Empowering Taste! A WeatherVane Creamery Dining and Financial Event

Posted on September 11, 2012 by admin

As soon as I got back from the American Cheese Society conference, I quickly shifted gears.  I had an event to pull off: Empowering Taste!  A WeatherVane Creamery Dining and Financial Event.

It all started back in June when colleague Steve Mercil, who serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Seed &Venture Funds, suggested that I do what Rainforest Cafe’s founder, Steven Schussler, did: host an event where potential investors can really see the business vision.  Apparently, Schussler had such an event where he transformed his basement into the Rainforest Cafe.  I casually mentioned it to one of WeatherVane’s advisors (the advisory team is also a brainchild of Steve), Paul Rode, at one of our Tuesday afternoon sessions and he jumped on it. From then on, that became our weekly focus.

The invite-only event was hosted at 120 S. Main Street, one of the locations that we were considering for WeatherVane Creamery’s future.  During the weeks leading up to the event, the advisory team and I held conference calls and had tasks to make the event come to fruition.  Steve designed the financial offering and Leo Bogee took on presenting it.  Tasha Burilini-Olson, originally from Ellsworth and currently managing the marketing for the retail store at the Burnett Dairy Cooperative, was to speak to the feasibility of WeatherVane Creamery in River Falls.  Kevin Pechacek, owner of the WestWind Supper Club here in River Falls, donated the tables, table cloths, serveware and (most generously) himself as our celebrity grilled cheese chef.  And Max Neuhaus was on standby for legal questions.  Paul Rode, of Agave Kitchen in Hudson, was going to introduce me.  Judie and David Foster-Babcock were our official sponsors having donated $1,000 to produce the event.

I could really take this blog post to several directions at this point.  I could tell you all about the pitfalls and unreturned phone calls that drove me nuts.  Or I could tell you about all of the miracles that happened, before, during and after: personal and professional.  Mostly, all you have to know is that the event truly represented WeatherVane Creamery.  The wind blew in some unexpected directions and we adjusted.  Sustainable, Magical, Quirky, Smart, and Accessible were present and we Empowered Taste.  It was wonderful to see all of the people and organizations that helped pull the event off:

Our Advisory Team- Leo Bogee, Tasha Burilini-Olson, Max Neuhaus, Kevin Pechacek, and Paul Rode.

Judie and David Foster-Babcock

River Valley Catering

Burnett Dairy Co-op

The Agave Kitchen

Bo’s N Mine

General Beverage Northwest

Gary Havlichek

Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative

Castle Rock Organic Farms

Crazy Ladies Kitchen

Douville Bakery and Catering

Our helpers: Ian, David, Shawn, Lisa, Melissa, and Missy

Whole Earth Grocery

Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

River Falls Sign and Design

And last but not least, here are some of the results of the survey that we gave to the guests following the event:

  • The favorite grilled cheese was Alpha’s Morning Sun from the Burnett Dairy Cooperative
  • Pricing and portion for the grilled cheese was “about right”
  • The top 3 elements that will make WeatherVane Creamery successful are 1.) Quality Food, 2.) Sarah’s Energy, and 3.) Wisconsin Theme

A full photo album of the event is on our facebook page.  Check it out!  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.351181834965326.87043.174028466013998&type=3

Sarah Presenting

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Rally in Raleigh Part III- Cheese Judging

Posted on August 28, 2012 by admin

At the American Cheese Society Conference I. ATE. A. LOT. OF. CHEESE. I don’t know how else to say it. Cheese with wine, cheese with preserves, cheese with coffee, cheese with cheese…. you get the picture. On day 5- Saturday, I didn’t even have breakfast or lunch and I ate a late supper. All I ate was the cheese that was offered in my tasting sessions. And I was just eating to eat it. Sure, it was fascinating and I will be sure to one day apply the fact that Aged Cheddar goes best with Spicy/savory chutney and pickled fruit. But who was I kidding? I just wanted to eat cheese.

It wasn’t until I went to the Cheese Judging session that I actually got to appreciate the art of cheese judging and evaluation. And the American Cheese Society takes their judging very seriously. An indicator of this is the 5 minute video that they provide on how cheesemakers should pack their cheese to ship to be evaluated. Check it out:

But this blog isn’t about the actual judging that the ACS does every year to determine the best cheeses in each category in the country. No, this is more about cheese tasting. Like, as a serious thing.

