January 28, 2025 • 30 mins
Jennifer Rolander's journey through the food service industry reveals the importance of passion, connection, and mentorship in achieving success. Her experiences highlight the value of lifelong learning and the profound impact of fostering relationships, especially among aspiring culinary professionals.
• Jennifer’s early experiences in her family's pottery business
• Transitioning from restaurant ownership to corporate roles
• Pursuing an MBA later in life for personal and professional growth
• The significance of relationships in the hospitality industry
• Overcoming challenges and learning from failures
• Engaging and mentoring students at the Culinary Institute of America
• The role of giving back through scholarships and initiatives
• Treating brands like family and cultivating authentic connections
• Lifelong learning as a crucial element for success in food service
• Embracing empathy and servant leadership in the culinary world
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Confessions Beyond the Food.
I'm your host, nancy Redland.
Let's dig in and get inspired.
Hi, welcome back to ConfessionsBeyond the Food.
I'm so excited to have myfriend, jennifer Rollender in
the studio.
Hey, jennifer, hello, hello.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
How are you this morning?
I am great.
Thank you so much for having meon.
This is really exciting becauseyou know we're buds and so this
is fun to do for you.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I know I feel like this is a selfish podcast a
little bit because I just likehanging out with Jennifer, so,
but Jennifer is actually has alot to bring to the table today.
She is the Corporate RelationsAmbassador for the Culinary
Institute of America.
Yeah, that's amazing.
I can't wait to talk about that.
(00:51):
But Jennifer also hasexperience in the past.
She previously owned a businessand she has a really cool
extensive sales background inleadership and in business
development.
So, but what we're going totalk about today and I don't
know in the few words thatJennifer has said, she's so
(01:11):
bubbly and she's so you justwant to hug her and you have so
much passion for this industryand it's just infectious.
And so can you tell us a littlebit about, like, your
enthusiasm or passion?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
tell us a little bit about, like your enthusiasm or
passion.
Yeah, I think it started at avery young age because I was
thrown into food service veryearly.
My grandfather started Bird inChina.
I know it's very vintage, somewill know it, some won't, but
you know I started at eight insummers and I was loading and
unloading kilns and as I gotolder I was decorating mugs and
(01:46):
my dad took it over and I workedwith my mom and dad into my
twenties and I did everythingfrom forming and finishing and
glazing and productionmanagement and outside sales.
I did admin.
So I really learned aboutbusiness growing up in a very
intense way, so I had a love ofit right from the start.
(02:11):
I always say that I have clayrunning through my veins because
it didn't stop there.
That's when I did some otherthings in between.
I actually owned a restaurantin Lake Arrowhead with several
other people and that was agreat experience.
You either love it or hate it.
It's a little bit of both.
(02:31):
Then I did some work in banquet.
I was a banquet manager for awhile.
I've been a hostess, I've beena cocktail waitress just about
everything and I did go into thewine industry.
So I went back to get mypsychology degree at 33 years
(02:53):
old so I always say it's nevertoo late to do anything and I
was going to be a clinicalpsychologist realized that might
not have been my passion andwasn't a good fit.
So I jumped into the wineindustry and I was direct to
consumer and events and wineclub and again interacting with
(03:18):
people, which obviously is whatI love to do, and did that for
about eight years and then had atrip with my dad, who you
probably all know, mr BillBurden.
Uh, he's gonna kill me, but Icall him the legend.
Uh, he is a legend, he'sawesome.
And uh, he said, hey, tuxton'sgot an opening in marketing and
(03:41):
I went I want to work with mydad again.
So that was a very long stand.
I worked for Tuxton for 12 yearsand that's really where my
passion grew for the foodservice industry and where I met
.
I have met so many amazingpeople and it's not just a
network, it's a family, and Ithink that's why it's so
(04:03):
important for me to stay in foodservice, because I just have so
many close friends and made somany great relationships.
And so Tuxton was a big one.
That was 12 years and I made aswitch and went to high end and
went to rack and I was there fora year.
And I was there for a year andI decided I needed to do
(04:26):
something new, completely new.
And I had a friend who workedat American Range and I jumped
into equipment and everybodywent what are you doing, girl?
I'm trying something new, whynot?
So I did that and did that foralmost a year and it wasn't
(04:51):
quite the right fit.
Equipment's very, verydifferent from tabletop,
obviously.
And here I am, I'm at the CIAand it's great because when I
was at Tuxton I worked with themvery closely.
Tuxton provided scholarshipsand gift in kind and I got that
(05:11):
whole relationship built.
So I've been working with theCIA for a decade and they all
know me and I know the schooland I know how it works, and so
it seemed like a really good fit.
And they needed someone who wasreally into the small wars and
equipment side of food service.
They didn't really have anyonewho could tap into that.
(05:31):
And so here I am and I'mtapping into that.
And I should mention Icompletely forgot in the middle
of all that while I was workingfull-time and traveling all over
the country, I did get my MBAand I did, I graduated with my
MBA at 48.
So again, it's never too lateto change careers or do
(05:52):
something different, or go backand get go to school.
Whatever floats your boat.
Just do it for you, not foranyone else.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I'm curious like how did the MBA help you in what
you're doing now?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So when I got the MBA at the time, it was really for
Tuxton, because I was looking atmoving up in the company and
for me I needed certain piecesto really be able to get to that
place, like financials, forinstance.
(06:28):
That's always been a tough onefor me.
I'm not a math person, I'm moreof a creative gal, as most
people know, and so I felt likeI needed some of those skills.
Plus, I wanted all theleadership information.
I mean I read so many books andI got to read all about how
leadership works and thedifference between managers and
(06:51):
leaders and how you interactwith your teams and how to
create a good team, put theright seats with the right butts
in the right seats basically sohow to do that and all that has
helped immensely because ithelps you interact with people,
connect with people If you havea team, how to work with them.
