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St yle Ma rketing Soci a l Med i a Inspiration Business Ca rds Favorites Essentrics Wh iskey Ca ke Shopping Guide

One Tough Cookie

WriteYour

Manifesto

$48 Million DollarRecipe for Success

Declare Your Business Goals

Do-Gooding Redefining Modern Day Slavery

CAKE WHISKEY&The Sweet & Spirited World of Business

Say Something

GreatJodi Glickman is

‘Great on the Job’

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Editors

Copyright: All images contained in CAKE&WHISKEY are subject to copyright of the artist or photographer as named, but not limited to. Reproduction of any part of this magazine without prior written permission is prohibited.

Disclaimer: The views and comments expressed by the authors are not always that of the editors or publishers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, CAKE&WHISKEY accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences including any loss or damage arising from the reliance on information in this publication.

Megan SmithFounder, Publisher, Editor-in-Chief

[email protected]

Sarah Jane SandersPhoto Editor

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Lina FletcherCopy Editor

Advertising Sales [email protected]

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Cont ents

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Cont entsFeatures

One Tough CookieHow a cookie recipe became a

$48 million dollar business. Do-Gooding

Rallying against the reality of modern day slavery

Say Something GreatJodi Glickman is Great on the Job

Write Your ManifestoDefine and Declare Your Personal

and Business Goals

In Every IssueFavorite Things

Business Cards

Style Guide

Social Media

Essentrics

Cake Recipe

Whiskey Recipe

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On the Cover:Andrew Kung- Photographer

Catherine Jones- Model/Hair/Makeup

Headpiece - Fielden Wilmott


Stella Parks graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, where she received

high marks in “Playing with Chocolate” and “Baking Yummy Things.” Food & Wine Magazine named her one of America’s Best New Pastry Chefs. She writes for Serious Eats, Gilt Taste and her own blog, BraveTart.com. Find her on Twitter at @thebravetart.

Tamia Stinson is a stylist, project manager, independent ice cream taster,

and Purple Rain aficionado. She’s also the culprit behind fashion and lifestyle blog TheStyleSample.com, which was named a top blog by Forbes Magazine.

Lori Rice is an author and columnist living in the Bay Area. Her blog, Fake

Food Free, celebrated its fourth anniversary in 2012. A freelance social media manager, Lori continues to focus her energy on how the evolving field of social media can be used to communicate with and market to others globally about food and health.www.Fakefoodfree.com

Elizabeth Troutman-Adams says she found the secrets to southern

hospitality in her grandmother’s recipe box. Most days you’ll find Elizabeth writing, practicing yoga, volunteering at the local literacy center, and playing with her French bulldog Linus. She shares her experiences at her blog, Bluegrassgoodness.com

Morgan Cecil lives in Portland with her husband, her superhero son Lucca,

and her daughter Emmanuelle Poem. One day you might find her blogging again at Morgandaycecil.com but right now she spends most of her non-mommying hours on a yoga mat or drinking a pint of beer with her honey. She wishes you grace & peace, romance & adventure, and wholeness in the pursuit of your dreams.

Sahra Esmonde-White splits her time between London, Toronto, NY and

Montreal working with actresses, models and athletes who call her Essentrics workout their “Best Obsession.” She produces TV shows and DVDs for both the Classical Stretch and Essentrics workouts, as well as The Esmonde-White House. Essentrics.com &Esmondewhitehouse.com


•editors page“Why ‘cake and whiskey’?” This is often the first question I receive when talking about CAKE&WHISKEY magazine. My answer? Because I love both. Really, I do!In reality, the initial concept had nothing at all to do with a magazine. One afternoon, in my small, sunny kitchen, I was feeling energized by an early coffee meeting with a smart business gal. I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite ways to channel excitable energy is through baking. As I sifted flour and creamed butter, I thought about the morning’s conversation and about many other conversations I had recently been having with other businesswomen of all backgrounds, careers and stages in their journey. I wondered, “Would it be possible to ignite this same positive energy and empowerment by introducing businesswomen at after work get-togethers?Naturally, food and drink would play an important role in such gatherings. Cake seemed like a perfect fit. But what should we drink? Wine or tea seemed too “girlie” and beer or soda not nearly “festive” enough. Vodka shouted “let’s get our party on” and coffee sounded much too boring. Whiskey! Yes…whiskey sounded like a perfectly acceptable after-work drink. Cake and whiskey ~ perhaps I was onto something. I adored the play on words—the feminine and masculine, the delicate and strong, the sweet and spirited. Those two simple yet opposing words seemed to represent what every successful businesswoman required in today’s competitive business landscape. Soon enough, quarterly CAKE&WHISKEY gatherings began in our charming city, with dozens of women eating cake, drinking whiskey and talking shop. The feedback from these initial meetings was immensely positive—the women enjoyed the connection, the diversity of thought, the avenue to share ideas and stories, the energy and inspiration, and of course, the cake and the whiskey.Over time, I began wondering how the positive results of these gatherings could be shared with a larger group of women. Of course, CAKE&WHISKEY gatherings could be expanded to other cities. But what about a magazine? Yes! It almost seemed like a necessity. As much as I would pour over business magazines at the local bookstore searching for “hot topic” ideas to discuss at our next group, I was completely uninspired by the business magazines currently offered on newsstands or through digital media. What I was looking for was something tangible that I could hold that would create in me that same stirring, excitement, support and inspiration that I drew from the stories I heard over a coffee date or a CAKE&WHISKEY meet up. In the past decade, I have traveled

the world and met entrepreneurial women, corporate women, dreamers, goal setters and risk takers that, like me, love connecting with other likeminded women over coffee to feel challenged, encouraged and inspired but lack either the time or the camaraderie. CAKE&WHISKEY magazine is that cup of coffee. It’s a magazine that I liken to a story book. Stories of women who have defied odds, have come against enormous challenges and faced fear head-on to pursue their dreams, take that next step, or climb to a higher level. There are millions of us, although sometimes we may feel like the only one. The women featured within the 40 pages of this promo issue have faced those challenges. They have put the black stripes under their eyes and have said “game on” to rising to the occasion, growing their company, facing fears, seeking justice for those who cannot and learning the fine art of discovering their voice in the workplace. I would love to connect with YOU over a cup of coffee someday. But until then, feel free to drop me a line anytime. I’d love to hear from you~And if you’d like to host a CAKE&WHISKEY gathering in your city, reach out. Let’s get you started~

Cheers~Megan

Winsome & Green’s owner, Christa spends days with her family of seven where she is carving out a life in the heart of Appalachia and harboring big dreams for the future.