First of all, some general tips. And I am sure there are more specific guidelines beyond this. When you put the cheese in your mouth, mash it around to all areas of your tongue “like a dog eating peanut butter”(Ha!) One of the most underrated areas to pay attention to, is the area on both sides of the tongue. Make note of how the cheese his hitting all taste buds- sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Umami describes brothy, meaty, and musky flavors like those found in mushrooms, tomatoes, and cured meats. Of course, you want to notice the texture of the cheese and breathe the aroma into the back of your throat with an open mouth. Some argue whether the cracker is a delivery system or a palette cleanser. Personally, I like it as a palette cleanser. I will even put soft cheeses on my plate and swab the cheese onto my finger and do some finger-lickin’ to get the best sense of the cheese. But I didn’t see anyone else do that. Call that one a Sarah-ism.

On to the formal education that I got at the judging session. We were given two score sheets for each category of cheese: a technical score sheet and an aesthetic score sheet. For the aesthetic score sheet, I tasted Tillamook Cheddar Cheese.

Sidenote: I have a love/hate relationship to Tillamook Cheddar Cheese. If I am on the West Coast, I love Tillamook Cheddar Cheese and will tell all of my friends to go to the Tillamook Cheese Factory to get their tour and sampling on. Here in Wisconsin, however, Tillamook has NO business here. In fact, it was what drove me to investigate cheese as a component for WeatherVane Creamery. I saw Tillamook Cheddar at Family Fresh here in River Falls when I was looking for “good” Wisconsin cheese. I was outraged when I saw it because I had just spent the last three years living in Portland, OR getting razzed about how Tillamook, which is located in Oregon, had won the Cheddar award over any Wisconsin cheeses. I had been defending our Wisconsin reputation for years and then look what I found here in Wisconsin! An outrage, I tell you. A pure and utter outrage.

Back to aesthetic judging:
For the Tillamook Cheddar, we rated four qualities- Aroma, Flavor, Texture/Body, and Appearance/Rind Development. On my score sheet there were descriptors specific to Cheddar. Things like Buttery Aroma, Balanced Salt Flavor, Evenly Moist, and Good Even Color. My score for Tillamook Cheddar? 48 out of 50. “Mild yet flavorful. Excellent butter flavor and finish.”

For the technical score sheet, I judged a goat Camembert. The technical qualities rated were also Aroma, Flavor, Texture/Body, and Appearance/Rind Development except the descriptors were different and points got deducted instead of added. The descriptors were things like Ammoniated, Unpleasantly Earthy Aroma, Lacks Freshness, Curdy, Gassy, Grainy, and Rind Rot. Fun stuff. I rated the goat Camembert a 43 out of 50. “Waxy, uneven layers.” Turns out that I was harsher on this cheese than others in the room. *shrug*

What I really took away from this session was the tools to be able to train my future staff who will in turn train our customers on how to taste cheese and learn about the qualities of the different categories. And here are the categories in case you were wondering: Fresh Cheeses, Aged Fresh Cheeses, Soft White Cheeses, Semi-Soft Cheeses, Hard Cheeses, Blue Cheeses, and Flavor-Added Cheeses. When I asked around the conference for a good reference book, everyone recommended “The Cheese Primer” by Steve Jenkins. I have to admit that I took a look at it at the book sale there at the conference and wasn’t sold on it. In fact, I got back and ordered it from the River Falls Public Library and took a closer look at it and remained unconvinced. I ended up getting a book called “The World Cheese Book” by DK Publishing. Here is my official Amazon.com review of it: “This is one of the best cheese books for beginners that I have found. Really great photos and content. But, no Colby cheese?!”





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Rally in Raleigh Part II- Food Safety

Posted on August 28, 2012 by admin

I was registered into two food safety sessions at the American Cheese Society Conference and I wondered what would be different for retailing and handling cheese versus the things in the produce and coffee industries that I knew. I initially walked away frustrated and disappointed from the sessions. I thought that what was covered was basic and not new. I was frustrated by the “elementary” level of questions and was especially irritated by the lady who thought that it was “too much to ask” an entry level cheesemonger to be able to know and tell a health inspector the correct temperature that the cheese coolers needed to be (it’s 41 degrees, just like in the industries that I was accustomed to). In my experience, food safety is nothing to mess around with and it is NEVER too much to ask to have everyone who handles the product to know the basic considerations. We are all responsible for providing safe food. Ok, I am stepping down from my soap box now. She was set straight by the ACS panel and that is all that matters. 🙂

It wasn’t until after I toured the Caves of Faribault in Faribault, MN that I started to realize why the cheese industry seemed to be behind the eight ball on food safety. There, I saw wheels in affinage (a fancy, presumably French-derived word for cheese ripening) caves that could spend anywhere up to 120 days until they were ready for sale. And it wasn’t until my breakfast with Gary this Sunday that I put it all together. Gary’s background includes some time as a meat cutter in the grocery industry so we both had fresh food experience with food safety. I’ll explain it to you like I did to him.