(07:14):
If someone's having a problem,how to help them with it and
bring them up and motivate them.
It's all about bringingeverybody up right, because it
starts from the top and tricklesdown, so you want to make sure
everybody's excited andmotivated and working towards
the same goals.
(07:36):
So the MBA really helped withthose kinds of things, it's just
more.
It was more knowledge and Ijust wanted to do it for me
because I knew I could do it.
And I'm like you're going to dothis.
You know you couldn't do itwhen you were 20.
But I tell you it was betterdoing it at an older age because
I had all the experience behindme so I could speak to the
papers they wanted us to writeand that sort of thing.
(07:56):
So I think it was verybeneficial.
But again, it's not foreverybody.
It's like the CFSP.
You know everybody has that.
I'm actually working on thatright now, so I'm hoping to get
it, because I wanted to do itwhen I was in American range and
it's a tough test.
So we'll see.
(08:16):
We'll see how that goes.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
But I haven't taken that yet.
I'm kind of scared.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yeah, it's.
It's not an easy one, but it'sgood knowledge.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
So is your passion maybe just learning, or is it
just the industry itself, or acombination?
I?
Speaker 2 (08:34):
think it's a combination, because clearly I
like to keep learning and seeingwhat's out there.
But food service it's such anamazing place to be.
It's such an amazing industrybecause I feel like everyone in
it, it's about work hard butplay hard.
You know everybody works theirbutts off.
(08:57):
You know they're traveling,they're having to go in and out
of airports and it's a lot andyou don't realize how much it is
until you get into it andyou're trying to connect with
people and close the deal andcreate the deal.
And you know sometimes thesethings take two years to to
happen and you have to havepatience and all those things.
(09:18):
But it's just an amazing groupof people.
And then it's the fun part,where you've worked all day,
you've been on the trade showfloor for six hours and it's
let's go get a cocktail or let'sgo have dinner, and it's always
at some a new restaurant orthere's a new trend or, um, a
(09:40):
new mocktail bar or a cocktailbar or or something.
And so you get to have allthese amazing experiences with
people who get it and understandand you can pull from that.
That's the biggest thing I'vereally learned over the years is
you don't have to knoweverything you don't.
(10:01):
Tap into your group, tap intoyour people.
You know, if you don't know,know something, go find out and
come back.
You don't have to have thatpressure on you.
But I think that comes withtime.
That comes with time in theindustry and and age and those
kinds of things.
I mean I say age but you know Ifeel like I'm 25, so you look,
(10:23):
look at.
Oh, thank you honey.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I mean, you are a unicorn, jennifer.
I mean the fact that you havethe manufacturing background
that you do and to such a notjust knowing about it but
actually doing it and being inthe being, in those seats and
feeling what those people feelon a day-to-day basis.
And then having the wine,access to the wine world and
(10:51):
psychology.
I mean understanding people andthen the development of the
leadership opportunities thatyou had and then perfecting it
by going and getting your MBA.
That's incredible.
You don't meet many people thathave done all of that.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
I feel good about my career.
I'm in a whole different placethan I thought I'd be, but I'm
going to embrace it and enjoy itand give it 150%.
And you know you do differentthings to get where you are.
And you know it's like we weretalking earlier Sometimes.
That's the way it's meant to be.
You do all these things to getwhere you are and it's meant to
(11:32):
be that way and you're meant togo through.
And don't get me wrong,challenges, lots and lots of
challenges along the way.
But I'm a firm believer in allright, you pick yourself up, you
dust yourself off.
All right, how am I going to dothis?
And you push through and youmake it happen.
And you know, and if somethingisn't working out, then you know
(11:53):
what Change it.
Don't just go along, becausethen your passion subsides and
you want that passion all thetime, like we're talking about.
You know it's important to keepthat and to keep it in other
ways.
I think you know I do a lot ofthings outside of work and that
helps me manage the work.
(12:15):
You know it helps you de-stressand do something different, do
something different with yourbrain.
Most people don't know I'm apainter, I love painting and I
do abstract art and there's onebehind me, but that's what calms
me down and that's what givesme the other outlet to do what I
do, so it's not so stressful.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
That's a great point.
I think it's so important tohave that extra thing outside
the industry because as much asyou can do within it and all the
friendships, network groups,other hobbies and things like
that that you enjoy doing,because it can be really, really
stressful.
And so who or what inspires youthe most with your passion?
Speaker 2 (13:16):
This is an easy one for me.
My father, my dad 100 percent.
He's the one that gave it to meand he's the one that continues
to do that for me.
I mean I.
I mean I talk to him almostevery day.
I talk to my parents all thetime.
I mean I'm an only child.
We're so close and working withthem as long as I did.
(13:37):
You really get closer that way.
Sometimes you don't, but in ourcase it just really we got
really close and I think it'salways him because he was in the
business so long and heaccomplished so much with Tuxton
and even with Bird and Chinaback in the day.
You know we couldn't make thatjump out and we had to close it
(14:02):
in 2001,.
But what he did for Tuxton togrow that company from a million
to 30 million, you know that tome is is incredible and it and
it's due.
This is the thing about him.
He's very, very humble and it'snot about what he does, it's
(14:23):
about what everyone doestogether and you don't find that
all the time.
So to find someone who getsthat and is very humble about
what he's done and what he'saccomplished and he continues to
do today, I mean he's stillconsulting with tuxin a little
bit, and so he's still in thebusiness and so it's great to be
(14:46):
able to tap into him and go hey, I'm having this challenge, can
you help me with this?
And he does, and he's rightthere with an answer.