The greatest inspiration for her work with skin and body essentials comes from her children. “In their eyes I find reasons to make products not dependent upon human and planetary strife.”

Etsy.com/shop/WinsomeGreen

Why C&W loves it! The packaging design is fresh and clean and absolutely beautiful and the Honey Bee Lip Balm is

an essential daily (hourly for us lip balm junkies) habit we’ve happily formed.

Favorites


FavoritesWendy Downs is the founder of Moop which she started 5 ½ years ago

in Massachusetts. The Paperback is a small versatile bag that folds over to be more compact and unfolds into a small tote when you need to carry more.

Moopshop.com

Why C&W loves it! It’s the perfect size for toting our iPads to meetings at the local Mexican joint and still leaves

room for our mint gum (post salsa eating), lip gloss, wallet and phone.



LOKTAH began as a single idea to create natural packaging for clients to showcase how eco-friendly products can actually be a stunning work of art.

From farm tables that make a statement in a boardroom to laptop bags and unique, custom branding materials, LOKTAH is setting a new precedent in the world of

business marketing materials and products. www.Loktah.com

Why C&W loves it! Here at C&W we regularly swoon over LOKTAH’s products. We love that all of our press kits, media folders and presentation

packets can be customized with the CAKE&WHISKEY logo~ which is just one simple, yet stunning way to make a great first impression.


Penelope’s PressOut of a deep-seated love affair for paper and armed with an entrepreneurial spirit, Debbie Lee traded

her realtor’s hat for a printer’s apron and opened shop in the summer of 2009 outside Chicago, Illinois.

A mix of wood and metal type or photopolymer plates is linked and pressed into the paper, one sheet at

a time and one color at a time. on vintage presses. A true labor of love.

PenelopePress.com


NancyNikkoDesignAfter working in the retail industry for several years as a buyer of gift wrap and stationery, Nancy began designing greeting cards

under her own name. Selling wholesale to stores around the country, it wasn’t until 2011 that the Nancy Nikko line expanded to

include personalized items.

Today Nancy combines her love of painting, illustration and graphic design to produce paper products targeting small business

promotions and personalized gifts. While Nancy has many goals for her company, she considers her day successful if spent equally

between drawing board and computer. Nancy Nikko specializes in personalized wine labels, bookplates, calling cards and other

stationery delights.

NancyNikko.com

Style

Mixing menswear tailoring with softer fabrics makes a statement that says confident and in control in the boardroom. A variation of the classic three-piece suit gets a dose of femininity with a floral blouse and surprisingly versatile platform heels.


Layering is key for cooler weather, so indulge in the

velvet trend (as seen on the runways at Burberry and Armani) with a pair

of wide-leg velvet trousers. Pair them with a classic

oxford shirt and roll up the sleeves to reveal a bright

long-sleeved tee for a look that’s both professional

and fabulous.

So m e t h i n g about the crisp fall weather invites the use

of textures and layering. After the relaxed ease of summer, it feels good to hit the office in seriously tailored separates.



OneTough Cookie


At a stately home on the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio an American flag above the front door welcomes guests, as does Bradley, a sweet natured English Spaniel. Behind the large oak door is an intimate foyer and just down the hall, a sunny kitchen overlooking the perfectly manicured backyard.

Sweet Home Alabama is playing on the small TV next to the cookbooks as Cheryl Krueger moves about grabbing cake plates and forks for an afternoon chat over cake and whiskey. Spending an afternoon with Cheryl is like getting an MBA in one sitting. Delightfully overwhelming.

As a daughter of northern Ohio farmers and the first in her family to go to college, Cheryl went with a career in home economics in mind. But a job at a local clothing store became the first in a long line of business experiences that would ultimately set a course for Cheryl’s career and life. Fresh out of college Cheryl was hired by Burdines, Florida’s leading department store chain. Cheryl saw the fast growing Burdines as the perfect opportunity to gain valuable experience and to advance quickly. Her instincts were right. Within 13 months she was promoted to buyer and soon after The Limited, based in Columbus, Ohio, took notice and offered her a senior management position. The opportunity to work at the corporate headquarters of a rapidly growing American apparel company under the leadership of CEO Les Wexner was an opportunity too great to pass up.

For five years Cheryl contributed to building The Limited brand. She talks with incredible passion about what she learned during those years. “A visionary is someone that has the ability to see the invisible and do the impossible. This is Les Wexner.” When Cheryl started with The Limited in 1976 the brand had only 80 stores. For her it proved to be an immeasurable blessing to work closely with Wexner in the early years for mentorship and leadership. “He really understands business. When he bought Victoria’s Secret he said that he would make it the number one lingerie brand within 20 years and he did.” She’s quick to say that her mentor wasn’t one for giving unsolicited advice though. “He would never say what you should or shouldn’t do. But when you were a part of his conversations and paid attention you could pick up on his strategic thinking, watch his actions, his thought patterns and his process and learn so much.”

By 1981 Cheryl, who had been jet setting around the globe for nearly a decade, was looking to settle into a less travel intensive life. She left The Limited for what she hoped would be a temporary job in New York City with Chaus Sportswear. Because what was starting to simmer on the backburner was an idea, a concept and a dream that would give Cheryl an opportunity to test her corporate background experience and finally spread her entrepreneurial wings. This idea was the start of what would become known as Cheryl & Co., the leading cookie, gourmet food and gift basket company in the world.