In both the meat and produce industries, product is made to be fresh and spoilage is to be avoided. One of the main safety protocols for keeping things fresh revolves around keeping things at the coldest temperature without them freezing. Another rule is to get the meat or produce into the customer’s hands as soon as possible with a relatively short retail shelf life.

With cheese, there are some different considerations. For one thing, in the cheese world, shelf life is variable and what we called spoiling is known as ripening or affinage. Just this week I had a conversation with Paul Haskins from the Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative. He explained to me that the Dante Sheepmilk Cheese that he gave me was a little older than they typically sell to market. In my former role as a Produce Manager, “old” would raise a definite red flag. In this case, however, I interpreted it (and he confirmed it) to mean that it was going to have a more pungent flavor and be “harder”, or closer to a Parmesan texture due to the moisture loss over time.

Speaking of moisture content… Some lower (under 39%) moisture content cheeses don’t need to be refrigerated at all. This includes Cheddar, Gruyere, Parmesan, and Romano. Here in Wisconsin, we fight to have our cheese curds warm for as long as possible without refrigerating them (24 hours is the current allowable time until they need to be refrigerated). This is when they taste the best and are their squeakiest.

So now I know why the cheese industry seemed behind the eight ball. I got the big, loud reminder that making cheese is an old fashioned way of preserving food. It is a living, breathing entity that doesn’t ever necessarily die. Plants/produce have what is called a permanent wilting point and decomposes and meat just rots and gets disgusting. Can you tell that I don’t have that meat background? I am sure they have a much cooler/politically correct word for that.

And just like I needed the big, loud reminder, health inspectors might also need to get educated and the cheesemakers and the American Cheese Society are working on that. Cheese has its own rules. It isn’t necessarily comparable to the other fresh food products. So now you know. And I do, too. And I completely appreciate the level of discussion that was had during my two food safety sessions at the American Cheese Society Conference.

Cheese Curds. These pesky devils defy *all* the rules! They can be out in ambient temperature for 24 hours before the health inspectors require refrigeration.

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The American Cheese Society Conference- Rally in Raleigh! Part I

Posted on August 26, 2012 by admin

I was having breakfast this morning with one of WeatherVane Creamery’s supporters, Gary (the one who wrote me that nice email in my last blog entry) and he asked me what I got out of the American Cheese Society Conference.  Coincidentally, I also need to send off an essay to the American Cheese Society answering that very question.  So here is the answer:

I got three main things out of the American Cheese Society Conference:  1.) business connections, 2.) a new understanding of the food safety issues in the cheese industry, and 3.)  a basic understanding on how to evaluate and judge cheese.  Let me tell you more about these things.  I’ll start with the business connections and next time (Part II) I will tell you about the food safety issues (I promise to try to make it a riveting read!) and about the cheese judging another time (part III).

Business connections sound dry and like a bunch of polo-shirted and khaki pants wearing business drones mingling around a water cooler laughing at mildly inappropriate industry laden jokes.  And yes, the jokes were present.  But this wasn’t like that.

Just weeks before the conference, I met with some folks from the Dairy Business Innovation Center in Madison and they gave me a list of cheese retailers and other industry experts to get in touch with ahead of the conference to set appointments with.  The majority of the list said to text them to find a time once we were in Raleigh.  I found myself using the conference as a dairy expert scavenger hunt.  Once there, I checked off my list one by one and was amazed at how eager and willing people were to get together and give me 30 minutes of their conference time.  Both the Dairy Business Innovation Center and the conference opened a lot of doors for me.  I was both honored and surprised to find people like Ari Weinzweig from Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Kate Arding, the editor of Culture Magazine who helped establish Cowgirl Creamery in San Francisco and Jeff Jirik, the cheesemaker that founded the Caves of Faribault to be available and excited to learn more about what I am up to with WeatherVane Creamery.  In fact, Jeff went out of his way to tell fellow cheesemaker Sid Cook from Carr Valley Cheese that *he* was going to be my mentor and that Sid couldn’t have me!

