Podcasts about Barbara Lynch

On today's program, Greg Ryan, senior reporter for the Boston Business Journal talks about the sale of what used to be known as the Independence  Mall on the south shore in Kingston and what it means for other malls. Boston Globe food reporter Devra First shares her story about Barbara Lynch‘s decision to close all of her restaurants. The senior vice president of research for Rockland Trust Bank , Doug Butler,  will join us to discuss the banking business climate. The organization known as EADV,  employees against domestic violence, and  it's leader Courtney Cahill from the Bristol County district attorney‘s office talks about the importance of that issue and finally Bobby Brown owner of Broco Fuel on the North Shore explains how he's helping out communities up and down the East Coast recover from recent hurricane damage.

We opened the lines to discuss on why we can't turn the TV off to hurricane coverage. Paul Reville on a new federal class action lawsuit against 40 colleges, accusing them of conspiring to overcharge on tuition.Andrea Cabral on Fox News' official misinformation fact sheetCorby Kummer reflected on Barbara Lynch restaurant closuresShirley Leung on ballot question 5 AITA for cancelling streaming services when my husband doesn't clean? We discussed with listeners 

Today:Food policy analyst Corby Kummer discusses Boston restaurateur Barbara Lynch announcing she's closing all her locations.And, we open the lines for Am I The A-Hole. This week's prompt involves an exhausted new mother fed up with her husband not helping out around the house, so she cancels his streaming services and hires a maid with the extra cash.

Kura Sushi had a solid quarter. A Boston restaurateur is closing several restaurants and selling others. And the National Restaurant Association has a new chairman.

Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.For the last three years or so… starting towards the end of Covid, I have been privileged to dine often at Mary & Darren's house in Charleston, SC. Our weekly dinners, and our Friday supper-club, rotate between 4 different houses, each with different cooking styles of food and entertaining. Still, I have to say that going to Darren's always involves a culinary masterpiece. Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Memorable meals always include extraordinary ingredients and produce sourced from local and out-of-state purveyors. I have eaten oysters with gin and caviar, percebes (also known as barnacles), a true delicacy from northern Spain, creamy veal lasagna, and perfectly cooked soft shell crabs, among many other delicacies. As a passionate -and fabulous- home cook, Darren's style is hearty, seriously correct, and authentic. It is all about the quality of ingredients, authentic cooking techniques, and lots of flavor. Mary and Darren are avid bikers…. and divide their time between Charleston, SC, and Ridgefield, Ct. While we talked in his kitchen, Darren made ravioli with mushrooms, pancetta, and peas in a light tomato and truffle sauce. From scratch. Yes, including the pasta. Here are my ten questions: * Why did you start to cook? I was born and raised in Kent, England, and there were no good restaurants where I lived with my parents. So, when I turned 15, I took over cooking on the weekends. My mother had a rotation of 4 roasts: chicken, beef, pork, and lamb, and I decided -with their blessing- that I would make those meals. Life improved. * How did you learn? I loved watching cooking shows: Keith Floyd, who had a tremendous amount of character and showcased French recipes, was always sipping wine and telling wondrous stories, and Ken Hom, a Chinese-American chef who did Asian cooking. So between those two and their books, I learned how to cook. I was also able to get the products necessary to make those meals. Ultimately, it was way less expensive than getting takeout every night. * Then, what happened? When I went to Oxford, I shared a flat with 5 girls and took over cooking during weekends. Able to source plenty of meats and game from the locals, I made all sorts of fabulous meals. We had parties every weekend (the five girls and their boyfriends), and our dinners soon became the most desirable invitation. * Do you love to entertain? Yes! and often. I do all the cooking!* What is the largest number of people you have cooked for? At Christmas, we are usually between 20 to 25 people. And my favorite thing to make is Beef Wellington. It has become our Christmas tradition. * And now? When I moved to the US, cooking was my way of relaxing. We have a vegetable garden in Connecticut, so I make seasonal sauces and pickles. During Covid, I started making pasta and bread from scratch. I have a pizza oven in Connecticut and am experimenting with all sorts of savory and sweet toppings. I turned to Barbara Lynch and The Pasta Grannies for inspiration and guidance. * I love that you have so many kitchen gadgets… what are your favorites? For pasta like ravioli or lasagna sheets, I use a simple machine that presses the pasta, and then I hand form the ravioli with a classic ravioli maker from Marcato. For tubular pasta, I use a pasta machine. For bread, I use a bread machine to make brioche and whole wheat bread. For pizza, you must have an oven that heats up to 800 degrees, so yes, a pizza oven is essential. No air fryer, though. Tried it and didn't like it at all! * Do you cook all the time? Every night? During the week, we eat very simply…. healthy, low-fat food and then splurge on weekends. * Is everything you cook made from scratch? Where do you shop? Absolutely not; I use jarred tomato sauce in the winter and rely on a few good-quality essentials. But I do prefer to buy locally and in season. Farmer's markets are great, and so are local purveyors. I also order meats from Allen Brothers, fish and shellfish from Browne Trading Company and Sopo Seafood. In Charleston, fish from Crosby Seafood and shrimp from Tarvin Seafood in Mt. Pleasant. * What is next? Any new culinary projects?I am now trying Thai and Indian cuisines. It is all about getting the right ingredients, fresh herbs, spices, and utensils, yes, more utensils! Thank you, Darren & Mary, for your wonderful hospitality and generosity! Ravioli with Mushrooms, Pancetta, and Peas in a Truffle Sauce. Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.For the last three years or so… starting towards the end of Covid, I have been privileged to dine often at Mary & Darren's house in Charleston, SC. Our weekly dinners, and our Friday supper-club, rotate between 4 different houses, each with different cooking styles of food and entertaining. Still, I have to say that going to Darren's always involves a culinary masterpiece. Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Memorable meals always include extraordinary ingredients and produce sourced from local and out-of-state purveyors. I have eaten oysters with gin and caviar, percebes (also known as barnacles), a true delicacy from northern Spain, creamy veal lasagna, and perfectly cooked soft shell crabs, among many other delicacies. As a passionate -and fabulous- home cook, Darren's style is hearty, seriously correct, and authentic. It is all about the quality of ingredients, authentic cooking techniques, and lots of flavor. Mary and Darren are avid bikers…. and divide their time between Charleston, SC, and Ridgefield, Ct. While we talked in his kitchen, Darren made ravioli with mushrooms, pancetta, and peas in a light tomato and truffle sauce. From scratch. Yes, including the pasta. Here are my ten questions: * Why did you start to cook? I was born and raised in Kent, England, and there were no good restaurants where I lived with my parents. So, when I turned 15, I took over cooking on the weekends. My mother had a rotation of 4 roasts: chicken, beef, pork, and lamb, and I decided -with their blessing- that I would make those meals. Life improved. * How did you learn? I loved watching cooking shows: Keith Floyd, who had a tremendous amount of character and showcased French recipes, was always sipping wine and telling wondrous stories, and Ken Hom, a Chinese-American chef who did Asian cooking. So between those two and their books, I learned how to cook. I was also able to get the products necessary to make those meals. Ultimately, it was way less expensive than getting takeout every night. * Then, what happened? When I went to Oxford, I shared a flat with 5 girls and took over cooking during weekends. Able to source plenty of meats and game from the locals, I made all sorts of fabulous meals. We had parties every weekend (the five girls and their boyfriends), and our dinners soon became the most desirable invitation. * Do you love to entertain? Yes! and often. I do all the cooking!* What is the largest number of people you have cooked for? At Christmas, we are usually between 20 to 25 people. And my favorite thing to make is Beef Wellington. It has become our Christmas tradition. * And now? When I moved to the US, cooking was my way of relaxing. We have a vegetable garden in Connecticut, so I make seasonal sauces and pickles. During Covid, I started making pasta and bread from scratch. I have a pizza oven in Connecticut and am experimenting with all sorts of savory and sweet toppings. I turned to Barbara Lynch and The Pasta Grannies for inspiration and guidance. * I love that you have so many kitchen gadgets… what are your favorites? For pasta like ravioli or lasagna sheets, I use a simple machine that presses the pasta, and then I hand form the ravioli with a classic ravioli maker from Marcato. For tubular pasta, I use a pasta machine. For bread, I use a bread machine to make brioche and whole wheat bread. For pizza, you must have an oven that heats up to 800 degrees, so yes, a pizza oven is essential. No air fryer, though. Tried it and didn't like it at all! * Do you cook all the time? Every night? During the week, we eat very simply…. healthy, low-fat food and then splurge on weekends. * Is everything you cook made from scratch? Where do you shop? Absolutely not; I use jarred tomato sauce in the winter and rely on a few good-quality essentials. But I do prefer to buy locally and in season. Farmer's markets are great, and so are local purveyors. I also order meats from Allen Brothers, fish and shellfish from Browne Trading Company and Sopo Seafood. In Charleston, fish from Crosby Seafood and shrimp from Tarvin Seafood in Mt. Pleasant. * What is next? Any new culinary projects?I am now trying Thai and Indian cuisines. It is all about getting the right ingredients, fresh herbs, spices, and utensils, yes, more utensils! Thank you, Darren & Mary, for your wonderful hospitality and generosity! Ravioli with Mushrooms, Pancetta, and Peas in a Truffle Sauce. Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.For the last three years or so… starting towards the end of Covid, I have been privileged to dine often at Mary & Darren's house in Charleston, SC. Our weekly dinners, and our Friday supper-club, rotate between 4 different houses, each with different cooking styles of food and entertaining. Still, I have to say that going to Darren's always involves a culinary masterpiece. Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Memorable meals always include extraordinary ingredients and produce sourced from local and out-of-state purveyors. I have eaten oysters with gin and caviar, percebes (also known as barnacles), a true delicacy from northern Spain, creamy veal lasagna, and perfectly cooked soft shell crabs, among many other delicacies. As a passionate -and fabulous- home cook, Darren's style is hearty, seriously correct, and authentic. It is all about the quality of ingredients, authentic cooking techniques, and lots of flavor. Mary and Darren are avid bikers…. and divide their time between Charleston, SC, and Ridgefield, Ct. While we talked in his kitchen, Darren made ravioli with mushrooms, pancetta, and peas in a light tomato and truffle sauce. From scratch. Yes, including the pasta. Here are my ten questions: * Why did you start to cook? I was born and raised in Kent, England, and there were no good restaurants where I lived with my parents. So, when I turned 15, I took over cooking on the weekends. My mother had a rotation of 4 roasts: chicken, beef, pork, and lamb, and I decided -with their blessing- that I would make those meals. Life improved. * How did you learn? I loved watching cooking shows: Keith Floyd, who had a tremendous amount of character and showcased French recipes, was always sipping wine and telling wondrous stories, and Ken Hom, a Chinese-American chef who did Asian cooking. So between those two and their books, I learned how to cook. I was also able to get the products necessary to make those meals. Ultimately, it was way less expensive than getting takeout every night. * Then, what happened? When I went to Oxford, I shared a flat with 5 girls and took over cooking during weekends. Able to source plenty of meats and game from the locals, I made all sorts of fabulous meals. We had parties every weekend (the five girls and their boyfriends), and our dinners soon became the most desirable invitation. * Do you love to entertain? Yes! and often. I do all the cooking!* What is the largest number of people you have cooked for? At Christmas, we are usually between 20 to 25 people. And my favorite thing to make is Beef Wellington. It has become our Christmas tradition. * And now? When I moved to the US, cooking was my way of relaxing. We have a vegetable garden in Connecticut, so I make seasonal sauces and pickles. During Covid, I started making pasta and bread from scratch. I have a pizza oven in Connecticut and am experimenting with all sorts of savory and sweet toppings. I turned to Barbara Lynch and The Pasta Grannies for inspiration and guidance. * I love that you have so many kitchen gadgets… what are your favorites? For pasta like ravioli or lasagna sheets, I use a simple machine that presses the pasta, and then I hand form the ravioli with a classic ravioli maker from Marcato. For tubular pasta, I use a pasta machine. For bread, I use a bread machine to make brioche and whole wheat bread. For pizza, you must have an oven that heats up to 800 degrees, so yes, a pizza oven is essential. No air fryer, though. Tried it and didn't like it at all! * Do you cook all the time? Every night? During the week, we eat very simply…. healthy, low-fat food and then splurge on weekends. * Is everything you cook made from scratch? Where do you shop? Absolutely not; I use jarred tomato sauce in the winter and rely on a few good-quality essentials. But I do prefer to buy locally and in season. Farmer's markets are great, and so are local purveyors. I also order meats from Allen Brothers, fish and shellfish from Browne Trading Company and Sopo Seafood. In Charleston, fish from Crosby Seafood and shrimp from Tarvin Seafood in Mt. Pleasant. * What is next? Any new culinary projects?I am now trying Thai and Indian cuisines. It is all about getting the right ingredients, fresh herbs, spices, and utensils, yes, more utensils! Thank you, Darren & Mary, for your wonderful hospitality and generosity! Ravioli with Mushrooms, Pancetta, and Peas in a Truffle Sauce. Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