As a child Cheryl would spend countless hours each week making meals with her grandmother for the men in the fields. Breakfast, dinner and supper were served daily and Cheryl’s task was baking batches of cookies from her grandmother’s recipe book. “My grandmother had such a joy in baking and having her to show me the joy in the everyday tasks was so amazing,” reminisces Cheryl. Over the years Cheryl continued making cookies for neighbors and friends. It was for her, a source of comfort to recreate the recipes from her young days on the farm.

The idea for a cookie company came during Cheryl’s travels from coast to coast where she took note of the growing businesses of Mrs. Fields on the West Coast and David’s Cookies on the East Coast. There was a gap in the Midwest market and Cheryl knew she could fill it. She toured the David’s Cookies facilities while on a buying trip to New York and considered franchising. But seeing the operation and learning it would take a quarter million dollars to open her own, she knew it wasn’t the business model for her. Armed with knowledge and determination, Cheryl was confident she had what it would take launch a successful cookie business of her own. “I think this is where women make the mistake today. I had the discipline of business behind me. I could say ‘yes or no’. I think a lot of women get really emotionally involved with their business. They think they’ll be able to figure out a way to make it work because they like the idea of something without thinking through the business model.” And thinking through a business model is exactly what this now business consultant preaches. Recently Cheryl sat down with a young woman filled with hopes of launching a cake pop business. The product was gorgeous. It tasted fantastic. But the eager entrepreneur didn’t know the least bit about developing a business plan or forecasting the future of her business. Cheryl asked, “How much are you willing to put into this company? What’s the number? You need to pick a number


you are willing to flush down the toilet. Because 9 out of 10 businesses will fail in the first 5 years.”

This hardnosed focus and business sense is what made Cheryl & Co. the one out of ten that not only survived but thrived. Every weekend for three years Cheryl would travel from her full time job in New York City to Columbus, Ohio, spending her weekends building Cheryl & Co. from the ground up. “You have to be resourceful when no one will lend you money,” was Cheryl’s answer when asked how she tolerated such a grueling schedule. “When I first went to the bank I told them I was going to start a cookie company and they looked at me like I was crazy.” And who could blame them? With over 100 linear feet of cookies on any supermarket shelf why did Cheryl think her cookie business would succeed? Because what Cheryl knew in her heart was that her concept and branding would be different. This would not be just another cookie to add to the shelf. This explanation didn’t ease the lender’s fears but Cheryl, undeterred, continued to use her well paying job to cash flow her young business in the early days.

Marketing and InnovationCheryl’s Cookies (later named Cheryl & Co.) opened its first store

front location in the fall of 1981 in Columbus, Ohio. Eventually a 2nd location was opened in Columbus and soon after a 3rd in Indianapolis. What set Cheryl & Co. apart from day one was its avante garde approach to marketing. “Everyone in the industry was doing chunk cookies and chip cookies but no one was doing seasonal cookies. Our first big breakthrough came when we launched our seasonal cookie campaign.” Cheryl & Co. became known for their seasonal icing covered sugar cookies almost right out of the gate. Christmas Trees, Shamrocks, Easter Eggs, Fathers Day Ties and Valentine hearts were just a few that would make an appearance on the bakery shelves and in the pages of their catalog throughout the year. Cheryl attributed this marketing approach to her time in merchandising. “A lot of people in the food industry weren’t cutting edge. Having a background in the garment industry gave me that,” says Cheryl. She took the retail strategy of seasonal rotation and customer anticipation and brought that concept to the forefront of the food industry. In fact, Cheryl & Co. became a pioneer in the idea of giving food as gifts. Elements like design, gift bags, packaging and ingenious marketing campaigns had this new cookie company leading

the pack. “We weren’t just a cookie company. We were a gift company that happened to sell cookies in the gifts.”

Cheryl thrived on groundbreaking initiatives. Having the first cookie company on the internet was a great accomplishment but it was just one in a long line of successful initiatives. In the early days, Cheryl was hopeful the company could break into the national scene through airline partnerships but every airline show they attended seemed to fall flat despite buyers’ love of the product. “In the beginning we didn’t have a lot of marketing money to work with,” Cheryl says. “I’m a big one on innovation, creativity and taking chances. During one of our brainstorming meetings we came up with a campaign slogan, If you’re going to toss your cookies toss the very best. We had the slogan silk screened on barf bags with individually wrapped cookies tucked inside and we sent them to all of the major airline companies. Buyers went crazy.”

That campaign alone went on to make Cheryl & Co. over $5 million dollars in sales and the cookies were offered to flyers around the globe on US Air, American and Delta Airline flights. “That’s a great example of taking courageous chances. It was a calculated risk that happened to go our way.”

GrowthGoing from zero to over $25 million in sales in a little over 2 years

requires many adjustments to the way a business is operated. Cheryl knew this well and she knew she needed to find people that could grow with the company. For some, the idea of growth is either paralyzing or simply not a priority. For Cheryl, it was fuel. She wanted to see how big she could grow the business. “The rapid growth of Cheryl & Co. didn’t bother me. It was making sure I had the talent in place. As the business got bigger we could afford to get better talent.” Most business owners start out wearing many hats. They are the bookkeeper, the designer, the baker, the graphic artist, the CEO and it takes a few years to get out of that mold. The notion for Cheryl was to grow bigger so she could afford to higher in the fields of IT, financing and personnel. “It was important to grow but stay focused on things I could control, letting go of what I couldn’t.” Cheryl is first to admit that most businesses don’t anticipate enormous growth but regardless need to have the proper systems in place to run efficiently and profitably. “Over the years I learned things like quality control, labor saving systems and standards of excellence that

“If you don’t have a healthy dose of fear, you are ignoring your instincts. Fear kept me really focused and motivated but it was not an eat-you-alive sense of fear. Fear always keeps you hungry, keeps you

focused and gives you healthy dose of determination.”


helped my business grow quickly and successfully. Essentially I learned what to do and what not to do during my years in the corporate world and that had a huge role in the success of my entrepreneurial endeavors.”