Aside from the individuals that I met, I went away from the conference impressed at how much of a small, intimate world the cheese industry is.  The American Cheese Society fosters a great and generous community.  Everyone (for the most part- there are always a few exceptions here and there) was bright eyed and eager to share their stories and hear yours.  The camaraderie, even amongst strangers, was unmistakable and inspiring.

Here I am with Jeff Jirik from The Caves of Faribault

With Master Cheesemaker Sid Cook from Carr Valley Cheese

With Ari Weinzweig. In my Outlook Contacts I have him listed as “Super God”

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Words From Strangers… Oh! The People You’ll Meet!

Posted on August 13, 2012 by admin

Below is an email from someone that I have never met.  Tonight it made me cry.  Gary, the author, lives in the WAY eastern part of Wisconsin.  He called me after reading the article in The Country Today back in April.  He was interested in potentially lending WeatherVane Creamery some money and he volunteered many dairy artifacts for decoration from his family estate.  I remember him saying that he had never done anything like that before but that he was just really inspired by the article and wanted to help out.  Ever since, we have been in touch via email or the phone.  Last week, as I was boarding the plane in Raleigh, he called and we talked about Empowering Taste, the investor event and dinner that WeatherVane and our advisors are hosting next week.  Gary is making the 600 mile round trip trek to bring me the milk cans and other items and to participate in the evening.  This email is in response to me saying that I was excited and nervous for the event:

Hello, I can believe you’re getting nervous with this being one of the biggest responsibilities you’re taking on in life. I’ll try to calm you down if you need some support, not that I any good at that. You’ll do just fine.  You have many years of experience at your disposal and your investors wouldn’t be coming if they didn’t see something special in you or your idea on the Weather Vane Creamery.  Some will walk away and some will be your best supporters and those that support you know you have what it takes to make them money.  That’s why they are coming because they believe in you.  Yes they’re smart but you are in control because this was and is your passion and goal.  You will do fine because they know they’re there for one reason and that’s for you to ask for their investment.  It’s not like you’re bringing on some big surprise to them, they are expecting a return on their investment but they also want you to succeed or they wouldn’t be there.  Look back on your other big moments with Starbucks and you managed yourself all the way to this point.  I would say you’re taking the next step and that’s ownership and total management and you are in control to a point.  The people you have met along the way wouldn’t have encouraged you to move forward if they didn’t see something good in this.  All your home work on this will payoff and you will be grateful for the rewards.  You have experience and they will see that during your meeting, that will go a long way.

_______________________________________

I really just wanted to share Gary’s email with you but then I started thinking about all of the other correspondence from strangers and friends that has both surprised me and kept me going all this time.  I want to share those with you, too.  Here they are.

Last Spring, I checked out the “Local River Falls” event at UWRF and met the farmers of Sweet Top Farm CSA.  I was considering buying a share for the summer.  This is from our email exchange:

I realized after you left yesterday that I recognized you from the article in Country Today about Weathervane Creamery.  After we read the article, Adam and I were saying that we needed to meet you, and the next day, I did!  We agree: where is all the good cheese!?  I hope that you are making it over the hurdles mentioned in the article.  We are rooting for you!

I received this one in the mail during the indiegogo campaign:

Dear Sara (sic),

Enclosed is a check in support of your new venture. 

This picture is of a Gargoyle from Notre Dame de Paris.  It’s function is to ward off evil spirits, bad karma, ill luck.

To be sure, I wish you success in your project.

This is an email that I received from a River Falls resident after the article ran in the River Falls Journal last winter:

Hello Sarah,

     I am excited to know someone has the courage to start a real cheese shop in RF.  I may have seen you at Whole Earth but not sure,  I’ve only been in there about a half dozen times since I moved here in 1980.  Originally I am from Janesville, Wi. and every other Sunday my parents would go to Monroe, Wi. to spend the afternoon with my mothers parents but we never came home without  first stopping at a cheese factory to buy Swiss Cheese.  In the 80’s I lived in Oshkosh and it didn’t take me long to find out that the Field’s Restaurant sold good ol’e Swiss Cheese.  Since I’ve lived in this part of the country I would order cheese from Field’s or from my other store in Stoughton,Wi called  “Cheesers”,  Now I look forward to getting my cheese from “WVCREAMERY”. 

      I have been keeping my eyes open for a place for you to do business, so I hope you find a place for your business.  The only place that comes to mind is on N Main across from the family restaurant or next door to the Westwind Supper Club.  That bldg has just been remodeled and there isn’t anyone in there that I am aware of.  That’s not down town but just thought I would bring that to your attention.