For the last several months The Common has been talking about the lack of accountability for harmful behavior from local chefs and restaurateurs, such as the allegations against Barbara Lynch, as well as comments made by Ming Tsai on WBUR's CitySpace stage. Last month, CitySpace continued that conversation with a panel discussion called “A Reckoning in Restaurants: Combating Toxic Restaurant Culture.” During the event, audience members submitted questions for the panel, which included Hassel Aviles, Co-founder and executive director of Not 9 to 5 (a non-profit in mental health advocacy for the foodservice sector); Irene Li, Co-founder of Mei Mei Dumplings and James Beard Leadership Award winner; Janelle Nanos, Business Enterprise Reporter at the Boston Globe; and Hannah Selinger, James Beard Award-nominated writer. There were so many questions, that there just wasn't enough time to answer them all. So, we figured we'd continue the event here on the show with Irene and Hannah to answer some of the questions they couldn't get to that night. Greater Boston's daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Christopher shares some good news on some happy things in his family. Christopher shares on a new podcast endeavor that he is a part of called the World Exposed. Christopher share his thoughts and insights about some disturbing trends in the Church. The prophetic movement has been corrupted by Celebrity Christianity is at a fever pitch. The leaders in the Church are in danger of becoming apostate. Mario Murillo appeared at a conference with Robin Bullock after he told the truth about the false prophetic spirit on Robin Bullock and Katt Kerr (See blog post below) Who knows where it will go from here. Listen as Christopher shares.