Customer Service Cheryl & Co’s growth was also largely attributed to her continued

commitment to customer service. The company had the highest customer rating and retention rate of any business in the food industry including Godiva and Harry and David (their main competitors). Cheryl beams with pride when talking about the Cheryl & Co. customer loyalty over the years. She was close to her customers sometimes spending hours a week writing correspondence. “I was the only CEO I know that was writing thank you notes. And they didn’t start out, ‘Dear Valued Customer’. They were personalized notes, in ink, thanking them for their business. People would often come to the stores and brag about a note they had received from me.” Keeping the company’s goals and values at the core was what made Cheryl & Co. great. For Cheryl, she knows without a shadow of a doubt that staying close to her customer was the magic that made her business so successful.

RiskRisk for any entrepreneur is an ever present issue. Cheryl

wholeheartedly agrees. “It’s important that people establish what their boundaries of risk are. When I talk with women wanting to start businesses it’s essential that they understand the risk and hard work involved. Nowadays I don’t see as many girls in the business classes I teach at Ohio State University. Even the ones taking them are still hesitant to be in a man’s world, not knowing if they have what it takes to risk it all.” For those with a family or partner to answer to Cheryl

adds, “you have to ask yourself how much risk do you have and find out what your spouses level of risk is. Quantify the dollar amount that you are willing to live with and then you must both decide that those are the real boundaries. When you get close to those boundaries you need to re-examine and possibly re-negotiate.”

For Cheryl, who married after starting her company, the risk ultimately proved too much for her spouse. One Christmas when cash was low and the business needed more support from personal credit, Cheryl’s husband admitted he just couldn’t live with that amount of risk. “He couldn’t take that risk and I could respect that. Looking back, I was crazy! We were in such debt. We could have lost it all.” But she adds, “I was in a no-win situation. I thought, ‘I can do this, I really think I can. God has guided me this far, if you will, and if I don’t fulfill this dream am I going to resent it for the rest of my life and live in regret. Should I forgo the dream and stay married to someone who doesn’t really believe in me? How do I feel about that?” Those times were hard for Cheryl who eventually divorced and became a single mom to her young son.

Balance As the company continued to grow it became even more important for

Cheryl to keep a strict calendar and tight schedule. For her there was no question that there must be a healthy balance of work and time for her son. Most days she would pick him up from school, walk to the local ice cream shop for mint chocolate chip ice cream cones and then cross the street to the local florist. They would work on homework and eat dinner together each evening and only after he was tucked in bed for the night would Cheryl turn her attention back to her business.

“Everyone has to have their own balance and I think every woman needs to be true to herself. Some want to be high flyers on Wall Street.


That’s fine for them. They just have to understand that they’re not going to have as much time for other things. Some women want to be full time moms and that’s okay, some part time moms and that’s okay. Women need to figure out what’s good for them. There’s no right or wrong answer, everyone has their own formula and combination and everyone needs to be comfortable in their own skin.”

Moving OnAfter several successful years of growth and leadership in the industry

the greeting card company Hallmark bought a minority share in Cheryl & Co. In time, Cheryl repurchased the shares and continued to grow the business on her own through many successful avenues including catalog and internet sales, store front locations and regular appearances on the TV shopping channel QVC.

In 2005, 1-800 Flowers approached Cheryl with an offer she couldn’t refuse. They bought Cheryl & Co. for a remarkable $48 million dollars. In the spring of 2009, after 30 years as CEO and 4 years in an advisory role, Cheryl said goodbye to her nostalgic cookie company and opened a new chapter of her life. “I knew in my heart that we could have grown Cheryl & Co. to be much bigger. It could have easily been a $200 million dollar business with all of our plans and strategies in place. But it was time.”

Her office is now just steps from her home. Gone are the 100 phone calls a day, endless emails, IT support staff and personal assistants. “My life was so intertwined with my company and with bearing my name that when I stopped being Cheryl & Co. I asked myself, who am I?” But she had promised herself years before that when she eventually sold, she would pursue those things she didn’t have the luxury of pursuing while running the company. Nowadays she makes time to learn more about

investment and investment strategy, running a portfolio and real estate. She teaches classes at Fisher School of Business at Ohio State University, is involved in philanthropy, stands on the sidelines cheering her son on at OSU football games and schedules lunch dates with girlfriends.

With only cake crumbs left on the plate, empty glasses and the afternoon sun beginning to set, Cheryl finishes with this story,

Recently I loaded up Bradley, my dog, into the truck and we headed towards the Pelotonia Bike Race finish line. We stopped along the way for peaches and arrived early. A little girl came up to us, bending down to pet Bradley. I told her that he’s a very special dog. He has cancer and is sick and we’ve come to cheer on the bike riders today. Hannah looked up, told me her name and asked if I knew why she was there. I told her no and asked why she had come. With utter determination and focus she looked at me in the eyes and said, “Because all these people you see here and all the bike riders that will cross the finish line today are working so that I can live.” I looked at her and said, “So you’re a special girl too.” She nodded. Then she took Bradley by the face and said, “They’re going to find a cure for you just like they’re going to find a cure for me.”

That is the essence. You must keep your life and business to that purest form and vision. Don’t get caught up in the office politics, the financing or the deadlines. If you can’t say why you are doing what you are doing with a crisp, pointed purpose like Hannah, you shouldn’t be doing it.

By Elizabeth Troutman-Adams

DO - GOODING One woman’s fight against modern day slavery


Scenes from Immokalee tell the stories of those victimized by modern-day slavery.

Rows of distressed trailers are crammed with families bearing the heat of Florida sun. An empty parking lot is filled with bicycles abandoned by departed field workers in the early morning. A t-shirt speckled with blood from a 17-year-old field worker hangs in a mobile museum.

