Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Zawadzki.
Hi Tina, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
As a child I wanted to be a Chef. I remember getting a ‘hand me down’ Easy Bake oven and being so excited. Who knew a light bulb could cook a tiny cake? Throughout grade school, I was always placed in the honors classes so going to culinary school would have been considered a big U-turn. After high school, I took a year off (now referred to as a “gap year”) and I just worked at my retail job, decompressed and then enrolled at Penn State. I graduated with High Honors with an Accounting degree, passed the CPA exam and rode off into the sunset in Corporate America. After nearly 20 years of that, I was “stick a fork in me, I’m done”! I was completely soul crushed and had to make a change – a change for my own happiness and sanity. My passion for cooking never waned and it was now my time to explore a career in cooking. I went to cooking school and earned a certificate in Food & Hospitality at Dallas College/El Centro.
Here is where the universe rewarded me. About 6 weeks into my culinary school journey, I applied for a job with an established personal chef, Anne Blankenship of Designed Cuisine. Anne taught me the business and continues to be my mentor and fierce supporter. In January 2020, I officially started The Dinner Whisk, Personal Chef Company.
Check out my Voyage Dallas Article from 2021 for more about my story
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been struggles. Starting The Dinner Whisk in January 2020 was just the beginning. We all remember 2020! I went from a full schedule of clients down to one. It was such a scary and strange time. Fortunately, the business bounced back and went back to a full schedule of clients within that year.
Another struggle has been finding competent and reliable talent who take pride in their work. I’ve learned that finding real talent takes a LONG time. I’ve made mistakes but those mistakes have guided me to find the right people.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve always been a working Mom. I can remember being so “beat down” from the meetings, the commute, the travel and there was no way I was cooking dinner. I’ve been in my clients’ shoes. I’ve felt the “mommy guilt” of not cooking a healthy meal, what example am I showing my daughter…blah, blah, blah…not to mention how you feel about your own health and eating habits. I love taking all of that pressure and guilt off my clients’ plates! They come home and all they have to do is reheat the food and put the plates in the dishwasher.
Any big plans?
Right now, I’m working on The Dinner Whisk 2.0, which I’m very excited about. My daughter went off to college and that has given me more time to focus on new projects for the business. A couple of things I’ll share is I’ve been working with Pink Salmon Software on recipe software for home cooks & personal chefs. We’ve built the prototype and I just started to use it to support my business.
I am also committed to helping families get dinner on the table. Not everyone can afford a personal chef so I am sharing my tips & tricks through social media in hopes it helps working families.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thedinnerwhisk.com
- Instagram: thedinnerwhisk
- Facebook: thedinnerwhisk
