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Category: Videos

  • The Social Guru | An Interview with Rachael King, Head of Communications, DogVacay

    The Social Guru | An Interview with Rachael King, Head of Communications, DogVacay

    Rachael King is an entrepreneur of a different sort. She is the Head of Communications for the dog sitting startup DogVacay. Though the company is not her own, the journey that lead her there is uniquely hers.

    What started as an interest in blogging has turned into a full-blown career that many young women would dream of. She has competed to earn the title of MTV’s first Twitter Jockey, garned fame for her “Pinterest Resume”, been written about by today’s top media, and ultimately landed in her dream job. She is the perfect example of someone who found her passion and relentlessly pursued it.

    To learn how her journey unfolded, I met up with Rachael at one of my favorite healthy brunch spots, Gracias Madre in West Hollywood. This Mexican inspired joint with a vegan twist is the second child of the founders of Cafe Gratitude. Expect to find amazing fresh-pressed juices, glorious guacamole, and guilt-free indulgences like their superb lemon scones. The food is delicious and their outdoor patio is storybook. If you’re in the ‘hood this is definitely a must-see spot, even if you are a meat lover : )

    More About Rachael

    Rachael-KingRachael is the Head of Communications for DogVacay where she is responsible for leading the company’s PR efforts. A typical day might include brainstorming consumer events, booking executive speaking engagements, and building relationships with social media influencers. Before landing her gig at DogVacay, Rachael lead social media at Sidecar, Adobe, and ioStudio.

    Rachael’s first experience with content creation came soon after graduating from The University of North Carolina. While working in an entry-level admin position, she used her spare time to build her first blog. As she watched her audience size grow, she quickly realized she was pretty good at the game, and so did others. MTV invited her to be a participant in a contest to be their first Twitter Jockey. Though she didn’t land the gig, it gave her the confidence to pursue social media as a career.

    She added to her portfolio by volunteering her talents to local businesses. To keep track of the work she’d done and the accomplishments she’d earned along the way, Rachael decided to create a “Pinterest resume“. To her surprise her personal portfolio became a media sensation, gaining news coverage across popular outlets like Mashable, USA Today, and CNN. The rest as they say, is history.

    What is DogVacay?

    DogVacay is a website that connects pet owners with sitters willing to take care of their pets while they are away. When you register as a dog sitter you have the flexibility to name your services (in home boarding, walking, grooming, etc…) and your prices. I consider it Match.com but for dogs and people because owners have the opportunity to browse individuals’ profiles and select the dog owner they feel is the best match for them and their dog. Before agreeing to sit, you have the chance to do a meet-n-greet with the dog to make sure you’re a good fit. When you do accept a gig, DogVacay is on your side in case of any puppy emergencies by providing you with pet insurance and 24/7 customer support.

    Check out Rachael at:

    Web:

    Instagram: @rachaelgking

    Twitter: @rachaelgking

    Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rachaelgking/

    A Toast to you and Rachael too,

    Jen

  • The Celeb Chef | An Interview with Pace Webb, Chef & Founder of Taste of Pace

    The Celeb Chef | An Interview with Pace Webb, Chef & Founder of Taste of Pace


    I was first introduced to Pace Webb just over one year ago. Since that time, I’ve known that she would make a rockstar interview guest. Lucky for me, when I tossed the idea her way, she was more than on board.

    Pace is the chef and founder of Taste of Pace, a Los Angeles based catering company that focuses its menus around fresh, seasonal ingredients. When she’s not in the kitchen, this natural entertainer finds her self in front of the camera and behind the mic. She shares her passion for food as a lifestyle expert for many well known brands and media outlets like Yahoo Shine and on her radio show TOP Talk.

    For our interview, I wanted to introduce Pace to my favorite spot on the block Gjusta. If you’re an Angeleno then chances are you’ve at least heard of, if not yet dined at, the acclaimed Gjelina restaurant located on Abbot Kinney in Venice. Gusta comes from the same owners and serves similar style fair in a more casual bakery/cafe environment. You can find everything your stomach desires here from fresh baked breads to house-made sauces to gourmet sandwiches and salads. Oh yeah, there’s a fancy barista bar inside too. Seating is limited to benches and overturned milk cartons in the rear of the building so we opted to take our food to go. Whether you dine in or take out you must find a reason to come try their baklava croissants – you won’t be disappointed!