It wasn’t enough for Crystal Brunton to know about the inhumane treatment of Florida’s farm workers – she needed to see the scenes of injustice with her own eyes.

A mother of two and counselor, Brunton once thought the battle for humanity was fought in foreign countries – Cambodia, Botswana or Haiti. But her hunger for justice and compassion for people led her to the migrant town of Immokalee, just 170 miles south of her home in Orlando. Through an honest documentary portraying her tour of America’s Tomato Capital, Brunton has dispelled stereotypes about migrant workers, revealed truths about the tomato farming industry and made progress toward ending modern-day slavery in Florida’s tomato fields.

Clinging to JusticeSince her youth, Brunton has had a strong sense of justice and a desire

to help people work through life’s problems. The oldest daughter of a pastor, Brunton said her family was commonly a target of criticism. She learned to handle the spotlight by putting on a good defense. Always entrenched in charitable activities, Brunton became passionate about reaching out to people in need.

When she went to college, Brunton initially wanted to pursue justice by becoming a lawyer. Before entering law school, she decided to use her degree in criminal justice to work as a paralegal at a law firm. She attended court hearings and worked one-on-one with clients seeking reparations for unjust treatment. Many of the cases she worked on involved workers’ compensation claims and personal injury cases. She lost her desire to become a lawyer, but became more adamant about seeking justice.

In 2005, Brunton stepped away from her career to focus on a new role as mother to her first son Cael. Three years later, she and her husband Peter welcomed a second child, Rowan. With time, the spark for seeking justice reignited, but devoted to her family, she kept this interest on the back burner.


I asked myself, “Why am I so against this? Why do I feel this way?” I don’t even know any migrant farm workers, yet in my mind a series of adjectives attach themselves to the term migrant farm worker: “undocumented,” “freeloading,” “sneaky,” “non tax-paying,” “unknown.” Since I have never had any personal experiences with migrant farm workers, where have I compiled this negative list of feelings from? My parents never said these things to me, and this is not a subject that my friends and I talk about. A movie, perhaps, or the media? These last two options frightened me, but the horror gave birth to an idea: what if I were to go to Immokalee and see for myself what was going on in the tomato fields? I could interview the farm workers and ask the questions that have been on my mind. So in that moment I made up my mind: I had to go to Immokalee.


The Road to Immokalee Brunton’s path to Immokalee began in March 2011, when she attended

a presentation by the International Justice Mission about the abuse of Florida’s farm workers. The exploitation of workers and children brought Brunton to tears. That day she pledged her finances and her e-mail address, but the plight of the field workers of Immokalee continued to burden her heart. Eventually, the International Justice Mission (IJM) asked her to join the Florida Advocacy Group.

“This meant I didn’t have to travel to Cambodia,” Brunton said. “I could tackle issues happening right here in Florida, and I had direct contact with people every month.”

Brunton proved her value as a volunteer for the IJM by rallying others to action and getting petitions signed. She was elevated to the IJM leadership board for the State of Florida. Remembering the advice her mother had repeated during childhood, she decided it was time to go see modern-day slavery “from the source.” She recruited a volunteer camera crew to join her on a trip to Immokalee.

Filming Evidence of Injustice Wearing a black t-shirt printed with the words “Seek Justice,” Brunton

and her crew trekked through the desolate town of Immokalee in mid-July 2012. For Brunton, Immokalee was the picture of a ghost town. At the center of the six-stoplight town, a large parking lot was littered with abandoned bicycles. In the early morning hours, field workers gathered at pick-up locations and loaded buses to be transported to the fields.

With an estimated 5,000 citizens, Immokalee is the center for South Florida’s agricultural workforce. Haitian, Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants who inhabit the town rely on farm work, picking 90 percent of the nation’s tomatoes during the winter months.

Guided by members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), Brunton walked through rows of trailers on cinderblocks, the homes of migrant workers and their families. Many families share a single trailer without the relief from the exhausting South Florida heat. The average rent for a trailer is $400 a week. Farm workers make an average of 50 cents per 32-ounce bucket they fill, which amounts to $20 a day.

To learn the stories from the nearby tomato fields, Brunton interviewed three farm workers and a 7-year-old child of a farm worker at the CIW headquarters, a sierra orange building on Second Street. During her interviews, farm workers shared horrific accounts of inhumanity, violence and abuse while working in the tomato fields. She

was told of a group of workers that was locked inside a trailer overnight and forced to tear through the ceiling of the unit to escape. Many workers reported being beaten, threatened with death and stripped of belongings, such as shoes. Brunton was shocked by the story of a homeless man who was abducted and held against his will by a field boss. “What really tugged at my heart strings is that these were American citizens and they were stuck – they couldn’t get out because no one was looking for them,” Brunton said.

Brunton examined the Florida Modern-Day Slavery Museum, a mobile center that has documented every case of abuse and mistreatment inflicted on the people of Immokalee. The truck displays newspaper articles, flyers, photos and even a blood-stained shirt as evidence of the modern-day slavery taking place in the tomato fields.

During her interviews, Brunton questioned the workers: Why not leave Immokalee to find better working conditions? The workers shook their heads – leaving is not the solution to the problem. The workers take pride in their trade and only want to be treated and paid fairly for their labor. They are determined to see the conditions for farm workers in Immokalee change to ensure a better future for their children.

“I could see desperation in their eyes. I could see that they were hard workers and that they were fighting for a better life for all of our children. We want our children to stand on our shoulders and do better,” Brunton said.

A Recipe for ChangeWhen the 18-minute documentary, “Immokalee: Slavery in America’s

Tomato Fields,” was presented in August for the first time, Brunton knew hearts were transformed and stereotypes were broken. Brunton provided viewers with a side of the farm worker they had not seen before.

“When people are watching this documentary, I can see their opinions change,” Brunton said. “It’s humanized the farm workers, which was my goal for the film.”

