Wildly Well is a series of fun Friday chats with the experts (entrepreneurs, coaches, and creators in the culinary, wellness, fitness, and medical spaces) on how to create and live your most wildly healthy and joyful life. People who have wholeheartedly leaned into their wellness journeys to help you enhance your relationship with food, movement, self-care, and holistic well-being so you can live the most joyful life you want. We hope you enjoy our conversations with these amazing people and brands. We know they are going to enrich your lives.

We are so incredibly honored and excited to have Maria Campbell of Cooks Who Care here today! Maria’s passion for her mission of bringing awareness to physical and mental health in the hospitality industry and changing kitchen culture is so inspiring. She just radiates a joy and love for life, the industry, and I have loved Maria’s work ever since meeting her years ago. Follow along as we learn more about Jena’s journey — and check out our IG chat for more.

Monica

Hello. Hello, everybody. And I am back with another episode of Wildly Well, where I bring the experts on to help you live your most wildly healthy and joyful life. And today, I am so excited to bring one of my friends on someone dear to my heart, because I ever since she started this organization to really help promote mental health in the restaurant and hospitality industry, I have always wanted to work with her. Maria Campbell She is a trained chef, but also a productivity specialist and founder of Cooks Who Care. So I'm going to bring her on now so she can tell you a little bit about her mission and know why mental health in our industry is so important to promoting career longevity.

Maria

Nay, I'm so grateful to be here as we also work together on the task force for folks who care. And just your energy that you've always shared for wanting more for the industry we've always aligned with. So I'm so appreciative.

Monica

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I it's something I care so much about because I went through those struggles myself and I didn't have anyone to turn to. And so I think it's so important that we get back and help bring up a better generation of chefs than we were even. And I love this industry and I want to keep it alive. So whatever we can do.

Maria

Absolutely. It's so important. And I think like just being in the industry as veterans ourselves, like we have the clearest understanding of how to support one another. We know what the issues are. We know what the challenges are. We've been through the brunt of it. And I think that just gives us an edge up to really find out how can we help? How can we help each other?

Monica

Yes, absolutely. So what do you tell her to give everybody a little bit of background about you, your training as a chef and why you started cooks who care?

Maria

Oh, my gosh. That's a long story, right? When you look at like a perspective, like I've been in the industry for 15 years, I've also done cooks who care for six. And so these journeys like Sandwich together, there's so much overlap because I was young in the industry, just like working in fast food restaurants to get my start. My first teenage job was being a server actually at Friendly's, and it would have been.

I mean, honestly, like I worked in small towns and even the college I went to at Dell High College of Technology for upstate New York. So I had a great time going. I know tech is for me. I know doing something with my hands is for me. I know that dealing with people can't tell already. I'm very technical.

I can engage, I can talk to anybody and I've always known that. And then when I was young, I used to get in trouble for it. Like my mom would be like, Why are you talking to strangers? You don't talk to strangers. And I'm like, Oh, they're interesting. Or Yeah, I understand. Now that's kind of a safe thing for a child to like now. It's just was always a natural thing for me to talk to people. So it it really was a fit for my creativity. Personality type and I'm a doer. Right. I really believe in the power of education. And it's a time I know a lot has changed. And we're kind of at the crux of understand like is culinary school or pastry school worth it, worth the cost? But at the time, I went to a tech school that I knew was affordable. It was like almost the equivalent, if not less than a community college cost would be okay. Like at the time I was like, CIA, CIA, and I'm like, I am never going to afford that.

And I give anybody credit who's ever done it but just me person of my background. Like I got grants to go like my home situation wasn't great and just transferring that energy to that was like, I don't even know if I can get through the first year, you know, of doing this. So it was, it was a big challenge and I had a work study where I had to work for it. And I also got up early working in a McDonald's in the morning shift. And we know that staffing is an issue now. But I remember one morning I came in there and no one showed up and I was doing drive thru the grill the front. Like I almost thought I was going to quit right then and there. And I didn't, I did. So I was like, I know this is for me, this is for me. I'm in it. I'm all in. I've also, you know, after my college years, I was competing on a culinary team with the. Yeah, and that's actually how I know my husband.

So that's so exciting. Yeah, he was he was the captain of his culinary team and I was the captain of mine. And so he was at the restaurant school here in Philadelphia and and I was at Dell High College. So our teams, our state teams always competed in cross paths.

So he'll say that he met me in Vegas. Yes. Let's tell people that and I'm always like no we did not meet and like we met before that, but I guess it's the story, right. And my name is Marie. And so everybody either thinks I'm Spanish Latina or like, you know, they were like, Well, who's Maria? Maria Campbell. That's such a weird name put together. And until they meet me and I'm fine with that.

I'm a lot though. So, like, I have no like it's a blend of all things. And I, I came here because in Philadelphia area, because I worked at the West Chester Country Club, which was like, yeah, number 11 at the time. And I.

Monica

My sister actually worked there. Really? Yeah. She was a lifeguard. I think she's a lifeguard. Yeah, but she worked there.