Christopher shares thoughts and insights about the Republican Party the Church. The Republican Party is responsible for not stopping these kangaroo courts from going on. President Trump will be justified and vindicated in the end but when do we stop these people?

The road to sobriety from addiction can be a long and winding one. Barbara Lynch takes us through her journey to recovery.

Former employees of establishments owned by local celebrity chef Barbara Lynch are stepping forward, accusing Lynch of creating a toxic workplace. The allegations against Lynch, who owns businesses including No. 9 Park, The Butcher Shop and Seaport-based bar, Drink, include lashing out at staff and guests, unwanted touching and threats of violence. Boston Globe Business Enterprise Reporter Janelle Nanos joins The Common to discuss the allegations and where they fit into the larger conversation about toxic workplaces in the Boston restaurant scene. Greater Boston's daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Several workers accused Barbara Lynch, who owns several award-winning restaurants in Greater Boston, of physical, verbal and sexual abuse, according to recent news reports, claiming she frequently got drunk inside her own restaurants and bars while on and off the clock.

Celebrated Boston restaurateur Barbara Lynch has been accused of abuse and leading a toxic workplace, according to recent stories published by The Boston Globe and The New York Times.

We chat with Boston chef and restaurateur Barbara Lynch, who just came out with her memoir, Out of Line. Barbara talks about how she went from stealing a bus as a teenager to operating a hugely successful restaurant group. She's got an amazing story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In November 1994, three inmates went to the showers of the prison gym to clean. Twenty minutes later, two were fatally injured. One death–that of Jeffery Dahmer–made headlines and the other–Jesse Anderson–would be a footnote. And if he was a footnote, his victim became a footnote of a footnote. Today, we tell her story. Get tickets for the Atlanta area show HERE https://www.eventbrite.com/e/true-crime-live-tickets-426721705107?fbclid=IwAR0dgwL6mY02qnJE-qNcuK84umh0bay2-mf6sU9bEdduRErYp3yeS6jXGFU This case is *solved* Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gARSaU0d2ebN8bGnrcPQH5BwxiRJK4rqAN7SRNCpphM/edit?usp=sharing For transcription/captions, please watch on the Crimelines YouTube channel. New episodes are posted there within 2 days of release: https://www.youtube.com/crimelinestruecrime If an exact transcript is needed, please request at crimelinespodcast@gmail.com  Support the show! https://www.patreon.com/crimelines https://www.basementfortproductions.com/support Licensing and credits: Editing and production assistance by We Talk of Dream https://wetalkofdreams.com/ Theme music by Scott Buckley https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/ Cover Art by Lars Hacking from Rusty Hinges Research and writing by Charlie Worroll Hosted by Charlie Worroll Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A delicious visit with Chef Barbara Lynch. What's up with her revival of The Rudder? What does she put on a burger? Did she really steal an MBTA bus? The Cook spills the beans.Follow Barbara on IG: @barbaralynchbos