This was my first piece of fanmail dated November 21, 2011:

Wanted to let you know that as a resident of town, WeatherVane Creamery would be a welcome addition to the city of River Falls. It’s been sad seeing businesses like Lunds closing lately. You indicated that it would be a destination business. Are you familiar with the social concept of third place? This book may be of interest to you, “The Great Good Place: Coffee Shops, Community Centers, Beauty Parlors, General Stores, Bars, Hangouts and How They Get You Through the Day” by Ray Oldenburg.

I lived in Portland for eight years and moved back about two years ago. I’m curious, what co-op did you work for? Was it People’s? New Seasons? I’ll admit I was surprised the first time I saw Tillamook cheese at Econo foods. Unfortunately it didn’t unlock a business idea in my mind. It made me crave beer from the northwest.

And this remains a favorite by my friend Tony Julian, who delighted my inbox with this one day:

Did you hear about that dragon SARAH!!! SARAH who? SARAH Kowal, you know the cheese dragon.
Bringing cheese and prosperity to River Falls, one wheel at a time!!! She swoops in with fire in her breath and fills the hearts and stomachs of the community. She melts even the hardest Pecorino. People just love that dragon and cannot get enough of what she is offering. A pile of wealth is gathering at the feet of that dragon and she can’t give it away fast enough to not be flooded by it. If you haven’t met that dragon, you need to go. Go meet that dragon, be filled. Rejoice in the cheese. Bring her gifts. The more gifts you bring the more your riches will increase. You really got to meet this dragon and buy her cheese, I am just saying.

This just doesn’t feel complete without acknowledging the people who called or I ran into-  the woman who wanted to sell me her coffee shop in Atwood, WI, the dairy farmers (Gay and Theresa) who just wanted to show support, the woman at the River Falls post office who said her grandson used the article in the River Falls Journal for his class project, and the woman at the Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championship who said “Oh!  You are the lady from the internet!”

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What I’ve been up to

Posted on May 14, 2012 by admin

Today has been awesome. This is actually the last thing on my To Do list. This never happens. I mean, sometimes I don’t even get past number two.

I have to admit, I have been in a mild funk. After my Starbucks adventure, the next round of business was to make the list of Maybes in my investor pocket into Yesses. I reallllly liked having Maybes. I could pretend that they would all be Yesses or that I would have at least enough Yesses to get this show on the road. I could daydream with a smile on my face. Ooooooh this was going to be EASY. Ha!

In the last couple of months I have been picking the investors off two by two. Each week I would commit to having two hard conversations that would each end in one of three ways: with a Yes, No, or No For Now. Long story short, I got some Noes, some No For Nows, a Yes for $1000, and one You Can Say I Am Giving You $10,000 To Get Others To Do It But Really I Won’t. *sigh* It was interesting, though, that everyone had different reasons. Mostly it was circumstances (surgery coming up, other business/investment ventures to build, waiting to see more investors show up, etc). When it wasn’t circumstances, it was valid considerations like the volatility of the restaurant and retail environment ie. the risk or the disbelief that River Falls can support the business. *snort*

And while that sounds all grim, it’s really not. Despite the “failure funk”, I have a lot of peace about being beyond those conversations. I can focus on the nitty gritty and do some things around my community. I made a list and have been knocking stuff off of it. I have been revisiting the business plan and firming up numbers.

And speaking of numbers, I had to add up my business expenses for 2011. Boy, was that eye opening. I went from starting a business with “nothing” to suddenly have thousands of dollars show up on the paper. WeatherVane Creamery now has a value, a price tag. Not to mention the intangible value of all the branding, fans, views, and other media. Suddenly the dream is a measurable entity. Pretty fricken’ cool if you ask me.

Now I am extremely close to submitting all of those fun numbers to some financial institutions. I have a good feeling about this. I just do.

In the meantime, I entered the Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championship with my nephew, Ben. What a trip! He was such a good chef and, despite our loss, he was a complete champion to me. I asked him if he’d go again and he said “No.” WeatherVane Creamery is now officially looking for a child aged 8 and up to represent next year. Tell your neighbors. Pictures are up at www.facebook.com/wvcreamery. Oh, and my favorite moment? When a woman from New London, Wisconsin said “You are the girl from the internet!” Who knew? I might be kinda famous.

And finally, last Friday I got the Good News. No, Jesus didn’t come back, sorry. My essay landed me the trip to the National Cheese Society Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina! It feels like winning a trip on The Price Is Right. Except that it is a CHEESE trip. I can hardly believe it. People in Colorado (why is the American Cheese Society headquartered there?) want to meet ME in North Carolina! So cool. I can’t wait.