Maria

Why did it? Because it was a two year apprenticeship program. And for me, working in the industry, I did not have a lot of luck working in restaurants. Nobody would give me a shot. I was just telling a story yesterday. I was like, I would be in pantry for a whole summer doing pastry and garbage day and no one would move me up to the other stations I would request. I'd see everybody move up, move up, move up. And I'm like, Why am I the only one? And I was the only female in some of these kitchens trying to work. So I found it very challenging and I was like, How am I going to dance? I don't mind putting the time in. But then there's like if you're two facilities for this long, like I'm eager, I'm hungry, and I wanted to do more and I'm like, Why am I missing this? And so I had a chef that was at the at the school time was like, you know what?

You really should try like hotels and country clubs as an opportunity to kind of like get your skill trade. I never looked back. I thought it was great, you know, it's awesome. So yeah, I kind of ran the gamut. And then I was an educator for a decade, which is my passion.

Monica

I love teaching too, and sharing the knowledge and just it's really cool to watch people grow.

Maria

Hundred percent, and we don't have any time for it with all of you out there. Your time to teach people stuff while you're trying to work and hustle. No, nobody has the money for it. And so it's like when somebody looks at you and just says, like, wow, let me show you this and just shares information with somebody. Does that make your day? Like, it's it makes mine.

Monica

Makes mine, too. Just that's another reason why I do a lot of work with Seacat. Because I love helping and teaching the students.

Maria

Yeah. Oh, gosh. Yeah. And and it's hard because we don't have a lot of time for it. And that that's the hard part. Right. But we need to be doing it like everyone needs education. Everyone needs that mentorship. Everyone needs to learn something new and like we can share it.

Monica

Yeah. I mean, that's, that's what we're here for is to share and, you know, distribute knowledge.

Maria

Yep. 100%.

Monica

So tell me more. I mean, I know that took care of a tell everybody else about Cooks Who Care and why you started that.

Maria

And this has been a passion project of mine. And I I'm excited because I was at the Art Institute of Philadelphia where I was teaching there.

She's on our our task force committee also. Yes. That's another O.G., two cooks who care, which I find amazing. Monica is an O.G., too. So when? Six years ago, my husband and I, who grew up in the restaurant industry, his family owned a restaurant here in Media, which is where I live. And it was called Campbell's Boat House. Oh, I. His dad also was in the industry, owned that restaurant for 35 years, never went to school. He always says, you went to the school of hard knocks.

Monica

That's what I always say since I never went to culinary school.

Maria

And I think like, you could do both if you're in it. You don't you don't need that route. But there are advantages to being able to do either. I have respect for books. You know, it's like no matter what you do, you're going to learn how to do what you do, you know? So. Yeah. And just being in the industry for that long, my husband longer Justine divorce, you know, autoimmune diseases, people committing suicide, drug use, multiple, you know, relationships, you know, losing all of your friends, missing all of the milestones, all of these significant things that have an impact on our health and wellness made me say this might be something more than this, the way we treat each other in the industry. And when I started this project six years ago, I was sad, by the way, that our industry treated one another and I wasn't proud to say I was part of this industry. I love what I do. I care deeply about my friends and my colleagues.

But it's felt to me at that point of being in it for 15 years going, this isn't sustainable. I want to be the last one standing, you know, and other people I know, like, oh, I did this, I did this stretch for 15 years. And it was a conversation that I had after interviewing people on YouTube that really hit me hard, that after 15 years they excelled themselves to the highest point of their career. They hit every mark that they could. Getting me to the big job, working in multiple units, you know, then, you know, exceeding to maybe a director of ops role, you know, doing all of this like hierarchal, you know, graduation to going further with your career to the last day that they work. They took a break, had no one to call, missed the 50th anniversaries the weddings, had no friends, was watching Netflix and like binging at home because four months, because they had no way to to connect with you. Of all those relationships, you had to say, no, I'm sorry, you can't be there. I'm not able.

I have to be here. And, you know, and also even after that, sometimes if an employer didn't treat you right and you made all that dedication and let's say they let you go because they hired somebody for a cheaper price, you know? Yeah, there's been some unethical things that have happened, too, where people are just kind of like left to the wind.

Monica

Oh, I I've definitely seen a lot of unethical things and. I tried to stand up for it and, you know, lost my job before as well because of it.

Maria

Sure. Oh, yeah. I've been I've been in that position to or been demoted from my position because I brought up something that I saw. You know, and I was put on a station for three months during family meal because I brought up of a pay discrepancy, you know, so everybody's got their stories, you know, like and they're often like, I don't discredit the employer. I don't mean that, you know, I just like these are these are realities that happen. Do I still love this industry anyway? Yeah, because not that I want it to be where they're the outlier.

Monica

Mm hmm. And that's why we are a force and fighting for change.

Maria

That's right. That's right. All right. I was just talking with the World Cafe folks yesterday, and GM was like, Yeah, we're doing a new kitchen culture campaign to highlight these positive stories, and we're on our way to telling 100, 100 stories. I got to tell you, it's not easy. I say that, and I was like, Oh, this is not easy. I'm only a 40 member.