Or you know how about lookingat it this way, with an answer,
or you know how about looking atit this way.
So for me, he's my biggest,biggest inspiration, my mentor,
my friends, my dad.
(15:07):
Uh, he's the one that thatreally keeps it alive when I'm
going.
All right, I'm frustrated withthis.
Help me.
Because the last two years havebeen tough for me, because I've
kind of been jumping and hegoes you're going to find it,
it's going to happen.
You're going to get to theplace where they just embrace
(15:29):
you and love you and they arenever going to let you go.
So that's what I get from him.
So he's definitely the one.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
He had a major impact on my company and I can.
I would be surprised, I wasgoing to be really surprised if
you answered any differently.
No judgment or anything, but heis an incredible man and just
full of character and values andthe leader that I hope to be
(15:55):
one day, and so that's.
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
So you're, you're there, my dear you're doing an
amazing job with your team.
I watch you.
I stalk you on LinkedIn.
I love seeing what you're doing.
But yeah, he's, he's, uh, he'san incredible man.
I love him dearly, so it's niceto see that it's not just me.
He helps.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
he helps others in the industry too nice to see
that it's not just me.
He helps.
He helps others in the industrytoo.
Oh, he does, and he's the best.
I've called him so many timesfor advice myself, um, on how to
handle certain situations, andhe was.
He was able to kind of step outof his seat and really give me
some really good advice and, um,so I'm very I I owe your dad a
(16:38):
lot and I've loved working withyou and seeing you develop the
brand.
So what's one thing that youlearned from following your
passion that you didn't expect?
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I think the biggest thing I learned and I did
mention it earlier, but it was abig learning experience that
you don't have to knoweverything.
That was a big one for me.
And also, don't be afraid toask for help.
It's really hard for us ashumans to ask for help.
I think it's not just me, Ithink it's across the board and
(17:17):
I didn't expect those thingsbecause I came into it feeling
like, well, you have to knoweverything.
If you work for this company,you've got to know all the ins
and outs, you've got to know allthe details and, yes, you have
to know what you're selling.
But there's going to be thingsyou're just not going to know
and it's okay.
(17:38):
It's okay to do that, it's okayto fail.
That's a hard one and I'velearned how to do that.
Didn't expect that I would haveto learn to do that, but I did
because, again, learningexperience, when you fail, you
figure it out.
I think those are really thebiggest things.
(17:59):
I would also say don't burnbridges.
That's another one you neverwant to do and I haven't, thank
goodness.
But that's a big one.
I think that you don't thinkabout it until you get into the
industry and you go.
Ooh, this industry is huge, butit's very, very small.
(18:21):
So very small, very, very small.
Yes, Everyone knows everybody,even though it's no-transcript.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
It's global.
Yes, oh yeah, we'll have toreally, whatever is happening,
frustration or whatever, youreally have to step outside of
your emotions.
Um, you gotta shut them downyou gotta shut them down quick
and because our end users areclients, which are hotels and
restaurants, and there's a lotof movement within just our
(18:52):
clients.
I mean, they're always movingaround, people are getting
promoted, so it's very importantthat you, you know you don't
burn bridges.
Don't blow it all up.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
And yeah, and I also don't think you could, I mean,
if you did go too far.
It's never too late to say I'msorry and right and because, yes
, it's a very forgiving industryand so and we've all messed up
and we've, all you know, hadthose moments.
But, like you said, beinghumble and swallowing your pride
(19:29):
and just saying hey, I'm sosorry about that, I'm like, no,
it's okay, it's never as bad,like the reaction to being
humble and I didn't know, orthis, or that is much better
than trying to defend yourself,which is something I know I want
to do.
I want to defend myself andjustify and, and so that's
really.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
Yeah, it's okay not to you know, and it's okay to
say I'm sorry, and you alwaysbuild it up to be a bigger thing
than it is, always being fine.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yeah, yes, and it's okay.
It's okay to be like I I need aminute, I need a minute, I need
a mental health day, that'swhat we call them Absolutely so.
So what impact do you hope tomake in this industry with your
passion, jennifer, I always sayleave someone in a better way
(20:23):
than when you first saw them.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
And anyone who knows me, I'm such a people person and
I always just want to makepeople feel comfortable and good
in their own skin and importantand build them up and know that
they're valued.
And that's what I would like toleave is just knowing that I
helped others, I listened toothers, I helped build them up.
(20:51):
I helped them get to a betterplace.
I made them feel good that day.
They were having a horrible dayand we had a chat and now
they're back to it.
You know I always say smile,that's the easiest thing, even
when you're on the phone.
You know, if you smile on thephone, it changes someone's
attitude.
It's it's so easy, it's so easyto do and you can tell when
(21:15):
someone's having a tough time.
And to be able to change thatis such a blessing.
And you know, unreasonableHospitality is one of my
favorite books and he talks alot about that.
It takes the tiniest thing tomake it great.
So that's my thing is to do thetiniest thing to make it great.
(21:35):
So that's my thing is to do thetiniest thing to make something
blossom to.
To make a person, uh, blossom,to make a company blossom.
I mean, I'm I'm such a brandadvocate, whatever company I'm
working for, man, it's it's gotime, and I'm so passionate
about that and want to make itthe best I can in so many
(21:56):
different ways.
And it's not just sales, it'ssocial media or talking about it
, or liking something, or youknow there's.
You have to encompass the wholething.
It's not just about one piece.
So that's what I would like toyou know, that's that's my
contribution to the industry isjust to make connections and get
(22:16):
to know people and make themfeel valued and important in
what they're doing.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
I mean, is there anything more important than
that?
I don't think so.
I don't think so, I don't thinkso.
I agree with you.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
I mean, we've got to rely on each other.
