIES AT THE BROOKLYN FLEA……

PLEASE DESCRIBE AN AVERAGE DAY IN YOUR LIFE BACK THEN….AND…..WHAT THE FOOD SCENE IN BROOKLYN WAS LIKE ?

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

WHAT WERE YOU DOING PROFESSIONALLY BEFORE BAKING ?

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

YOUR HUSBAND JOINED THE GOOD BATCH FULL-TIME IN 2013…..WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE TO GET TO THAT POINT….. FOR HIM TO TAKE THAT LEAP…. AND JOIN YOU ?......DID HE LEAVE ANOTHER PROFESSION ?....... HOW DID YOU BOTH KNOW THAT THE TIME WAS RIGHT ?

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

WHAT DID THIS NEW PARTNERSHIP MEAN FOR THE BUSINESS ?

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

BAKERY

IN 20-14 YOU OPENED YOUR BAKERY…. 

I’D LOVE FOR YOU TO GO BACK TO THAT TIME…AND BREAK DOWN THE PROCESS….FROM IDEA…..TO FINDING A BUILDING….LEASE NEGOTIATIONS…..AND CREATING THE CONCEPT….

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

WHAT WAS OPENING DAY LIKE…..AND THE TRANSITION INTO THE FIRST TWO YEARS….ANY HURDLES…. OR HIGHLIGHTS…. THAT STAND OUT ?

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

JOURNEY TO PREGNANCY WHILE RUNNING A THRIVING  BUSINESS   

YOU HAVE TWO YOUNG DAUGHTERS….. ROXY AND JOSEPHINE…..

BUT YOU ACTUALLY FOUND OUT THAT YOU  WERE PREGNANT WITH YOUR FIRST CHILD…. TWO DAYS…. AFTER YOU OPENED THE BAKERY……..I’D LOVE FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT BOTH OF YOUR PREGNANCIES….YOUR FIRST  JOURNEY….. WHILE LAUNCHING YOUR BAKERY…. AND YOUR SECOND….WHILE RUNNING A THRIVING  BUSINESS……

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

MOST RECENTLY YOU LAUNCHED A LINE OF ICE CREAM SANDWICHES….THAT ARE SOLD IN MARKETS…. HERE ON THE EAST COAST…..

WAS THAT ALWAYS A LONG-TERM GOAL ?….OR DID THE PANDEMIC HELP CREATE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND EXPANSION ?

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

MEDITATION

I READ THAT YOU LIKE TO START YOUR DAY STRETCHING, MOVING AND MEDITATING….

WHAT HAS YOUR PATH TO MEDITATION BEEN LIKE…… HAVE YOU ALWAYS 

PRACTICED ?....OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU LEARNED LATER IN LIFE ?.....

ALSO, WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEDITATION, MANTRA OR PRAYER ?

 [[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

SUCCESS = HAPPINESS

ARTHUR C. BROOKS WRITES A GREAT COLUMN IN THE ATLANTIC….HIS WORDS OFTEN MOVE ME….ONE OF HIS RECENT COLUMNS FOCUSED ON CHASING SUCCESS…..HE EXPLAINS THAT IF YOU WANT SUCCESS…..YOU NEED TO PURSUE HAPPINESS…..

MANY PEOPLE CHASE ACHIEVEMENT….. ASSUMING IT WILL LEAD TO WELL-BEING….

HE ARGUES THAT THEY SHOULD REVERSE THAT ORDER….HE SAYS QUOTE: 

“ WHETHER YOU ARE AN EMPLOYEE OR EMPLOYER….. IT’S A BETTER INVESTMENT TO INCREASE HAPPINESS AT WORK…AND IN LIFE….RATHER THAN SIMPLY TRYING TO INCREASE MEASURES OF SUCCESS….” 

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS IDEA ?

 [[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

THOUGHTS

IF I SAY……”YOUR THOUGHTS CREATE……….   YOUR WORDS SHAPE”….WHAT’S THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND ?……IT COULD BE A TIME IN YOUR LIFE ? A FAVORITE QUOTE ?....ANYTHING….

 [[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

FOCUS

CHEF GORDON YOU’VE BIRTHED AN IDEA……LAUNCHED A BUSINESS….OPENED A PHYSICAL LOCATION FOR YOUR BAKERY…..CREATED A FROZEN FOOD LINE…..

FOR EACH OF THOSE PROJECTS TO TAKE OFF….. YOU NEED A LASER FOCUS…..SO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT FOCUS….WHAT IT TAKES TO HAVE ONE….AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU….

FOR ME…..I’LL SHARE MY PERSONAL NUGGET OF LIFE WISDOM….. WHEN IT COMES TO FOCUS…..SOMETIMES WHEN WE TRY TO PLAN TOO MUCH….. OR UNDERSTAND HOW IT WILL COME TO US…… WE MIGHT MISS OPPORTUNITIES………FOR THOSE SYNCHRONISTIC MOMENTS TO HAPPEN…..

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH FOCUS….

 [[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

BOOK

IN THE LAST YEAR WHAT BOOK…. STANDS OUT IN YOUR MIND….. THAT POSITIVELY IMPACTED YOUR LIFE THE MOST… 

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

FINDING INSPIRATION

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

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

FUTURE

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

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON 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….

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON 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?

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

TAKEAWAY:

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 ….…

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

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

[[CHEF ANNA GORDON DISCUSSES]]

OUTRO:

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

[[MUSIC]]