Monica

But I love that you encourage people to tell their stories. The whole crux of the organization is sharing stories because that's the only way that we can, you know, make this known and stop it is by sharing the stories. But it is really challenging sometimes because you might feel ostracized or I know in my case, like, I lost, you know, I lost one of my jobs because I tried to stand up for what I believed in. And it's fine. I'm glad I don't anymore. But like people, it intimidates people because, you know, you can't afford to do that.

Maria

No. And it's that it is such a hard fact. I know that there's millions of stories that are unspoken and that are there are barriers and pressures that when there's power, play your job, you know what you make, and that if somebody is holding that power, like what you're allowed to do, like it's very hard to communicate things that you see that you know, are the right thing to do. And, you know, so many people have seen that in so many different ways. And I'm I'm grateful to have this platform because I don't know everybody's individual stories of things that have affected them, how how they've transitioned. You know, some people a lot of times when they're when it's too bad, they get to a road where it's at the end of the line. And guess what? They start their own business because they're like, Well, then I'm just going to do it my way because nobody's going to, you know, let me do the things I want to do. All right.

Well, barrier gone. I said I would like to do a survey. I know they were doing the survey purely for, like, families, and they wanted to know what the childcare situation. Now, the question they should ask is how many people left the industry to start their own businesses?

Monica

That's a great question. Yeah.

Maria

And I think that's where it is right here. And I think that if we ask like different questions, I find that a lot of people are like, I just did it on my own because then they were like, all those barriers are removed. And that's I'm not saying don't do that. I credit for everybody who's like shouldering it on your own. Do you? That's what you did. Yeah, right. Right. I know. I know. And I think that if there were other opportunities, though, would we have taken them? That's the thing, I wonder.

And so what we're trying to do is to go there's no blanket solution and saying you're going to change your culture is not done in an easy swipe. I know for six years I'm walking this road and I'm doing it because I know every single person that I engage with. That's all I'm doing it for.

Monica

Yeah. And it's not an easy road because you're going to be met with a lot of the people who are just who say we've just been doing it this way for so long. It's the way that I was trained. It was like chefs threw pots at me, so that's why I throw pots at you sort of thing. So how do you or how do you like to start to encourage people to share so we can do this new kitchen culture and change them.

Maria

And see, that's the hardest part. So I'm so glad you asked that, because asking people who are doing the right thing by their by their teams or just people they work with, or if they're a solopreneur and they're telling me these are the things I had to do on my own because I've learned these experiences were not healthy for me. I feel that it's helping me know, like, who are they? Like, do you have to know people that are like, that's an amazing place to work to take care of their team. I almost don't even want to leave them because they're so amazing, you know? Yeah. Positive advice. Yes. Where are they? They are not the ones going, I'm here, I have to find them and I got to know who they are. So it's usually by employee recommendation or a colleague that someone knows or if they were printed in an article and I find out about that. They have these great working experiences I've had, like Jen from the Philadelphia Inquirer, who has been she did a highlight feature on this and I was like, All right, connect me to all these places that you've talked to that have benefits, time off, PTO, vacation time. What I mean is it doesn't make headline news. Yeah.

Monica

Yeah. Or just even the time off like, oh, we're not. What if you get sick? You have to come to work, you're going to get everybody else sick. And it doesn't offer many jobs. Haven't afforded us to take that time. We need to.

Maria

Right? Yeah. And that's been the norm, right. You're sick. Come to work. I saw on TikTok video that was kind of like before or during early on in the pandemic. It was like if you call and you're like, I think I have like fever or not feeling well. I think that everything is, you know, I have all these symptoms and they're like, no, don't come in, don't come in. You're going to get really sick. And now everyone's like, Oh, I think the symptoms I think of feeling like, Come in, get your ass in here. Like, I need you here tomorrow, today, right now. You know, don't take your day off.

Monica

Go. We need better we need better leave time sick leave, you know.

Maria

Yeah. And actually provide some employers know what it is and they're like, oh we have to provide this amount of sick time. Like some players still don't even know or that they have to do it, you know? So I think I've heard a lot of places like I mean, the word like kept is fresh and I hope those talk with those guys last night, but they switched it to 28 hours. You can still get full time. They wanted to make sure that people had flex hours. There's time for vacation. They don't close because they're a venue. But a lot of places like Sprinkle Sweetness, who's involved with our community cookbook, you know, is closed for vacation for a week. Fork was just closed for two weeks. Like a lot of places are going, you know what, we're just off, you know, and utilizing the employees that they have between a block and giving them two days off in a row, providing a schedule ahead of time.

Monica

Oh, my goodness. That was my biggest gripe, was having to create schedules for my staff and my team. So last minute, just because that's the way that the company ran and I'm like, why can't I? Make their schedule ahead of time.

Maria

We had a winner Fox and Sons for an award that we gave before the pandemic of just like great employers to like for this is before new kitchen culture which I'm not surprised we're still doing this but the reason why they won was because they received employees received their schedule three weeks in advance.