The world is a crazy place, solet's just help each other out
and lift each other up and makethe industry a better place.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Yes, for sure, and what a great position that
you're in with the CIA and theseupcoming, you know, future
celebrity chefs, maybe one dayor reaching their dreams, you
know whether, whatever positionthat may be down the road and I
love working with the studentsand I always have, and one of
(23:05):
the wonderful things aboutTuxton is that they gave back
and I will always love thatabout them.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
And we did scholarships every year.
We had four for Hyde Park, twofor Napa and I think one for San
Antonio.
And I made a point of when wegot the scholarship winners and
we got to read.
My dad and I got to read theiressays and we helped, you know,
vote on those, um, and once Ifound out who the winners were,
(23:33):
I went to every single campusand met every single winner.
I scheduled the time and I satdown with each student for 30
minutes and just got to knowthem and let them get to know me
.
And that makes such a hugedifference because, yes, they
get the scholarship, but if youdon't interact, it's just money,
(23:53):
it's just a check.
A scholarship, but if you don'tinteract, it's just money, it's
just a check.
And this way those studentsreally get to know people in the
industry before they're outsideof school.
And it also I mean, of course,they know your brand and they
get to use your brand and whenthey go out in the world, you
hope that they say, well, I wantTuxton or I want crack or I
want this.
(24:13):
You know I want to work withthe american range, but that to
me is again the interaction.
You know it's fine to give, butinteract, engage, and so to be
at the cia now and working onstudent initiatives and working
with the students, again it, youknow, just your heart just is
(24:35):
full that way and so, andthey're amazing kids, you know
what they're doing and they workso hard and there's so many
ways they can engage in theindustry.
They don't have to be a chef.
You know a lot of them end upbeing F&B managers.
Some of them end up going beingcorporate chefs.
You know, it's just all kindsof fun things you can do with it
(24:59):
, but they all want to knowabout your industry and that's
what makes it fun.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
That's incredible.
I'm so glad that there'ssomeone like you in that type of
position that gets to helpinspire them and get them set
off on the right foot of.
What our industry is all about,which you've talked about and
you're passionate about, ispeople, and I love that.
You said engagement and justengaging, and because it's
(25:27):
really easy to send emails, it'sreally easy to send a text,
it's really easy, you know.
But making a phone call, seeingpeople, you know people in
person.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
The relationship is so important and I think you
just get more done that way.
You know, when you pick up thephone or you do the face to face
, I worry that that's a lost artand we shouldn't, because
that's really, in my opinion,that's how you get the job done,
that's how you close the deal.
People want to interact withyou.
(26:00):
Everybody gets a hundred, youknow 500 emails a day, right,
but to actually get thatone-on-one and or the or the
phone call, I mean, that's why Ithink NRA everybody gets so
excited about NRA because noone's excited about standing in
a booth all day.
Trust me, we're setting up,we're breaking down and all that
.
You know good stuff, it has tobe done, but it's not fun.
(26:23):
But it's the oh my gosh.
You get to run into you know500 people that you haven't seen
for six months and you get tocatch up and then you get to
talk business and oh hey, youknow so and so well, I know this
person.
Let's get together, let'scollaborate.
That's the excitement, that'sthe exciting part.
(26:43):
So I think that's why people do, you know they love to go,
because it's the one-on-one,it's the in-person right and
just embracing the positivethat's going to come out of it.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
And sometimes you just have to choose, you know,
to be excited and some days youhave those days.
But I love to, how you said,embrace the brand.
You know, just embrace thebrand, become, you know, believe
in it.
You know, believe in your brandand I think from that,
(27:13):
everybody will want to come talkto you.
And so that's why I feel,wherever you are, Jennifer, I
want to know what you're doing,Because you just put 100 and a
billion percent into everything.
It makes a difference.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Because it makes a difference within too, because
if you're excited about itinside, you're embracing the
whole thing.
Well, that just increases yoursales.
It makes you work harder, makesyou happy where you are.
There's a lot of differentthings that come from that, uh,
but I I I always try to treatthe brand as if it was my family
(27:50):
business and I think the reasonI think that way is because of
Bird and China, because it wasthe family business.
And so when I went to Tuxton Ifelt the same way.
I mean here I am working withmy dad, I mean it was amazing
for 12 years and I made it.
I wanted it to be ours.
You know, I made, I treated itlike it was ours, even though we
(28:12):
obviously was not.
But when you treat somethingthat way, it makes it so much
easier to just embrace andpromote and get excited and
engage.
So that was always my mindset,still my mindset.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
I love that.
Well, Jennifer, we're about tocome to a close, Okay.
So before we end, I would loveto get do you have anything that
you want to confess?
Maybe something that nobodyknows about you, or fun fact Uh?
Speaker 2 (28:44):
yeah, I have.
I have a fun fact there'sthere's a few chefs that know
about this, but uh, when I wasin my twenties, I won the blue
ribbon for my apple pie at theLA County Fair, which is one of
the biggest fairs in the country.
I beat out like 75 pies.
(29:04):
It was a big day for me and Igot the LA County Fair cookbook
and the whole thing.
I called it.
Jen's Double Delicious ApplePie is what I called it.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
I mean, is this public information or is it like
a secret recipe?
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Well, I, you know, I share it here and there and I
keep a little few things back,but actually I shared it with a
very good friend of minerecently and he made it and he
loved it and so I still make it.
You know I usually now it'sholidays and stuff my husband
begs me to make it however I can.
(29:43):
But there's a fun fact that noteverybody and the painting, I
don't think anybody knew that Iwas doing it, so that's a lot of
fun you're're amazing, JenniferRollander.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
I'm just so thankful that you agreed to do this and
we got to spend some time withyou today and digging into your
passion and the secrets to yoursuccess.