    While we indulged our sugar cravings, Pace filled me in on the founding of her company, how she grew her career both inside and outside of the kitchen, and her advice for other aspiring chef-preneurs. Definitely an interview not to be missed!

    More About Pace

    taste-of-pacePace’s journey to start her own lifestyle food brand and catering company started at the age of 17 when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She took this experience as an indication that she needed to reevaluate what she put in her body. Studying alternative nutrition gave her the foundation and love for the impact clean food has on the body. After studying abroad in Rome, she became classically trained in Western European cuisine. Now, cancer-free with a fresh lease on life and a passion for traveling, living in over seven cities around the globe, Pace created her company to focus on wellness, new creative food combinations and most importantly, rich joie de vivre!

    Pace’s sparkle, and performance-like art for feeding people comes naturally as a fourth-generation entertainer. Her unique view on food and general panache for incredible flavor pairings has caught the eye of major brands such as Yahoo, Jell-O and Acura, hiring her to create recipes and host web series. She pens her own blog, and contributes to various food and lifestyle magazines, including C Magazine, Angeleno, Utterly Engaged and Chalkboard Magazine. Hosting weekly cooking classes in her downtown loft/kitchen allows Pace to give back to her community and inspire a new generation with healthy, simple and fresh local ingredients. Pace currently lives the fabulous life in the downtown Los Angeles Arts District with her dog, Willie Nelson.  www.Pacewebb.com {Source Taste of Pace}

    What is Taste of Pace?

    Taste of Pace Catering is a full service catering company based in Los Angeles specializing in Western European Cuisine with international elements utilizing seasonal and local ingredients. The Taste of Pace team is suitable for private parties, corporate events and weddings. You can get a Taste of Pace by attending a Monthly Supper Club hosted in secret locations boasting courses of fresh seasonal food off the cuff. {Source Taste of Pace}

    Check out Taste of Pace at:

    Web: www.tasteofpace.com

    Instagram: @tasteofpace

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Taste.of.Pace

    A Toast to you and Pace too,

    Jen

  • The Culinarian | An Interview with Marleen Bernstein, Chef & Owner of Savour This Kitchen

    The Culinarian | An Interview with Marleen Bernstein, Chef & Owner of Savour This Kitchen

    A few weeks ago I was introduced to the marvelous Marlene Bernstein. She is the chef and owner behind Savour this Kitchen, an umbrella brand for the catering company / line of original sauces and spice blends she runs with her brother Michael. As someone who keeps her fridge fully stocked with sauces, spices, and condiments of all varieties at all times, I was immediately all over Ms. Bernstein’s blends. Needless to say, I was stoked when she agreed to sit down for an interview with Toast Meets Jam.

    When asked where she’d like us to do the interview, she easily came up with The Springs LA, a newish downtown hotspot that boasts itself as an “urban oasis of wellness”. To put it simply this place is absolute amaze-balls. Part organic juice bar, part yoga center, part local for morning rave parties, The Springs has everything this girl could possibly want in life all rolled into one.

    Over our interview, Marlene guided me through the journey that brought about Savour this Kitchen and it’s evolution over the past few years. She also shed light on the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, her advice for aspiring foodies, and what she does to keep the STK train driving forward. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Toast Meets Jam interview if we didn’t have some fun along the way so you’ll also get to find out what makes Marlene, Marlene, from her favorite Halloween costume to her hidden talent.

    More About Marlene

    savour-this-kitchenMarlene is the chef behind Savour this Kithcen. She is trained in classical French cuisine but her cooking is inspired greatly by er Mediterranean roots. When she’s not making her rounds at the LA farmers’ markets or hosting a fantastic fete, you can find her catching a dance class, exploring downtown, or writing recipes for popular blogs like LaurenConrad.com.

    What is Savour this Kitchen?

    Launched in the summer of 2011, Savour This Kitchen began as Savour This Moment, a California fresh catering company dedicated to using wholesome flavors and natural ingredients. After receiving rave reviews for the unique sauces in their dishes, brother and sister entrepreneurial super team, Michael + Marlene, decided to sell these sauces as stand alone products.

    Savour This Sauce came to fruition at the beginning of 2013 and featured their three signature sauces: Red Pepper Romesco, Thai Chile Cilantro, and Pistachio Mint Pesto. With humble beginnings at the La Canada Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles, people flocked to the new vegan, gluten free brand.