It's like unheard of, but in just the way the employees talked about them, like that's kind of what we want to know, like where people happy, where are the great people who are doing who are working hard and doing right by their people?

Monica

Yeah. Hey, if you're watching this and your employer is doing well, let us know. You can send us messages. We want to know who these companies and employers are.

So another thing I wanted to touch upon, which you mentioned before, like no holidays, no, you know, go to friends, weddings and things like that, because we were taught to like live, breathe and sleep the kitchen. But now we're learning or you know, at least I was learning once I started to step away from that that there's so much more to life and I want to experience that and not just live for my job. So like there's also the stigma around chefs leaving high stress kitchen to go off and do other things like we sold out or I forget what the other word I was going to say was, but like it was basically sold out and I don't feel that at all. Like, as long as you're sharing food and your passion, you're a chef still. And I know for me that's been a struggle the past two years since kind of stepping away from a professional kitchen is how do I retain the fact that I am a chef, but just in a different capacity?

Maria

Oh, 100%. And I think even for, you know, different gender identities, like it's it's challenging because, you know, sometimes like what if, like, you have a kid or you have family to care for or you have special needs. I mean, gosh, like everybody's story is different. And I think you're right. We've got to end that crap like you're in the industry, okay? You don't have to be to find any restaurant. No, no, no. I don't have to be the chef. Like I can be working in a facility and I'm still involved in the industry. And it's like I'm here. My if somebody said, chef, I would turn around right now. Oh, turn around. Oh, okay. But no ever used to ask. That's why I was a chef by trade, which I had to coin that because if I didn't say that, people would be like, Oh, where are your chef at? And I'm like, Well, I'm a dynamic person.

I can't sum up my what I do in a title, sorry.

You know, and I just said, I'm a dynamic person. And so when I but when I said chef by trade, people knew and they wouldn't ask that follow up question. But I feel for people that get insulted by that because, you know, I, I didn't want to do this job and do this work at the sacrifice of my family and whatever, that it's for you. You know, I don't want to do this work at the sacrifice of myself either. Right. And that's why cooks who care exists. I struggle with the self-care. I don't think about it. I'm a workaholic. It's not on my top of mind. If I get triggered, I cycle harder, work harder, do more, do this. And I have to really override myself, which is usually always around money, right? Money is what triggers that all these little did I do that I got to hustle harder. Hustle harder. Right. And or, you know, a family situation makes me go, where is this going to come from?

How am I going to do this? You know, I didn't want to ever do it at the expense of where my relationship with my husband is failing. My child doesn't know who I am or I don't have a good connection with him. I grew up in a dysfunctional family household and I remember working with at the Country Club actually where I learned I originally was like, I'm going to be a master chef, learn everything I can, then do that. And then I learned what kind of relationships everyone had. Yeah, that's when I untangled that dream. Because I care about people and the people who depend on me. I want to be there in some way, shape or form. And I had a chance to rewrite that story of how I can be present with people and be with them. Right. And for them, I'm doing this work because it makes me happy and. It brings me joy. But if my family and I don't say, oh, you don't understand what I do, you know, you don't understand this passion I have.

They do. They do have that. And I'm also there for them as they're there for me. And I think, like we've had a switch that like my husband was working, you know, six days a week. He'd have one day off up until my son was six. And I said to myself, if he wants to do that, and that's his passion, I can't be doing the same hours. Right. So that's, you know, why I got into education. Like, yes, education is my passion. But at the same time, you work for a family. I work nights and weekends. I have help and support from my in-laws. Like I can't do those things that I want to do with the harmony that I want for the people I really care about. Because at the end of the day, if anything ever happened to me, that's who I want to be for, right? Like, I'm for everyone in our community. And this helps me with my own inability to take care of myself.

And it gives me the accountability, which I should say, to check in with myself and go, What do you need?

Monica

Yeah, so important. So important. Because so many times, like I've said this a lot, and especially in you too, but so many times in the hospitality industry, we're hospitable to everybody else but ourselves. Yeah.

We learned how to do. Just learning how to take care of ourselves is so important. And with that kind of what are how did you begin to set boundaries between your life and your job? And how do you recommend that others.

Maria

Put yourself in your schedule I imagine type personality I got adds a paper list checklist posted all over the place. Yup. Including my son who wrote this little I love. You know, that's like right in my. Oh, my lord. Like that, right? He's so.

I feel I have to put myself on my schedule. A friend of mine got me one that actually categorizes my checklists. And I got to tell you, that's actually really helped me because there's a section that says self in this. So it's like a weekly area and there's like work, home, self, others and like extra and it goes Monday to Sunday. And if I wrote nothing in the self section and I go, Oh, let me look at that. Oh, and that happened this week, I'll be honest, that happened this week to me. And I was like, What are you going to do next? Like, I can't keep doing that. Like, I get it. Everybody's got busy weeks, I busy weeks. It's not realistic for me to be like every Wednesday I'm going to do this and this is where we get ourselves set up for like unsuccessful situations. Like, Hey, we got to raise that bar where we're saying like, you know, I'm going to be on my schedule, right?