So thank you so much forjoining today.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Oh, my gosh, you're so welcome and thank you for
inviting me.
I think it was long overdue, mydear.
I'm so glad we got to do it.
It doesn't catch up so well.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
thank you, guys, so much for listening and stay
tuned for more podcasts.
For more inspiration, followour social media at W3Sales.
Please like, comment andsubscribe.
You know all the things wewould love to connect with you.
Welcome to Confessions Beyond the Food.
I'm your host, nancy Redland.
Let's dig in and get inspired.
Hi, welcome back to ConfessionsBeyond the Food.
I'm so excited to have myfriend, jennifer Rollender in
the studio.
Hey, jennifer, hello, hello.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
How are you this morning?
I am great.
Thank you so much for having meon.
This is really exciting becauseyou know we're buds and so this
is fun to do for you.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I know I feel like this is a selfish podcast a
little bit because I just likehanging out with Jennifer, so,
but Jennifer is actually has alot to bring to the table today.
She is the Corporate RelationsAmbassador for the Culinary
Institute of America.
Yeah, that's amazing.
I can't wait to talk about that.
(00:51):
But Jennifer also hasexperience in the past.
She previously owned a businessand she has a really cool
extensive sales background inleadership and in business
development.
So, but what we're going totalk about today and I don't
know in the few words thatJennifer has said, she's so
(01:11):
bubbly and she's so you justwant to hug her and you have so
much passion for this industryand it's just infectious.
And so can you tell us a littlebit about, like, your
enthusiasm or passion?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
tell us a little bit about, like your enthusiasm or
passion.
Yeah, I think it started at avery young age because I was
thrown into food service veryearly.
My grandfather started Bird inChina.
I know it's very vintage, somewill know it, some won't, but
you know I started at eight insummers and I was loading and
unloading kilns and as I gotolder I was decorating mugs and
(01:46):
my dad took it over and I workedwith my mom and dad into my
twenties and I did everythingfrom forming and finishing and
glazing and productionmanagement and outside sales.
I did admin.
So I really learned aboutbusiness growing up in a very
intense way, so I had a love ofit right from the start.
(02:11):
I always say that I have clayrunning through my veins because
it didn't stop there.
That's when I did some otherthings in between.
I actually owned a restaurantin Lake Arrowhead with several
other people and that was agreat experience.
You either love it or hate it.
It's a little bit of both.
(02:31):
Then I did some work in banquet.
I was a banquet manager for awhile.
I've been a hostess, I've beena cocktail waitress just about
everything and I did go into thewine industry.
So I went back to get mypsychology degree at 33 years
(02:53):
old so I always say it's nevertoo late to do anything and I
was going to be a clinicalpsychologist realized that might
not have been my passion andwasn't a good fit.
So I jumped into the wineindustry and I was direct to
consumer and events and wineclub and again interacting with
(03:18):
people, which obviously is whatI love to do, and did that for
about eight years and then had atrip with my dad, who you
probably all know, mr BillBurden.
Uh, he's gonna kill me, but Icall him the legend.
Uh, he is a legend, he'sawesome.
And uh, he said, hey, tuxton'sgot an opening in marketing and
(03:41):
I went I want to work with mydad again.
So that was a very long stand.
I worked for Tuxton for 12 yearsand that's really where my
passion grew for the foodservice industry and where I met
.
I have met so many amazingpeople and it's not just a
network, it's a family, and Ithink that's why it's so
(04:03):
important for me to stay in foodservice, because I just have so
many close friends and made somany great relationships.
And so Tuxton was a big one.
That was 12 years and I made aswitch and went to high end and
went to rack and I was there fora year.
And I was there for a year andI decided I needed to do
(04:26):
something new, completely new.
And I had a friend who workedat American Range and I jumped
into equipment and everybodywent what are you doing, girl?
I'm trying something new, whynot?
So I did that and did that foralmost a year and it wasn't
(04:51):
quite the right fit.
Equipment's very, verydifferent from tabletop,
obviously.
And here I am, I'm at the CIAand it's great because when I
was at Tuxton I worked with themvery closely.
Tuxton provided scholarshipsand gift in kind and I got that
(05:11):
whole relationship built.
So I've been working with theCIA for a decade and they all
know me and I know the schooland I know how it works, and so
it seemed like a really good fit.
And they needed someone who wasreally into the small wars and
equipment side of food service.
They didn't really have anyonewho could tap into that.
(05:31):
And so here I am and I'mtapping into that.
And I should mention Icompletely forgot in the middle
of all that while I was workingfull-time and traveling all over
the country, I did get my MBAand I did, I graduated with my
MBA at 48.
So again, it's never too lateto change careers or do
(05:52):
something different, or go backand get go to school.
Whatever floats your boat.
Just do it for you, not foranyone else.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I'm curious like how did the MBA help you in what
you're doing now?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So when I got the MBA at the time, it was really for
Tuxton, because I was looking atmoving up in the company and
for me I needed certain piecesto really be able to get to that
place, like financials, forinstance.
(06:28):
That's always been a tough onefor me.
I'm not a math person, I'm moreof a creative gal, as most
people know, and so I felt likeI needed some of those skills.
Plus, I wanted all theleadership information.
I mean I read so many books andI got to read all about how
leadership works and thedifference between managers and
(06:51):
leaders and how you interactwith your teams and how to
create a good team, put theright seats with the right butts
in the right seats basically sohow to do that and all that has
helped immensely because ithelps you interact with people,
connect with people If you havea team, how to work with them.
(07:14):
If someone's having a problem,how to help them with it and
bring them up and motivate them.
It's all about bringingeverybody up right, because it
starts from the top and tricklesdown, so you want to make sure
everybody's excited andmotivated and working towards
the same goals.