And that’s what I’ve been up to. Oh, yeah, well and I am working on a side project called the River Falls Business Information Network and that might warrant its own blog someday. Just not today.

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Two Days Later…

Posted on May 10, 2012 by admin

Click on image to enlarge

I was excited to receive this email. I read it and thought “Yeah, I know I definitely leave an impression. Wonder what one it was this time?” with a smile on my face.

A few hours after that I received a call from Mark Pinsky, the President and CEO of the Opportunity Finance Network. After a little bit of phone tag I saw his call come in and pulled my car over. I grabbed my notebook and made some notes. Mark was very apologetic about the phone tag and that he hadn’t gotten in touch with me sooner. Sooner? I was grateful to get a call just two days after the meeting. In fact, I was barely back home and back into the swing of things. I told him what an honor it was to talk to not just Howard that week, but now to another CEO and President of an important organization. Mark asked me a few questions about where I was at with my financing and what I had already done and knew. In the end, he offered to connect me with Mary Mathews at the Entrepreneur Fund in Duluth, MN. He had worked with Mary previously and called her an “entrepreneurial genius”. Aside from that, he didn’t have any other specific things to offer. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed to hear “You are doing what there is to be done. Just keep doing that.” I wanted a secret Easy Button or access to the dollars in one easy move. I suppose it is assuring or even a compliment that I am doing the right things. I am just always hungry for more.

What really made the most difference to me in that phone call with Mark? What he said his experience was of me from Wednesday. Because remember how I said how defeated I was leaving the shareholders meeting? Well, all of a sudden I understood that wasn’t the experience that other people had of me. I was so relieved.

Here are the things Mark said: That he was sitting in the front row with the presidents of divisions, CEOs of other partnering Starbucks companies from other countries etc and, of course, Kenny G (he is shareholder and personal friend of Howard’s and is there every year). That he looked around where he was sitting while I was talking and that everyone found me to be “really moving”. He said that he was personally moved by my admiration of Howard, my story, and that Howard himself had asked him to follow up with me. My favorite thing he said was “You definitely got Howard’s attention.”

After the call, I did get connected with Mary Mathews and she connected me with the CEO and owner of the Keeley Group in Atlanta, Georgia, Kathy Keeley. Kathy was involved with the American Girl(R) Dolls and French Meadow Bakery businesses during their early years. It was another conversation where I was told that I am doing what there is to be done. She suggested thinking of other ways that I can start WeatherVane Creamery on a smaller scale. About an hour later she called me back and left a message apologizing for being a downer. I appreciated that. And I was honored by her authenticity to be able to do that. And I have considered a few smaller options.

So that’s it. I never heard back from Starbucks or Howard, but that is not to say that I still won’t. It was a wonderful ride and there is still more to be done. My next blog will be about where we are at on that ride and what we need. Stay tuned!

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How I got to stand in front of Howard Schultz (Part 3)

Posted on May 7, 2012 by admin

I get dropped off at the shareholder meeting.  I am alone.  I think this is better than having someone with me.   In fact, I only shared with a few people about what I am doing. Today I know I have a big thing to do and I don’t want to be concerned about how anyone else is reacting.  I have a carefully put together packet for Howard:  my letter, resume, the nondisclosure agreement, and copies of my press.  The letter is handwritten on theme paper and put in a card. My sister made the card. She gave it to me for Christmas in an assortment. On it is a photograph that she took of coffee beans when she was in Costa Rica for vacation.  Who knew it might end up in the hands of Howard Schultz?  I look for a seat on the edges of the rows so that I don’t have to trip over people when I get up.  This year is one of the most packed meetings.  I am pretty sure that has to do with how well the stock price is doing.  I wonder if they are going to mention the Create Jobs for USA campaign at all.

The lights go down and the meeting starts.  I am constantly reminding myself that I don’t have to be nervous.  I don’t have to have a dry mouth or weak knees this year.  A lot has happened since the last time I was here.  I am not the same person.  I have gone through things I would never have thought I would have survived through so beautifully.  I am stronger and more powerful.  I can’t even remember what it was like to be that girl that had a question about grocery margins.  I had a bigger mission now.  And there was no rule that it had to be anxiety ridden.