But you cannot set the frequency because your life is too inconsistent. Right? So I, I go for walks in the morning and recently, I mean, I had a pinched nerve in my neck and like, I don't go into physical therapy. Okay? I realized I have to stop some things to help with the self care. My body kicked me in the gear and I was working out three days a week. I was doing yoga. I was, you know, I'm sitting all this list like, Oh, take me, I'm going for walks. I pushed it too far, right? Yeah. And so I now dial back and I'm like, all right, everybody, body mind scheme. Where am I right now? Where am I feeling in my body? What can I do? And I hold myself accountable in my in my calendar.

Monica

Yeah. And I love that you said that body aware and being aware of like how you're feeling because that's one of the big things that I tell some of my health coaching or all of my health coaching clients is to really start paying attention to how you're feeling and like what's going on inside of your body. Learning to pay attention to that because your body talks to you.

Maria

But that's why I'm like, Oh, what did I just say? You think to me? And then I literally woke up with like a pain in my neck so bad that I have a very high pain silence. I did not get an epidural for my son when I was in labor. I was like, I can do this, you know, like kind of thing, and I'm going to let my body tell me what I need and not, you know, I wanted to go through that experience. And when I this next situation, I was brought to tears, like I couldn't move. Like, you don't feel like your head is important, you know? Yeah. And, like, I carry my stress in my shoulders sometimes. Like, for everyone, it's different for anybody who's listening or any of your clients, like everybody stores stress in a different part of their body. And for me, it's about like stress is all here. I don't let it sink in. I want to be happy and smile and I will.

I'll shut it down. And then my body's like. Maria for you and all of your little lighting tricks you think you're doing. I'm going to I'm going to tell you otherwise.

Monica

That's so funny. But I guess with going on self-care and paying attention, your body's also your mind. And, you know, your mental health is a huge and that's the big initiative of cooks who care and May is national, but is the National Mental Health Awareness Month. So, yeah, what things you have planned around that or how can people start to, you know, I guess speak out about their mental health if they need help? Absolutely.

Maria

There's multiple ways. On our cooks who care. Instagram page you can reach out and DM us if you want to share your story. We want to tell it. We're sharing health stories. Monika you are a part of that sharing about your sleep, you know, active. And we've had individuals, you know, to be able to talk about like maybe they had a drug passed or an addiction issue, whatever it may be. We want to share those health stories on our platform. The other way for mental health awareness, we are going to have on daily stories up for the month of May. You know, check those out and, you know, send us a comment like we only know what people tell us. So if they're not commenting, we don't get brought up an algorithm pretty high. But we also don't know. Like I have tons of people who will send like a quick little message. I love that. I want more people to do it. I'll tell you what, it gives me energy to keep doing what we're doing.

And if it's one person, it's fine. I heard this really cool story. I would tell us one quick and I'll tell you the other stuff we got going on. But there was a gentleman that runs a nonprofit, told this story and has with the TCF Foundation one of their events. And he said this fable of there's two people on a beach. There was a young boy at the beaches edge and an older man standing at the top, and there were thousands of starfish that were hanging out of the water. And the boy was at the water's edge, just taking one at a time, throwing it in the water, one at a time, just throwing it back in. And the old man approached the young boy and he said, Young boy, what are you doing? And he's like, Oh, I'm I'm throwing the starfish in like the all they can't they can't breathe and they need to be back in the water. And the old man said, Well, son, you're not going to be able to throw all these in there.

Like you're not really going to make an impact in. The young boy picked up the starfish, he threw it in the water and he goes, why help that one.

Monica

Yup. If you just help one person. I love that. Right.

Maria

And I look over started crying. Exactly. Exactly. We know the problem is the thousands of starfish on the beach, and I just want to help one person at a time. So if you send me a message, I'm going to do that. I'm going to help one person that engages with us at a time until we reach the ripple of water, you know. And so that that brings me joy. Every day I wake up to do this work and we got a cookbook. Yeah, doing.

Monica

A community cookbook.

Maria

I'm so excited, Chef. Monica is part of that. If you guys don't know about it, she's actually going to be in it twice because she featured a recipe for which we're doing a seasonal book for winter, spring, summer fall, and it's about entertaining at home. And what I love about this book, you know, she's doing one from our winter recipe feature and our spring. We did it Farmer Jawn Agriculture and we were hungry for home at their beautiful historical barn.

Monica

So beautiful. I can't wait to visit it now. Like watching things grow. And it looks so amazing. The videos that she's posting.

Maria

Oh, my God. I know. And that's a boon to like everyone. Our community always follows each other and, like, they'll nudge each other on. And I love that, too. That's like one of my favorite parts. In addition to helping one person at a time, it's like the community grows, and then we all help each other.

You know, Chef Michael always reminds me of that, like when you write in the comment, like, everyone's just so excited about the relationships that they can make with our cook community and that just so happy.

Monica

Yeah, that's such a good chef. Just hospitality community.