(07:36):
So the MBA really helped withthose kinds of things, it's just
more.
It was more knowledge and Ijust wanted to do it for me
because I knew I could do it.
And I'm like you're going to dothis.
You know you couldn't do itwhen you were 20.
But I tell you it was betterdoing it at an older age because
I had all the experience behindme so I could speak to the
papers they wanted us to writeand that sort of thing.
(07:56):
So I think it was verybeneficial.
But again, it's not foreverybody.
It's like the CFSP.
You know everybody has that.
I'm actually working on thatright now, so I'm hoping to get
it, because I wanted to do itwhen I was in American range and
it's a tough test.
So we'll see.
(08:16):
We'll see how that goes.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
But I haven't taken that yet.
I'm kind of scared.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yeah, it's.
It's not an easy one, but it'sgood knowledge.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
So is your passion maybe just learning, or is it
just the industry itself, or acombination?
I?
Speaker 2 (08:34):
think it's a combination, because clearly I
like to keep learning and seeingwhat's out there.
But food service it's such anamazing place to be.
It's such an amazing industrybecause I feel like everyone in
it, it's about work hard butplay hard.
You know everybody works theirbutts off.
(08:57):
You know they're traveling,they're having to go in and out
of airports and it's a lot andyou don't realize how much it is
until you get into it andyou're trying to connect with
people and close the deal andcreate the deal.
And you know sometimes thesethings take two years to to
happen and you have to havepatience and all those things.
(09:18):
But it's just an amazing groupof people.
And then it's the fun part,where you've worked all day,
you've been on the trade showfloor for six hours and it's
let's go get a cocktail or let'sgo have dinner, and it's always
at some a new restaurant orthere's a new trend or, um, a
(09:40):
new mocktail bar or a cocktailbar or or something.
And so you get to have allthese amazing experiences with
people who get it and understandand you can pull from that.
That's the biggest thing I'vereally learned over the years is
you don't have to knoweverything you don't.
(10:01):
Tap into your group, tap intoyour people.
You know, if you don't know,know something, go find out and
come back.
You don't have to have thatpressure on you.
But I think that comes withtime.
That comes with time in theindustry and and age and those
kinds of things.
I mean I say age but you know Ifeel like I'm 25, so you look,
(10:23):
look at.
Oh, thank you honey.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I mean, you are a unicorn, jennifer.
I mean the fact that you havethe manufacturing background
that you do and to such a notjust knowing about it but
actually doing it and being inthe being, in those seats and
feeling what those people feelon a day-to-day basis.
And then having the wine,access to the wine world and
(10:51):
psychology.
I mean understanding people andthen the development of the
leadership opportunities thatyou had and then perfecting it
by going and getting your MBA.
That's incredible.
You don't meet many people thathave done all of that.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
I feel good about my career.
I'm in a whole different placethan I thought I'd be, but I'm
going to embrace it and enjoy itand give it 150%.
And you know you do differentthings to get where you are.
And you know it's like we weretalking earlier Sometimes.
That's the way it's meant to be.
You do all these things to getwhere you are and it's meant to
(11:32):
be that way and you're meant togo through.
And don't get me wrong,challenges, lots and lots of
challenges along the way.
But I'm a firm believer in allright, you pick yourself up, you
dust yourself off.
All right, how am I going to dothis?
And you push through and youmake it happen.
And you know, and if somethingisn't working out, then you know
(11:53):
what Change it.
Don't just go along, becausethen your passion subsides and
you want that passion all thetime, like we're talking about.
You know it's important to keepthat and to keep it in other
ways.
I think you know I do a lot ofthings outside of work and that
helps me manage the work.
(12:15):
You know it helps you de-stressand do something different, do
something different with yourbrain.
Most people don't know I'm apainter, I love painting and I
do abstract art and there's onebehind me, but that's what calms
me down and that's what givesme the other outlet to do what I
do, so it's not so stressful.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
That's a great point.
I think it's so important tohave that extra thing outside
the industry because as much asyou can do within it and all the
friendships, network groups,other hobbies and things like
that that you enjoy doing,because it can be really, really
stressful.
And so who or what inspires youthe most with your passion?
Speaker 2 (13:16):
This is an easy one for me.
My father, my dad 100 percent.
He's the one that gave it to meand he's the one that continues
to do that for me.
I mean I.
I mean I talk to him almostevery day.
I talk to my parents all thetime.
I mean I'm an only child.
We're so close and working withthem as long as I did.
(13:37):
You really get closer that way.
Sometimes you don't, but in ourcase it just really we got
really close and I think it'salways him because he was in the
business so long and heaccomplished so much with Tuxton
and even with Bird and Chinaback in the day.
You know we couldn't make thatjump out and we had to close it
(14:02):
in 2001,.
But what he did for Tuxton togrow that company from a million
to 30 million, you know that tome is is incredible and it and
it's due.
This is the thing about him.
He's very, very humble and it'snot about what he does, it's
(14:23):
about what everyone doestogether and you don't find that
all the time.
So to find someone who getsthat and is very humble about
what he's done and what he'saccomplished and he continues to
do today, I mean he's stillconsulting with tuxin a little
bit, and so he's still in thebusiness and so it's great to be
(14:46):
able to tap into him and go hey, I'm having this challenge, can
you help me with this?
And he does, and he's rightthere with an answer.
Or you know how about lookingat it this way, with an answer,
or you know how about looking atit this way.
So for me, he's my biggest,biggest inspiration, my mentor,
my friends, my dad.
(15:07):
Uh, he's the one that thatreally keeps it alive when I'm
going.
All right, I'm frustrated withthis.
Help me.