I am delightfully surprised that the first hour or so of the meeting is about making a difference in our communities, the American Dream, and what Starbucks is doing about it.  And by the way, I heartily recommend watching that segment of the meeting.  Especially the part from Doctor Reverend Calvin Butts from Harlem.  You can actually click on a drop down menu below the video and choose his name to watch that segment.  Completely moving and inspirational man.  Anyway, I am feeling validated and empowered.  I am also enjoying myself.  I am in the moment and paying attention.  I didn’t know that was really possible.  Before I know it, the Question and Answer period comes up.

I gather my things and stand up.  I notice that I am not as nervous this year.  My knees feel relatively steady even.  My turn comes up and I do not have anything in particular rehearsed.  In fact, I deliberately did that.  I wanted to make sure that I was genuine and not “canned”.  I just told myself to make sure that I tied in what I had to say with what Starbucks is up to and to make sure that I asked Howard to be an investor and mentor and that I got my packet to him.  While those few elements sound relatively simple, I knew it would be pretty easy to lose courage to ask for anything.

I start by introducing myself.  I secretly cringed the moment after saying that I was “highly decorated” when I was a manager in Chicago. I specifically told myself not to use those words. I guess I should have told myself other words to use instead.

Next, in my head the words “acknowledge Howard” were there and I don’t even know what’s coming out of my mouth. Then everyone starts clapping in support of what I said and I realized that everyone thought that was all I had to say and that they expected me to sit down! I tell myself to keep going. A smile crosses my lips at the challenge. In my head, it was more like a sneer like “Oh you are not getting rid of me that easy!” So I forge ahead and I trip on my words (these moments seemed like an eternity) but I get it all out. I ask Howard to consider being an investor and mentor.

As soon as the words leave my lips I am relieved. My job is officially done here. I had coached myself ahead of time that all I had to do was get those words out and get the packet to him. But then Howard says thank you for coming to the meeting, “someone” will look it over, and thank you very much. My moment was done. Time to sit down.

Fifteen minutes later. I am devastated. I tell myself that I sold out the opportunity and let everyone down. I didn’t make sure the packet got to HOWARD. I flew across the country, did all the things that I had to do to get to that moment, and I let Howard dismiss me. Not that he was being disrespectful in any way. He was being very gracious. I was telling myself that I gave up a minute too early. That my packet was going to end up in a trash can in Human Resources. Defeat.

And then…

You can get to the webcast here. They do ask you to fill out a form and I can assure you that they won’t use your information for evil or to spam your email account. I am at 2:35-2:37. http://investor.starbucks.com/phoenix.zhtml?p=irol-eventDetails&c=99518&eventID=4687629

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How I got to stand in front of Howard Schultz (Part 2)

Posted on April 25, 2012 by admin

Let me explain two things that might bring some clarity for you about how I thought I could just fly out to Seattle and get in front of my idol and basically ask for the keys to the kingdom.

First of all, I had been to three previous meetings and at every meeting there was a Question and Answer session at the end.  Invariably someone would ask Howard how to get a job in some corporate department or they would complain that a “friend” of theirs had applied for a job and not heard back or my personal favorite: why can’t Starbucks bring Tazoberry or Valencia syrup back?  I worked at Starbucks after Tazoberry was discontinued and heard about it A LOT from customers, so *groan*.

The previous year I was bothered by how the margins were not making sense after Starbucks discontinued their partnership with Kraft for their grocery line items.  I remember sitting there in my seat and feeling propelled to ask Howard to explain himself.  I was, after all, highly trained by Starbucks themselves on how to read a Profit and Loss statement and this was just not making sense.  I recall standing in the Q&A line with knees buckling and a suddenly dry mouth.  I think I barely croaked my question out and I can’t even attest to how coherent it was.  I do remember saying something like “I am honored to have your audience” with a nervous blush and twitter to Howard and was disappointed that Troy Alstead, Starbuck’s cfo, answered.  I wanted HOWARD!  I was hardly attempting to listen to Troy’s answer and just nodded and made fake eye contact.  I sat down next to my friend Julie and said “Did you even understand his answer?”  She attempted to explain it but I was completely disinterested.

It’s pretty clear to me that the whole ordeal was just to talk to Howard and, in retrospect, prepare for what I was to do the following year.  This year.  Last month.  Wow.