Maria

Yeah. Now and I have this is the only touchpoint I have live events like it's hard for us as a community how do we bridge community and not like with COVID, like be safe and make sure that we're caring for each other. And I feel like we did a really good job with these filming events. We're going to have 25 chefs and bartenders and wellness experts participate. There's going to. A digital cookbook for the summer.

Monica

Which begins with the video, is going to be super cool. I mean, Eric is awesome.

Maria

Eric loved you. Here is our film partner, Scott Campbell. My husband's been taking the photos and photography and you're going to see some pictures. And I'm so excited because now Laurel is going to be our next filming site for the summer.

And so we got lots of people involved. And I gosh, I'm just so excited there the and then the print version for December. So as long as everything goes well and I know I have help, I don't do this work by myself. There's a there's a task force that includes yourself, Chef Cheryl, chef Ted, Chef Joy. You know, I and Chef McMillan that these are the individuals who are helping me push this forward. And we meet once a month to kind of talk about how to how to get these things down the road. And I'm so grateful.

Monica

Yeah, I'm so excited for the cookbook and great. You're bringing it to life. And what is everything? Support.

Maria

Well, so it's for food service workers and we're 100% of the sales of any of the books at the touch points because it'll be halfway done with the digital book and you'll see how to videos and how to engage. And then we'll have the print version in December, and that is to grow a community fund. Every time I've done this project work, all I wanted to do was be able to funnel resources of finance, support for food service workers and just give it back to the community. And so my husband and I started this work as an LLC and I've never received any tax benefit. In fact, it cost me money to do it. And then we realized, like when we were starting to get more financial support from companies I talked to, our organization is like, yeah, like it shouldn't cost you anything to do what you're doing. Like it's this is nonprofit work. And to be honest with you, when I was doing it, I got denied from the IRS. I don't have an issue with them when I put in my application and it took me a year to do it by myself.

And I was still to save money, $600 for the application alone, by the way. And it was 96 and I'm not exaggerating, 96 pages of documentation for a yearlong stretch of them telling me no, and they don't have to tell you why they don't.

That I'm doing why I don't get mad. I'm a very happy person. But when that person called me on the phone and we had to amend our application, they still said No. I got in hot. I was like, What? I'm sorry, did you say did you say no? Like, We can't do this? And once I was like devastated because I'm like, I've been doing this work forever. How do we get forward? Right. And then, oh, you're working on your own projects, doing amazing things yourself, just like, you know, everybody's doing their own things, right? And this was like a project I so cared about, like a child of my own, right? Like everyone in our community I care so deeply about. And I told only three people that I ran into this hiccup. I had to put myself out there and say, I don't know what to do. And I'll tell you what, I'm not that person like. I'm like, Oh, I'll do this, I'll try this, I'll call that, I'll ask this.

I put it out there and I had Devin, a woman in New Jersey that is also in charge of like New Jersey wines. It's like a guild or group out there. She also does PR and she's like, Do you know you can start a community fund? And I felt it was like prayers were answered. I'm a spiritual person, but I was like, Oh my God, if you don't want me to do this, I will just stop right now. And but with Devin Support, she led me to the right connection. And I told I didn't do any Google search. If you tell me to go do my research, I'll go back to the drawing board. I don't want to waste your time, but this is my pixel. And they were like, Oh my God, you've been doing this in the community for this long. Like, we need to help you. We need to help you get on there. So now I'm on their fellowship like they chose us. It was a three month recording process, and they want to get cooks who care to be our own nonprofit entity.

Monica

Yes, yes. And Whip. With that, as this is growing and happening, do you see yourself bringing organization to other cities, making it national? Because I know at least we've had national support from other from people in other states who love the initiative.

Maria

Yes, that's what I see. And so this cookbook project is a beta for this area. So it'll be Philadelphia, South Jersey, anyone who lives in Delaware County. And if you're in the area and you support once we grow the fund, which is the effort with the cookbook, then we will be able to provide mini grants to people who need support in health and wellness. Maybe somebody passed away on your team and you need grief counselors. Maybe you can afford the medication that you need and you need support. Maybe you just need to see a health professional and you need guidance on that. Or maybe you want to take your team to go do something. And just like I want them to have yoga today, like you'll be able to reach out to folks who care and like we'll be able to take care of your team. And that's where I feel like we're going to make an impact. You know, we can we can help people. Right now, it's about awareness and getting the word out there.

So any of you are hearing the story and follow along with what we're doing. Like, I need help sharing this story because if it works and we succeed here, I want to go to other cities. I have people lined up who are like, when can I talk to, you know, when can I do it? I got New York, Atlanta, you know, Chicago, like all the major cities, Miami, everyone wants to do it. But I'm about like, let's set the milestone. Let's set the success standard. Right? I know I can execute this. And then once we get that support from all of the community members who are around us and embrace us, then I can hit like, Oh yeah, we've got a big vision for national reach.

Monica

Yeah. Oh, I know what it was. It was. What does actually being a cook who cares mean to you?