Because the last two years havebeen tough for me, because I've
kind of been jumping and hegoes you're going to find it,
it's going to happen.
You're going to get to theplace where they just embrace
(15:29):
you and love you and they arenever going to let you go.
So that's what I get from him.
So he's definitely the one.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
He had a major impact on my company and I can.
I would be surprised, I wasgoing to be really surprised if
you answered any differently.
No judgment or anything, but heis an incredible man and just
full of character and values andthe leader that I hope to be
(15:55):
one day, and so that's.
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
So you're, you're there, my dear you're doing an
amazing job with your team.
I watch you.
I stalk you on LinkedIn.
I love seeing what you're doing.
But yeah, he's, he's, uh, he'san incredible man.
I love him dearly, so it's niceto see that it's not just me.
He helps.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
he helps others in the industry too nice to see
that it's not just me.
He helps.
He helps others in the industrytoo.
Oh, he does, and he's the best.
I've called him so many timesfor advice myself, um, on how to
handle certain situations, andhe was.
He was able to kind of step outof his seat and really give me
some really good advice and, um,so I'm very I I owe your dad a
(16:38):
lot and I've loved working withyou and seeing you develop the
brand.
So what's one thing that youlearned from following your
passion that you didn't expect?
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I think the biggest thing I learned and I did
mention it earlier, but it was abig learning experience that
you don't have to knoweverything.
That was a big one for me.
And also, don't be afraid toask for help.
It's really hard for us ashumans to ask for help.
I think it's not just me, Ithink it's across the board and
(17:17):
I didn't expect those thingsbecause I came into it feeling
like, well, you have to knoweverything.
If you work for this company,you've got to know all the ins
and outs, you've got to know allthe details and, yes, you have
to know what you're selling.
But there's going to be thingsyou're just not going to know
and it's okay.
(17:38):
It's okay to do that, it's okayto fail.
That's a hard one and I'velearned how to do that.
Didn't expect that I would haveto learn to do that, but I did
because, again, learningexperience, when you fail, you
figure it out.
I think those are really thebiggest things.
(17:59):
I would also say don't burnbridges.
That's another one you neverwant to do and I haven't, thank
goodness.
But that's a big one.
I think that you don't thinkabout it until you get into the
industry and you go.
Ooh, this industry is huge, butit's very, very small.
(18:21):
So very small, very, very small.
Yes, Everyone knows everybody,even though it's no-transcript.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
It's global.
Yes, oh yeah, we'll have toreally, whatever is happening,
frustration or whatever, youreally have to step outside of
your emotions.
Um, you gotta shut them downyou gotta shut them down quick
and because our end users areclients, which are hotels and
restaurants, and there's a lotof movement within just our
(18:52):
clients.
I mean, they're always movingaround, people are getting
promoted, so it's very importantthat you, you know you don't
burn bridges.
Don't blow it all up.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
And yeah, and I also don't think you could, I mean,
if you did go too far.
It's never too late to say I'msorry and right and because, yes
, it's a very forgiving industryand so and we've all messed up
and we've, all you know, hadthose moments.
But, like you said, beinghumble and swallowing your pride
(19:29):
and just saying hey, I'm sosorry about that, I'm like, no,
it's okay, it's never as bad,like the reaction to being
humble and I didn't know, orthis, or that is much better
than trying to defend yourself,which is something I know I want
to do.
I want to defend myself andjustify and, and so that's
really.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
Yeah, it's okay not to you know, and it's okay to
say I'm sorry, and you alwaysbuild it up to be a bigger thing
than it is, always being fine.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yeah, yes, and it's okay.
It's okay to be like I I need aminute, I need a minute, I need
a mental health day, that'swhat we call them Absolutely so.
So what impact do you hope tomake in this industry with your
passion, jennifer, I always sayleave someone in a better way
(20:23):
than when you first saw them.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
And anyone who knows me, I'm such a people person and
I always just want to makepeople feel comfortable and good
in their own skin and importantand build them up and know that
they're valued.
And that's what I would like toleave is just knowing that I
helped others, I listened toothers, I helped build them up.
(20:51):
I helped them get to a betterplace.
I made them feel good that day.
They were having a horrible dayand we had a chat and now
they're back to it.
You know I always say smile,that's the easiest thing, even
when you're on the phone.
You know, if you smile on thephone, it changes someone's
attitude.
It's it's so easy, it's so easyto do and you can tell when
(21:15):
someone's having a tough time.
And to be able to change thatis such a blessing.
And you know, unreasonableHospitality is one of my
favorite books and he talks alot about that.
It takes the tiniest thing tomake it great.
So that's my thing is to do thetiniest thing to make it great.
(21:35):
So that's my thing is to do thetiniest thing to make something
blossom to.
To make a person, uh, blossom,to make a company blossom.
I mean, I'm I'm such a brandadvocate, whatever company I'm
working for, man, it's it's gotime, and I'm so passionate
about that and want to make itthe best I can in so many
(21:56):
different ways.
And it's not just sales, it'ssocial media or talking about it
, or liking something, or youknow there's.
You have to encompass the wholething.
It's not just about one piece.
So that's what I would like toyou know, that's that's my
contribution to the industry isjust to make connections and get
(22:16):
to know people and make themfeel valued and important in
what they're doing.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
I mean, is there anything more important than
that?
I don't think so.
I don't think so, I don't thinkso.
I agree with you.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
I mean, we've got to rely on each other.
The world is a crazy place, solet's just help each other out
and lift each other up and makethe industry a better place.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Yes, for sure, and what a great position that
you're in with the CIA and theseupcoming, you know, future
celebrity chefs, maybe one dayor reaching their dreams, you
know whether, whatever positionthat may be down the road and I
love working with the studentsand I always have, and one of
(23:05):
the wonderful things aboutTuxton is that they gave back
and I will always love thatabout them.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
And we did scholarships every year.