Long-term, Brunton hopes to convince more major supermarkets to pledge to only buy from slave-free tomato farms. By joining the Fair Food Program, supermarkets can pay an extra penny to help increase wages for workers and ensure safe working conditions where water and breaks are provided. She hopes people who watch the documentary will think harder about where their food is coming from, and perhaps organize petitions to urge local supermarkets to join the Recipe for Change movement.

What really tugged at my heart strings is that these were American citizens and they were stuck – they couldn’t get out because no one was looking for them.


Through her involvement with the IJM, Brunton feels like she has accomplished a mission of the heart. Her motivation came from her two young children. She couldn’t imagine allowing the mistreatment of hardworking Americans, who share the same dreams for a better future for their children, to continue without doing something to help.

When Crystal is not advocating for farm workers, she serves as a marriage counselor, a role that allows her to exercise her love for people. Her homemade textile company, Rowan Tree Studio, also donates proceeds from its online store to support the IJM in its mission to end slavery.

For more information about advocating for slave-free tomatoes, visit www.ijm.org/recipe-for-change.


The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it.

Chinese Proverb


Relationships first, business second.Mari Smith, Social Media Speaker and Author, Forbes Top 10 Women Social Media Influencers SMART objectives and goals are key to success. Align social media with top business goals where social media can have an impact. Pam Moore, CEO and founder, Marketing Nutz, Forbes Top 10 Women Social Media Influencers

40% of your social media activity needs to be interacting. Ask questions and pay attention to the answers. Eve Mayer Orsburn, CEO Social Media Delivered

Humanizing your brand is always a strong strategy. Showing appreciation to your fans is a great way to let them know they are important to you. ~ Amy Porterfield, co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies Whether you are B2C or B2B, people ultimately buy from people – more specifically,people we like and relate to. ~ Courtney Seiter, Community Manager, Raven Marketing Tools

Cultivate stories on how customers use your products and services. Social Media Examiner


SaySomething

Great


SaySomething

GreatJodi Glickman is not only great on

the job, she’s brilliant. This former Peace Corps volunteer turned investment banker turned author,

speaker, consultant and mom-of-three has tapped into something few ever do: the secret to good workplace communication. In her book, Great on the Job, Jodi dives into the art of perfecting communication, which is arguably the most important element of success in the workplace. So put down the iPad, the Blackberry, close the laptop and spend a few minutes diving into our conversation. I promise, tomorrow you will be well on your way to being great on your job.


Great on the Job has a ton of useful strategies for proper business etiquette. One area I always wonder about is cell phone usage in meetings. What are your thoughts? Faux pas or acceptable practice? Acceptable in some meetings but not in others? I say faux pas all the way. If you are waiting on an important call or plan on taking a call during a meeting, please go ahead and raise a red flag ahead of time. “I apologize in advance, as I’m expecting an important call and I’ll have to step out of the room for a minute or two…” Planting a seed in advance and putting others on notice shows that you respect them and their time. Taking a call during a meeting sends a message to your counterparty that either a) you’re not important or b) you don’t have my full attention. It’s the cocktail party equivalent of talking to one person and continually looking over your shoulder to find someone more interesting to engage with. And let’s be honest, are you really that important that you can’t disconnect for 30 minutes?

The idea you propose of every person, whether a college student or a career switcher, creating a personal elevator pitch is brilliant. Do you now, even after rising to such success, use a personal elevator pitch in certain situations? Care to share a recent example?

First, thanks for the props (rising to such success!). Second, yes, of course I do. A personal elevator pitch is about distilling the key elements of yourself and presenting them in a way that’s interesting, compelling and easy to understand. Your goal is to tailor the information to fit the listener’s needs and, essentially, to make people LOVE you. How or why are they going to love you? Do you need to show you’re smart or committed or qualified; what’s your goal?

In my case, I’ve recently been given an introduction to a major star in my industry. This guy is huge, seriously big time, and I spent a lot of time in advance of our first call thinking about how I would “pitch” myself to him. I wanted to make him love me and want to work with me. So the question was what should I emphasize about my career and personal and professional goals to knock his socks off? I decided to start big and lead with my goal to have every university include the GOTJ curriculum by 2025. That got his attention and started our conversation off on the right foot.

You talk about a really important topic in the book. Making apologies. Maybe I’m just speaking for myself, but in my experience, women tend to over-apologize in an attempt to smooth things over, especially with their boss. What’s a good rule of thumb for making apologies in the workplace?

I agree and think women tend to over apologize (at work, at home, in school, you name it). However, what I always say is don’t focus on the apology. Instead, focus on finding a solution and moving forward to fix the problem—it’s far more productive. Everyone makes mistakes. That’s a fact. The best approach, therefore, is to acknowledge mistakes, apologize quickly and succinctly (“I apologize; it won’t happen again.”), and then move forward. Instead of going on and on about how sorry

you are, how terrible you feel about what happened, how you don’t know why or how or what went wrong, yadda yadda…. simply apologize and commit to learn from your mistake. And then, more importantly, propose a solution to show that you are forward-thinking and you’re the “solutions” guy (or gal) rather than the one who always goes to your boss with problems.

How can someone who is a great communicator and leader, draw in, include and encourage a co-worker that fails to be heard in meetings, has poor communication or lacks confidence in their skills?

For someone who fails to be heard in meetings, a great communicator would talk with that person one-on-one prior to the meeting to give him a heads up about the questions he or she might ask and give him time to prepare; or simply to give him a pep talk to boost his confidence. Additionally, he might ask for his thoughts and opinions before a meeting. Then, during a meeting, he could introduce and explain that person’s idea, sharing credit and setting the stage for that person to speak up and clarify or answer questions. Setting the stage so the person feels comfortable to speak up is critical, and oftentimes advance notice is really helpful in bringing others out of their shell.