Maria

It's. It's everything like this wakes me up every day, right? I think it's just about like that story. It's a little earlier about helping one person. I think it's about those connections. And like, I've always treated it as, you know, eventually we'll hit critical mass, you know, and it'll be a different how can I help more then? But I think, like, it's those special moments that like you send a text message to somebody to say you care about them or you're worried about it, you know, send, you know, make a coffee date with somebody, you know, and call or call them on the phone, you know, text message. Sometimes, if you got no time at all, it feels good, even if it's a meme, you know, like, you know, you don't have time. Like, we're all so busy. But I think that the piece that we always need to do is to just show that element of care. If it's, you know, I find out that a, somebody is not feeling well or I can help in some way or I can provide a ride somewhere, or they just do one thing, Oh, you need a connection to somebody.

Let me know. I just want to make lives easier. Like, we all just need to be there for each other. And it can be the literal smallest act. And I'll give you an example, and I know y was known for people holding the door. It's like a cultural thing, like it's so something that's awesome. I love it. And people hold the door and it's nowhere else that this is like a thing. It doesn't matter who you are. It's not gender driven. It's like anybody holds the door for you, right? And so I. I was holding the door for someone and a woman was looking in her purse for something, and she was talking out loud. And I'm still holding the door and she's like, Oh, I can't find this thing. So she's sharing this, like, stream of consciousness. And then she realized I was still holding the door and she was like, I'm sorry, I have to run my car and I'll be right back. And I'm like, okay, no problem.

I didn't think anything of it. Right. So I go in and I take my order and this woman found me. I honestly was probably standing there for like, maybe like 30 seconds or more. I just was like. And it was the hospitality of me. I can't turn it off. But she was like, I don't work there or anything. I just thought, Hold the door. But she goes, I just needed to tell you like I was having a rough day and I was thinking about, I don't think any of my employees would have done that for me or something like that. And I was like, Oh, okay, so you're a leader somewhere. You know, and I don't work there. But she was just like, I just want you to know I'm really appreciative that you held the door and you just were, like, looking at me and, like, entertaining the fact that I was, like, lost in my thoughts. And you were just so kind to me.

And I was like, Dude, it's that one situation.

Monica

Yeah. It's just one small step or one, like, one kind gesture can change the world.

Maria

Yeah. And it can be that simple. Like I handed a bag or I had some extra. What was it, like, some snacks me and my son didn't love, but literally it did have chocolate pudding in there. And I can't believe you didn't like that. And I had bought, you know, a noodle soup and a couple other things, and I had it all in a Ziploc bag. And so if I'm driving in the city and I see homeless people sometimes I'll just hand it to them. And, hey, if they don't use it and they throw it in the trash, it's I tried like whatever. I don't I don't judge that. I'm just like, I'm going to give it to you. I handed it to somebody yesterday. I will serve your time. I'm an emotional person. I work hard. This is what you get is what you see is what you get. And I handed it out the door and I had the bag, you know, with it handed like this and it said, you know, anything helps, you know, on the side.

And the guy was like kind of looked at me for a second, was like a full bag, had chocolate pudding and all these fun little snacks and like Oreos or whatever. And he was like the whole bag. And I said, Yeah. And he went like this. Yes. You saw the street?

Who fucked up? Like that's what I cried because he looked up like he was like looking up to the heavens, just like who? And he didn't need to ask for anything on the street.

Monica

That warms my heart. That's I love that he just made somebody stay. My eyes are watering because of my allergies, but also tearing up at that.

Maria

Yeah, it's just it that is like I did something today, you know, and like the small, small, small. Not to be huge.

Monica

It doesn't. And that's I think that might be why so many people are intimidated by changes. But change starts at the very basic level, just baby steps. Like even with I don't know, you're not like your health or mental health. One walk a day and then maybe add five more minutes on.

Call a friend. You know, just little, little things and everything compounds.

Maria

Mm hmm. You know, sometimes I'll journal or I will see a therapist, you know, once a month. If I can't spring it and things get busy or if I feel the cost is too high, you know, I really try to do it in intentional things in sometimes too. It's about if I know, maybe it's busy, I'll make my food for the next couple of days so I don't make the excuse of like, Oh, I didn't eat today and eat like I skipped lunch. You know, I've definitely tried to mitigate that even if I'm in my car and I have to pack a bag and it has some random stuff, I, it may only get me through a couple of days and I, I'm doing other things through the week, but that makes me, it resets my week to go. I did something for myself. I'm being mindful, although it doesn't get me through the whole week.

Monica

It just it gets you through part. But yeah. And it's also like I love that you said that about preparing food because I fully believe that cooking for yourself is an, is an act of self-love and nurturing, nourishing yourself in that way. I mean, nourishing yourself in so many other ways, too, but cooking.