We had four for Hyde Park, twofor Napa and I think one for San
Antonio.
And I made a point of when wegot the scholarship winners and
we got to read.
My dad and I got to read theiressays and we helped, you know,
vote on those, um, and once Ifound out who the winners were,
(23:33):
I went to every single campusand met every single winner.
I scheduled the time and I satdown with each student for 30
minutes and just got to knowthem and let them get to know me
.
And that makes such a hugedifference because, yes, they
get the scholarship, but if youdon't interact, it's just money,
(23:53):
it's just a check.
A scholarship, but if you don'tinteract, it's just money, it's
just a check.
And this way those studentsreally get to know people in the
industry before they're outsideof school.
And it also I mean, of course,they know your brand and they
get to use your brand and whenthey go out in the world, you
hope that they say, well, I wantTuxton or I want crack or I
want this.
(24:13):
You know I want to work withthe american range, but that to
me is again the interaction.
You know it's fine to give, butinteract, engage, and so to be
at the cia now and working onstudent initiatives and working
with the students, again it, youknow, just your heart just is
(24:35):
full that way and so, andthey're amazing kids, you know
what they're doing and they workso hard and there's so many
ways they can engage in theindustry.
They don't have to be a chef.
You know a lot of them end upbeing F&B managers.
Some of them end up going beingcorporate chefs.
You know, it's just all kindsof fun things you can do with it
(24:59):
, but they all want to knowabout your industry and that's
what makes it fun.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
That's incredible.
I'm so glad that there'ssomeone like you in that type of
position that gets to helpinspire them and get them set
off on the right foot of.
What our industry is all about,which you've talked about and
you're passionate about, ispeople, and I love that.
You said engagement and justengaging, and because it's
(25:27):
really easy to send emails, it'sreally easy to send a text,
it's really easy, you know.
But making a phone call, seeingpeople, you know people in
person.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
The relationship is so important and I think you
just get more done that way.
You know, when you pick up thephone or you do the face to face
, I worry that that's a lost artand we shouldn't, because
that's really, in my opinion,that's how you get the job done,
that's how you close the deal.
People want to interact withyou.
(26:00):
Everybody gets a hundred, youknow 500 emails a day, right,
but to actually get thatone-on-one and or the or the
phone call, I mean, that's why Ithink NRA everybody gets so
excited about NRA because noone's excited about standing in
a booth all day.
Trust me, we're setting up,we're breaking down and all that
.
You know good stuff, it has tobe done, but it's not fun.
(26:23):
But it's the oh my gosh.
You get to run into you know500 people that you haven't seen
for six months and you get tocatch up and then you get to
talk business and oh hey, youknow so and so well, I know this
person.
Let's get together, let'scollaborate.
That's the excitement, that'sthe exciting part.
(26:43):
So I think that's why people do, you know they love to go,
because it's the one-on-one,it's the in-person right and
just embracing the positivethat's going to come out of it.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
And sometimes you just have to choose, you know,
to be excited and some days youhave those days.
But I love to, how you said,embrace the brand.
You know, just embrace thebrand, become, you know, believe
in it.
You know, believe in your brandand I think from that,
(27:13):
everybody will want to come talkto you.
And so that's why I feel,wherever you are, Jennifer, I
want to know what you're doing,Because you just put 100 and a
billion percent into everything.
It makes a difference.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Because it makes a difference within too, because
if you're excited about itinside, you're embracing the
whole thing.
Well, that just increases yoursales.
It makes you work harder, makesyou happy where you are.
There's a lot of differentthings that come from that, uh,
but I I I always try to treatthe brand as if it was my family
(27:50):
business and I think the reasonI think that way is because of
Bird and China, because it wasthe family business.
And so when I went to Tuxton Ifelt the same way.
I mean here I am working withmy dad, I mean it was amazing
for 12 years and I made it.
I wanted it to be ours.
You know, I made, I treated itlike it was ours, even though we
(28:12):
obviously was not.
But when you treat somethingthat way, it makes it so much
easier to just embrace andpromote and get excited and
engage.
So that was always my mindset,still my mindset.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
I love that.
Well, Jennifer, we're about tocome to a close, Okay.
So before we end, I would loveto get do you have anything that
you want to confess?
Maybe something that nobodyknows about you, or fun fact Uh?
Speaker 2 (28:44):
yeah, I have.
I have a fun fact there'sthere's a few chefs that know
about this, but uh, when I wasin my twenties, I won the blue
ribbon for my apple pie at theLA County Fair, which is one of
the biggest fairs in the country.
I beat out like 75 pies.
(29:04):
It was a big day for me and Igot the LA County Fair cookbook
and the whole thing.
I called it.
Jen's Double Delicious ApplePie is what I called it.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
I mean, is this public information or is it like
a secret recipe?
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Well, I, you know, I share it here and there and I
keep a little few things back,but actually I shared it with a
very good friend of minerecently and he made it and he
loved it and so I still make it.
You know I usually now it'sholidays and stuff my husband
begs me to make it however I can.
(29:43):
But there's a fun fact that noteverybody and the painting, I
don't think anybody knew that Iwas doing it, so that's a lot of
fun you're're amazing, JenniferRollander.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
I'm just so thankful that you agreed to do this and
we got to spend some time withyou today and digging into your
passion and the secrets to yoursuccess.
So thank you so much forjoining today.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Oh, my gosh, you're so welcome and thank you for
inviting me.
I think it was long overdue, mydear.
I'm so glad we got to do it.
It doesn't catch up so well.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
thank you, guys, so much for listening and stay
tuned for more podcasts.
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