The other piece that I want to explain is the Create Jobs for USA campaign that Starbucks partnered with the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) on.  If you go to their website, you can see how it works.  Basically you go to a Starbucks, donate $5, and it is magically turned into $35 that goes towards small business loans through community development financial institutions (CDFIs).  Then businesses start (like WeatherVane!), jobs are created, and vitality (financial and otherwise) in our communities shows up.  It is a direct response to Howard’s commitment to giving back and making a difference in our country.  Pretty cool stuff.  I looked for participating CDFIs in the program to help WeatherVane Creamery back in November, and there weren’t any.*

Basically, I knew the Q&A drill and I had a segue.

http://www.createjobsforusa.org/

*I did find two CDFIs that were NOT a part of the program that we could potentially work with:  Impact 7 in Almeda, Wisconsin and Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation in Milwaukee.

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How I got to stand in front of Howard Schultz (Part I)

Posted on April 19, 2012 by admin

I want to talk about the trip to Seattle.  It’s almost overdue.  I don’t want to forget everything that led to that epic 3 minutes in time.  You can watch the three minutes yourself.  It really happened.  I was there in front of Howard Schultz, my all-time hero.  That’s right, kids- no Batman or Magic Johnson here.  Howard Schultz, the ceo of Starbucks Coffee Company.  And no, that isn’t a typo.  Titles aren’t capitalized at Starbucks.  Everyone is a peer, or rather a “partner”.

So anyway, back in November I was sitting in my living room and  I was feeling alone. I had some big business decisions to make for WeatherVane.  I was wracking my brain with “Who has been through this before that I can ask?”  I was coming up blank.  I glance up and see my copy of “Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul” by Howard on my bookshelf.  It was then that I started asking myself “What Would Howard Do?”  And not far after that, I got it in my head to get in touch with him.

I was already planning on going to the Starbucks annual shareholder meeting.  I had gone the previous three years when I lived in Portland.  And now, it felt like a spiritual journey.  I knew I had to get there and I even knew that it didn’t necessarily justify itself financially in other people’s eyes.  I didn’t need it to.

I am trying to remember what exactly I wanted to say to him.  Oh yeah that’s right- I wrote him a letter.  Let’s see what it said:

Dear Howard,

  About a year ago I was sitting at the Starbucks Shareholder meeting having just gotten fired from my job finding myself homeless, single, and carless.  It was the third shareholders meeting I had been to and the first year that I got up the courage to get up and ask you a question at the microphone.  It doesn’t even matter what the question was, just that I got up despite my fear to have your audience.

Today my life is completely different.  Shortly after that meeting, I packed up my dog and possessions into a rental van and made the journey back home to River Falls, Wisconsin from Portland, Oregon.  I now have a car, a home, a plethora of love and support, and a business plan.

A business plan.  A dream. A commitment to my community.  A difference to be made.

As you will see when you take a look at my fund raising campaign and media mentions, I am currently in a very fantastical journey.  And when I find myself feeling misunderstood, I remember all of the times that you had the courage and strength to keep moving forward.  All the times that you had to adjust your course yet maintaining strength in your convictions.

A few months ago my investor fell through and I saw your campaign. I know your commitment to our country and for creating jobs that make a difference in our communities.  I would like to invite you out for coffee to discuss our mutual vision.  Perhaps you might even consider being an investor in my Wisconsin themed specialty retail store and café.  It was recently called “the next Starbucks” after all.  I will be making the trek to the shareholder meeting and plan  on staying in the area for a few days.

I know that you already know who I am since I was a well decorated store manager in Chicagoland.  You yourself said it best in your last book.  “Starbuck’s best store managers are coaches, bosses, marketers, entrepreneurs, community ambassadors, and merchants all at once.  They are optimistic problem solvers who run their stores creatively yet analytically, calling upon passion and intelligence to drive customer traffic, partner loyalty, and profit. The best managers take their jobs personally, treating the store as if it were their very own.”  Thank you for shaping who I am.  I look forward to hearing from you.

I forgot that all I wanted to do was invite him out to coffee.  My big plan was to try to email him directly (which I really believe will get filtered and not even get to him at all), send it in the mail, and to send it to a former district manager that still works for the company and has moved up closer up the food chain closer to Howard.  But close enough?  I resisted and put it off.  I put “get letter to Howard” on my daily top three things that I committed to on my emails to my accountability coach.  And for about three weeks I put it off and felt terrible for every day that I failed to do it.

Then one day it hit me.  I was to go to the Starbucks annual shareholder meeting and deliver it to him personally.  And then it hit me again about a minute after that.  I had to also include my nondisclosure agreement for access to the business plan (I felt really clever about this) and ask him to be my mentor.  This was the *one* way that I knew it would get in front of him and I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t thought of it before.

I had a mission.

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