On a separate note, if someone has poor communication skills, you need to give him feedback and actionable, practical advice on how he can improve. If you are going to tell someone he’s not doing a good job, then it’s your responsibility to tell or show him how to do his job better! For example, “Jim, the update you provided to the group was somewhat confusing. Next time, I would encourage you to lead off with x, then focus on y, and then wrap up with action steps and responsibilities of the whole group.” Or tell Jim what you’ve done in the past that was effective. Just don’t tell Jim what he did wrong without telling him how he can improve next time around.

I love how you have filled the pages of GOTJ with clear examples of effective communication techniques. How is social media and our constant connection to electronic devices throughout the day either furthering or hindering communication on the job?

Electronic communication both hinders and furthers our on-the-job communication (a cop-out, I know). It allows us to stay in touch more regularly with a much larger network than we ever could before. It allows us unprecedented access to real-time information. And it’s super fun (I’m a Twitter junkie). That said, deep, meaningful and productive relationships almost always require a face-to-face or live communication component. I love the example of Warren Buffet closing a five billion dollar deal over a handshake after a brief in-person meeting. Buffet had done his due diligence and studied all there was to study, but, ultimately, closing the deal hinged solely on whether or not he trusted and liked the guy across the table—and that, of course, was determined in person.

Honestly, when I saw the title, I immediately thought of people I know that aren’t so great on the job. For someone who struggles to be great on their job, what is one simple step they could take today


that could make a huge difference tomorrow in their career?

Here’s the Holy Grail of being Great on the Job: be generous. If you want to get ahead in your career (and in life), think about how you can make your boss’s (or colleague’s or client’s) life better or easier. If you make my life better or easier, I will love you. If you think about helping other people achieve their goals, you’re destined to get ahead yourself. If you are generous with your time and expertise, you share information, you share credit, you put other people’s agenda ahead of your own, you will get ahead and you will get others on your side.

And on a personal note, I am amazed that you are able to spin so many plates in life as a wife, mom, business owner, educator and author. How do you find both balance and reward in each? Any advice for us women out there trying to do the same?

It’s easy! I do calisthenics while on the phone, eat meals while riding in elevators, and read my kids contracts as bedtime stories... Ha! I struggle just like every working mom out there and there never seems to be enough hours in the day. In all seriousness, I’m very good at compartmentalizing, which is my only saving grace. When I’m with my kids, I’m 100% on and I let work go. I try very hard to stay present and focus either on work or on my family, and not do both at the same time. I don’t hold myself up to some ideal I can’t meet; I recognize I can’t do it all and I settle for the best I can do. Some days it works better than others and it’s constantly evolving. But I’m happy. I love my work and I love my family and if I could make it to the gym every now and again, I’d be in great shape (no pun intended). So my advice: don’t try to be superwoman; make it work for you and don’t hold yourself to some ideal that’s impossible to meet.

“Here’s the Holy Grail of being Great on the Job: be generous. If you want to get ahead in your career (and in life), think about how you can make your boss’s (or colleague’s or client’s) life better or easier.”

Essentrics


Beautiful posture can give you an air of elegance like Audrey Hepburn, but,

more importantly, good posture reflects the state of health of your entire body. The key to good posture is a balance of flexibility and strength in the upper body, combined with strong abs and flexibility in the hamstrings and spine. This exercise will loosen up your shoulders and give you a sense of freedom and flexibility in your upper back. You can do these at your desk, on the plane or at home anytime. While you need to do a full body workout to truly rebalance your body and improve your posture, the Shoulder Blast exercise will give you a huge boost anytime~

Essentrics


1. Stand with your feet hip distance apart. Tuck your pelvis under in a neutral C position.

2. Bring your arms up and extend them to the back.

3. Stretch them as you bring them forward and reach.

4. Clasp your hands into your chest with your elbows up and try to pull your hands apart. Feel the stretch between your shoulder blades.

5. Push your hands forward and then reach them up above your head while straightening your legs.

6. Reach higher!7. Reach one arm up, then back. (repeat

on the other side)8. Reach both arms up, then back.9. Open them back and down to your

sides.10. Repeat the sequence 3 times.


Writing your life or business manifesto begins by knowing what you want to publicly profess about yourself or your career. A manifesto, in brief, is a public declaration of intentions. It is a pronouncement of principles and policies. It can be famously political or awesomely

personal. It can help you clarify goals and give you the freedom to say “no” to the good things in life so you can say “yes” to the best things. It can help guide your business decisions and it can be your compass for living life to the fullest.

Writing Your Manifesto


Destiny is not a matter

of chance; but a

matter of choice.”

William Jennings

Bryan

Today you are going to create YOUR manifesto, which is the awesomely personal variety. Knowing what you want to publicly profess about yourself means getting your lifestance in order. This doesn’t mean you have to have your life all figured out, it just means you get to spend some time thinking about what you accept as being of ultimate importance. Think of it this way, if all you could leave your loved ones is one document about your life and who you are/dream to be, this would be it. So what do you want to say? A person’s lifestance is his/her presuppositions and theories of what is of ultimate importance. A lifestance is also the commitment to working it out in practical living. Each lifestance that lends itself to a personal manifesto is unique…and when done with authenticity, each manifesto is incomparably awesome. So let’s begin!

Writing your manifesto means, quite literally, typing out your lifestance in I {blank} statements. Here are a few examples of lines from my own life manifesto:

I believe every single moment is a fork in the road.Happily ever now is a prerequisite to happily ever after.Right now mornings with my husband and afternoons reading to my children are the delight of my life.I dream of Italy and la dolce vita.When my cheeks hurt so badly from laughing, it’s like they’ve done a thousand sit-ups, I know it’s been a great day.I grew up believing everyone finds their happy ending and that true love and excitement are birthrights.What I want to give most to the world is a remembrance of joy and the possibility of creating irresistible life.

Here is some help to get you started. I’ll give you the first part of the sentence, you fill in the rest. REMEMBER: Fill in the rest with the truths that lift you highest. A Life Manifesto is not supposed to be a downer. It is supposed to be a document proclaiming your highest belief in GOOD–in yourself and what is possible for you to create/experience in the world. When you finish writing it, you should feel like you’ve just drunk 7 cups of coffee. You should be dancing and singing out loud. If this is not what you experience, just scratch what you have written and start again. Your Life Manifesto is your personal anthem–it should PUMP YOU UP.