    Thanks to love and support from the community, coupled with early success at the Farmer’s Market, Savour This Sauce found a smooth transition into retail outlets. Nearly a year and a half into the sauce line, the budding company decided to expand beyond sauces and develop a line of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired spice blends: Gypsy, Merchant, Nomad and Seafarer. In order to establish a marketplace for these unique seasonings (and more that are being developed) that make cooking more approachable, fun and delicious, Michael & Marlene created the umbrella brand Savour This Kitchen for their various product lines. (cite: Savour this Kitchen)

    Check out Savour this Kitchen at:

    Web: www.savourthiskitchen.com

    Instagram: @savourthiskitchen

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/savourthiskitchen

    A Toast to you and Marlene too,

    Jen

     

     

  • The Brand Gal | An Interview with Kelsey Borlan Lee, founder of The Brand Gals

    The Brand Gal | An Interview with Kelsey Borlan Lee, founder of The Brand Gals


    In this episode of Toast Meets Jam I get the scoop from the gal behind The Brand Gals, Kelsey Borlan Lee. We joined up at Aroma Coffee and Tea, one of Kelsey’s favorite brunch spots in Studio City. The cafe is the sister to The Alcove cafe, a spot you might be familiar with if you caught this interview. With a great outdoor patio that wraps around the restaurant, the spot is the perfect place to enjoy a sunny Sunday. Their menu runs the gamut from healthy VGF friendly fare to decadent desserts. Kelsey opted for a traditional bacon and eggs breakfast while I dug into a tofu and broccoli rice bowl. While we chowed down, she explained how The Brand Gals came to be.

    More About Kelsey

    Kelsey-Borlan-LeeKelsey found her start in the world of brand building as a photographer. Under her company, Kelsey Rae Photography, she found a passion for helping entrepreneurs build their businesses. This passion led her to expand her services beyond photography so that she could further help her clients bring their visions to life. What started off as The Brand Gal, is now a team of talented women  offering end-to-end branding packages.

    Who are The Brand Gals?

    The Brand Gals is a full service branding and design agency based in Los Angeles, CA. Their packages included everything from branding consultations to logo and website design, photography, social media strategy and beyond. Services also include their Snap workshop, a photography and Instagram intensive and The Bungalow a group branding class for entrepreneurs.

    Check out The Brand Gals at:

    Web: www.thebrandgals.com

    Instagram: @thebrandgals

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBrandGals

    A Toast to you and Kelsey too,

    Jen

  • The Editor-In-Chief |An Interview with the Founder of Millennial Magazine, Britt Hysen

    The Editor-In-Chief |An Interview with the Founder of Millennial Magazine, Britt Hysen

    In this episode of Toast Meets Jam I sat down with Britt Hysen, the founder and editor-in-chief of Millennial Magazine. We met at one of Britt’s favorite east-side spots The Alcove Cafe & Bakery in Los Feliz. Over almond milk lattes she shared her take on today’s generation of influencers, the qualities that make these go-getters successful, and why she’s made it her mission to tell their stories.

    More About Britt

    Britt HysenBritt began her career as an actress at the age of 18. Her first breaks came with a stint on AMC’s Mad Men, in Jim Carey’s Yes Man, and on Nickelodeon’s Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh.  By the time she’s turned 21 Britt was ready to take on the next challenge. With a microphone in her hand she took to the streets and began building her skills as a journalist. Her first gig– interview 25 of the top Burning Man artists.

    Fast forward a few years and Britt has added CNBC editorial assistant, GY news correspondent, and GenYHub media director to her list of experiences. Through her work, she realized that she was passionate about telling the stories of the thought leaders and go-getters of her generation. This passion sparked the idea for Millennial Magazine her latest venture.

     

    What’s Millennial Magazine?

    Started in 2014, Millennial Magazine “is positioning itself as Forbes meets Life magazine with a social impact twist”. Articles feature millennials influencers and the incredible work they are doing to make a difference in this world. Visit their site and you’ll find everything from news that resonates most with Gen Y to profiles on this generation’s CEO’s, activists, and thought-leaders.

    Check MM out at:

    Web: www.millennialmagazine.com

    Twitter: @MillennialMagz

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillennialMagazine

    A Toast to you and Britt too,

    Jen

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