This is a letter from Todd Mumford. He expresses his view points on the new restrictions that the Delaware General Assembly is enacting. I like what he says and how he says. This is a review of his letter.   Podcast intro and outro from Jeremy Marsan and link to https://jeremymarsan.com/. 476070__jjmarsan__hello-user-bright-cheery-intro-music; Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) 117592__soundmary__aplause-short-burst & 472688__silverillusionist__fire-burst

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about how they're handling the current political divide in America. Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo shares how he would bring his previous experience as a public defender to the role of Suffolk County District Attorney if elected. He also discusses the need for transparency in the case of former Boston police officer Patrick Rose. Arroyo is a Boston City Councilor. He's running to be Suffolk County District Attorney. Callie Crossley talks about Harini Logan's win at the 2022 Scripps Spelling Bee, and Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Pageant. She also shared her thoughts on Sheryl Sandberg stepping down from her role as COO of Meta. Crossley hosts GBH's Under the Radar and Basic Black. Barbara Lynch shares her thoughts on the state of the restaurant industry, and called for student loan forgiveness for the next generation of restaurant workers. Lynch is a James Beard Award-winning chef, and the restarauter behind No. 9 Park, Menton, Sportello, and others. In 2017, she was one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people, and is a Druker Award recipient. Art Caplan talks about President Joe Biden's response to the baby formula shortage, and the scientists that have successfully transplanted a 3D-printed ear. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Erin Caldwell talks about Dorchester's first annual Dorchfest, while pop singer Rosa Cesario, acoustic singer-songwriter Tim Pitoniak, and hip-hop/spoken word artist Paul Willis performed live at the Boston Public Library. In honor of the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee, we host the annual Boston Public Radio Spelling Bee for listeners.

Christopher shares a sobering scripture from Ezekiel 9 and God signs on with a powerful prophetic word from Pastor Barbara Lynch about His heart.

January 2, 2022. In today's sermon, written by Pastor Meagan and read by Mark Roock, we hear about how God knows every detail of our backstories, and delights in each one of us. Readings: Ephesians 1:3-14, John 1:1-18 *** Transcript *** This sermon was prepared by Pastor Meagan, so I want you to imagine that you're receiving it as a letter. So I would begin with: dear friends. Greetings to you from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. When I graduated from college and moved back home, it didn't take long before I joined the church choir at my childhood church. After all, I had always loved singing, and had been in one choir or another since I was in third grade. A fellow choir member, Barbara Lynch, had been part of that church since before I was born, and she began to tell me stories of things she remembered from when I was a kid, running around the halls of Our Lady of Grace Church and School. One of the stories she told me had been shared with her by my grade school music teacher, George Carthage. On his last day with us before retirement, Mr. Carthage asked what we wanted to sing, and we chose our favorite, The Holy City. Although I hadn't thought about it in years, I instantly remembered the day — and the song — she was talking about. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, lift up your gates and sing, hosanna, in the highest, hosanna to your king!” Over, and over, and over we sang it, until we were tired of it — which I imagine probably took us much longer than it took Mr. Carthage. As I recalled it, I realized that that day was one among many that fed my love of singing over the years. A few years after Mrs. Lynch reminded me of that day with Mr. Carthage, one of my cousins had a child who was the first baby in the family in many years, and my Aunt Kate said to all of us, “You see how excited we all are about this baby, how everyone wants to hold and love and talk to him? I want you to know that we did that exact same thing with every one of you. We love you all that way!” I had taken it for granted, up until then, the profound gift of having people in your life who know your backstory. People who can remind you of events and experiences that you had forgotten, who in some ways know you better than you know yourself. How important it is to have, or have had, people who knew you and looked on you with love, even before you were born. Each Christmas, we tell the story of Emmanuel, God with us in the flesh, remembering that God came to us in Jesus into the middle of human history to reveal the radical unfailing love God has for us. And today, on this second Sunday of Christmas, in the Gospel of John, we hear those ethereal words that remind us that Jesus, the Word, was present and moving in the world long before that night in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . . All things came into being through him.” We don't often think about it, but this is so profound, isn't it? Christ was there, in and with and through God, from the very beginning of time. There isn't a single thing that has happened since creation that Jesus was not intimately a part of. All life came into being through Christ, who then came to us in Jesus. He was formed in Mary's womb, and she labored and gave birth to him in a stable in the tiny little town of Bethlehem. In Jesus, we know that there is nothing that has ever happened in our world or our lives that God does not know and care passionately about. Mrs. Lynch, among others, was able to share a slice of my childhood with me, but God knows our entire back stories, and us, better than we or anyone else ever will. Jesus came to show us that, just as my parents, aunts, and uncles poured love over each and every one of us in turn, so God delights in each and every one of us. Think about that for a moment. God delights in you! The story of God coming in Jesus is a story of a love so abundant that it surrounds and fills all of creation. Remember the Ghost of Christmas Present from A Christmas Carol? He brings Mr. Scrooge to all corners of the earth: a ship deployed on the ocean, a remote lighthouse, suburban streets, a deep mine, and a hospital. If we were to follow the Spirit today, we might find ourselves with people fleeing violence, poverty, and death in a refugee camp on our southern border; visiting people sick with COVID in a remote African village or in India's Maharashtra; or with those who are unhoused on the streets of St. Louis. The Spirit would likely bring us to those in prison in our own city. When the ghost and Scrooge arrive at Bob Cratchit's home in a poor, forgotten neighborhood, Scrooge asks why they are there, and the ghost replies, “It's Christmas here too, you know!” God came in Jesus to an unmarried young woman in a stable in a tiny little town to show us that they are present everywhere, perhaps especially the most forgotten places. No one is invisible to Christ, who intimately knows and sees and loves all people, and all of creation. There is no one God does not see and delight in. This is the gift and the call of Christmas. God knows every detail of our backstories, and delights in each one of us, and every one of us. And we are created us to embody that love in the world the way Jesus did, to see and love the forgotten ones, wherever they may be. God delights in you! What greater gift could there be to share? Amen. So writes our pastor, Meagan McLaughlin, and we too say amen. *** Keywords *** 2021, Christ Lutheran Church, Webster Groves, sermon, podcast, transcript, YouTube, video, Pastor Meagan McLaughlin, Mark Roock, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 1:1-18, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens, COVID-19, coronavirus