I am _________________________________________________________I believe ______________________________________________________When I was little _______________________________________________Right now ____________________________________________________I love ________________________________________________________What I know for sure is __________________________________________I’ve never been more happy than when ______________________________I have a penchant for ____________________________________________I wish all of us could ____________________________________________I dream of _____________________________________________________People tell me I am ______________________________________________I was born to ___________________________________________________I am particularly good at __________________________________________What I want most in the world is to _________________________________I was a________________________________________________________I indulge in ____________________________________________________The words I hold closest to my heart are _____________________________If I get a chance, I will ___________________________________________I live for ______________________________________________________I believe the most important thing in a person is to be _____________I have an amazing ______________________________________________If I had a superpower, it would be __________________________________I hail to _______________________________________________________The big idea of my life is _________________________________________I am dedicated to ________________________________________________Happiness is ___________________________________________________I feel most alive when ____________________________________________

yTime to get to work!Pour yourself a glass of WHISKEY, cut a slice of CAKE, get cozy and get writing.

D e c l a r e the things y o u ’ v e a l w a y s wanted to be so bold to declare. This is your life. Pronounce it rad. When you get through, share some lines of your own manifesto with those you trust and who believe in you.


The REVA-JEAN CocktailBrandon Judd, Mixologist

1 1/2 oz Booker’s Bourbon Whiskey3/4 oz Drambuie

1/4 oz Smoked Campari Dash of Angostura Bitters

Stir with cracked iceStrain into chilled glass

Add lemon oil and cherry for garnish


This recipe makes four 10” or six 8” layers, all quite thin. I doubled it to make the twelve layered monster in the photos. Generally, the cake will feed two people for every layer made; as written, it will serve twelve.

Apple Stack Cake 26 ounces all-purpose flour, sifted

8 ounces unsalted butter or lard, room temperature 8 ounces brown sugar

1 Tablespoon ground ginger 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

2 tablespoon baking soda 12 ounces molasses or sorghum

2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

4 ounces buttermilk

To Finish 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted

4 cups apple butter (store bought is fine) 12 tablespoons heavy cream

1 Tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°. Traditionalists can make this in a 10” cast iron skillet, brushed generously with melted butter. For a more modern approach,

make the layers in 8” cake pans lined with parchment and lightly greased.

With a hand or stand mixer, the latter fitted with a paddle attachment, cream lard or butter with the brown sugar, gingers, baking soda and molasses. Beat on medium about four minutes; stop halfway to scrape the bowl down. Reduce speed to low,

add the eggs one at a time. Once fully incorporated, add the flour all at once, followed by vanilla and buttermilk. Continue mixing on low speed until homogenous. It will look very thick compared to a standard cake batter.

Use 15 ounces of batter per 10” skillet, or 10 ounces batter per 8” pan. Either way, you will need to use an offset spatula to spread the batter into a thin, even layer in each skillet or pan.

Bake until the cakes have puffed and spring back when touched lightly, about 12 minutes for the 10” layer or 10 minutes for the 8” layers. Loosen the cakes by running a knife around the edges of the skillet or pan, then invert onto a wire cooling rack.

If using the cast iron skillet, dust off stray crumbs with a clean towel, brush with fresh butter and refill with batter; you don’t need to wait for the skillet to cool. Bake as before.

With standard layer cakes, you must let the layers cool before stacking because the heat of the cake will melt the buttercream. But such is not the case with apple butter, so you can begin stacking the cakes as soon as you’d like.

Set the first cake on a serving plate or cake stand. Brush lightly with melted butter. Use an offset spatula to spread 1/2 cup apple butter over the top from edge to edge. Continue laying like this, brushing with butter then covering in apple butter. When

you reach the last layer, spread any remaining apple butter over the top and sides of the cake.

As I said, it’s a notoriously rustic cake. Embrace its imperfections.

Enjoy immediately, with a sprinkling of fresh nutmeg and a splash of cream. If the cake has a chance to cool before serving, serve with warm cream; cold cream is unexpectedly lovely with warm cake.

www.bravetart.com


Apple Stack Cake


As a New York trained milliner, Fielden Willmott, owner of Ace Card Millinery has found enormous success in her custom order hat business.

While planning our cover shot (inspired by a Karl Lagerfeld campaign), we knew a handcrafted headpiece was an essential element and Fielden was just the artisan

for the task.

With barely a day’s notice before the photo shoot, Fielden stepped up to the challenge and blew the team here at CAKE&WHISKEY away with this one-of-a-kind creation.


Photo Credits:

Andrew Kung~ CoverKristen Tatem~ Pg.2Mangus Lindqvist~ Pg.2Craig Jenkins~ Pg.22-23Richie Wireman Pg.4,5,28,36,37,43Scott Robertson Pg.24,26,27Megan Smith~Pg.31-32Sarah Jane Sanders~Pg.2,6,8,12,13,16-21,39,40,41,42Loktah~Pg.10-11Moop®~Pg.9Tina Carter~Pg.7Erika Matuszek~Pg.27

Where to Shop:

Ace Card Millinery501 West Sixth St., Lexington, KY. 1 (859) 619-1754

Rowan Tree Studiowww.rowantreestudio.com/

Moopwww.moopshop.com

Winsome and Greenw w w . e t s y . c o m / s h o p /WinsomeGreen

Nancy Nikkowww.nancynikko.com

Penelope Presswww.penelopepress.com

Loktahwww.loktah.com

Sites we think you should check out:

www.Andrewkung.com www.Catherinejonesbeaute.comwww.Essentrics.com www.Kruegerandco.comwww.CIW-Online.orgwww.Greatonthejob.comwww.Homemaking101.com www.Sanolaphotography.com www.Erikalauren.com www.table-three-ten.com

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