Maria

Oh, my God. Yeah. And I've been like, I'll make myself a salad or I'll cook up some extra vegetables. Like, I'm trying my favorite. Sometimes I'll make one thing and then I stretch it out the whole week. And yeah, maybe it's the same thing all week for lunch. Sometimes I'll do that with tuna and I'll put like garbanzo beans and, you know, a nice balsamic and some. Salads and herbs. And then sometimes that'll be like, either I'll just change it up. What it's on. Sometimes it's with crackers, sometimes it's on a sandwich or you know, it just depends. Or with hummus and it's on a salad, you know, another day. But it's literally the same thing that I'm stretching out throughout the week. And when I know I'm really busy, yeah, I'm creative and I can make a million different things, but that doesn't make sense for my lifestyle now.

Monica

Same. And I mean, when I start cooking, I usually go kind of all out. So I'd rather just do a lot and then repurpose it throughout the week. And I do the same exact thing. Like last night I made some greens that I don't know if you saw my story I just shared a little bit ago or whatever real called but I saw and Ange Branca and the Viet Huong market and she gave me some sweet leaves to cook with and try them out. So I made that yesterday. And then today I repurposed it and ate it with scrambled eggs and toast and was delicious.

Maria

Exactly. Exactly. Repurpose it's green is good for you. It's wonderful. There's so many things. There's even a competition show now on TV where it's about using your leftovers and some of the.

Yeah, but it's some of it's like your take out, which is kind of weird, but. But I do. If I have loved it, I would eat it like I don't win stuff. I don't like wasting time. But I've seen you had some really wonderful stuff like here's my breakfast. And I remember you had a sweet potato, like a loaded sweet potato. Yeah. You know, always back for breakfast. I was like, I want one of them. Let me do that this week, you know? And so it's inspiring. I love.

Monica

That. That's what I try to do. I just want to inspire people to cook well, eat well and be well.

Maria

Yeah, I definitely I literally after I saw that, I cooked a bunch of sweet potatoes and I put it in the fridge and I was like, Oh, I can just do that.

Monica

Amazing. Yeah. Oh, well, so I guess before we finish up here, is there anything else you want to leave our readers with? Where can they find you and. Yes, yeah. Where can they find the cookbooks in?

Maria

Yes, the cookbook. Soon I'm going to have a landing page in the next two weeks. Like check out our I would say our Instagram is the happy place to be cooks who care. Our website's getting an overhaul to really talk about the mission. More for the cookbook and the new kitchen culture. It's already on there and you can get all the info. But how to donate and how to support, how to help us get the word out there. If there's companies that should support this project, I figured out and I'll be 100% transparent, that the project itself is around ten grand just to kick it off. Right. Anything above that which we're seeking sponsors from companies that care about this issue to help pay for that cost. And then anything above that becomes the community fund. And that's where it's like this is for people we care about. And so I'm this is in terms of an inexpensive project that's inexpensive, and we're working to grow this thing. We already have a lot of attention, but check out the links.

We're going to make an insider community. There's going to be a new text message feature where you can find out updates about what's going on with the book. We're going to show you a footage of things that are going on. We're going to be on why this fact. We're going to be on some new sources clubhouse.

Monica

Yes, actually, I forgot to ask about that. How do you tell them where to find you on clubhouse and moderate panel? Yes.

Maria

Food is religion is like an amazing resource of people. I love every single person part of that community. Chef McMillan is the co-founder of That Is Awesome. She's also part of this cookbook and she's given me the great feedback, just like everybody who's on our committee. I decided to add her on because she was like, You got to be doing this. I love people that are giving of their advice and really helping support, which is why everyone who's a part of it is a part of it. And on Wednesdays at 1230 Eastern time, and we are always talking about mental health matters. Chef Abby Miller is the creator of that room. And then Sundays Eastern time, Mondays at 8:00 with Sundays at four, we are doing the good, the bad and the ugly in hospitality every Sunday at four. And I have a great co-host for that conversation. We're actually talking about new kitchen culture this Sunday.

And on Wednesday, it's about you are not your thoughts. Right? So it's all about these. Just like one reminder. So I get your heads and everybody who's joined that group on Wednesday say like I really started to think about the rest of my week, like, am I being intentional? So I love doing that.

Monica

I love that. I need to set reminders for myself. I always forget because I turn off all the notifications on my phone except for text messages.

Maria

And sometimes it's needed, you know, sometimes that's needed. So if anybody wants to participate in any of those conversations, join the chat on clubhouse food is religion is a great place to do it. And then check out our insider community. That's coming up this month. So and we'll have a round launch party in June. I mean, gosh, you're going to be a lot of stuff coming ahead.

Monica

So fine. I'm so excited. I'm so grateful to be part of your committee and just helping push your mission forward because it means the world to me and to share the love. And, you know, if we can help one person.

Maria

That's right. I'll give you a fist pump because I'm gonna love it.

Monica

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining me today. And thank you everybody who joined them. And if you listen later on, you can reach Maria at cooks who care on Instagram or cooks who care inspire dot com and keep an eye out for all the talks and the books. And I'll be promoting it as well on my feed. So you'll be aware.

Maria

Yeah. And the cooks who care that horror is the one that has the most up to date info. And we're going to be changing it like things are. Things are growing. It's because we care about the food service community. So any help and assistance is always welcome. Thank you for your time.

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