You're listening to the Westerly Sun's podcast, where we talk about the best local events, new job postings, obituaries, and more. First, a bit of Rhode Island trivia. Today's trivia is brought to you by Perennial. Perennial's new plant-based drink “Daily Gut & Brain” is a blend of easily digestible nutrients crafted for gut and brain health. A convenient mini-meal, Daily Gut & Brain” is available now at the CVS Pharmacy in Wakefield. Now, some trivia. Did you know that Rhode Island native, Thomas Alexander Tefft, was one of the nation's first professionally trained architects? He is considered a master of Rundbogenstil and a leading American proponent of its use. Prior to his untimely death, Tefft "offered the most advanced designs of his day in America. Next, an event that you should know about… The Misquamicut Drive-In is showing Back to the Future III Saturday night with special guest Burton Gilliam who played a memorable bit part. Join Marty McFly, Doc, and the gang as they travel to the old West. Get your tickets. The show starts at 9pm. See you there! Next, Are you interested in a new opportunity? Look no further, we're here again with another new job listing. Today's posting comes from Mohegan Sun. They're opening up again and looking for event security guards, event marketing representatives, ushers, and ticket takers.  If you're interested, you can read more and apply by using the link in our episode description. https://www.indeed.com/l-Westerly,-RI-jobs.html?vjk=26d99a5d35f1087c Today we're remembering the life of Barbara Lynch of Westerly. She was the beloved wife of the late Michael Lynch, Jr. Barbara was a competitive baton twirler and had taught baton twirling for many years in Westerly and surrounding communities. Throughout the years she and her students could always be seen marching and twirling in the local Parades. Barbara was also well known for her homemade peanut brittle. She loved golfing, bowling, playing shuffleboard and a good game of pitch at the Westerly Yacht where she was a life member. She also enjoyed boating alongside her late husband Mike and spent many enjoyable times at Napatree Point. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. Thank you for taking a moment with us today to remember and celebrate Barbara's life. Lastly, remember that reporting the local news is an important part of what it means to live here. Head over to Westerlysun.com and help us tell the stories of our community each and every day. Digital access starts at just 50 cents a day and makes all the difference in the world. That's it for today, we'll be back next time with more! Also, remember to check out our sponsor Perennial, Daily Gut & Brain, available at the CVS on Main St. in Wakefield! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting under mentorship with James Beard winner Barbara Lynch, Nicolai Lipscomb has chefed at some of the best restuarants in the world, full stop — Arzak, El Celler Can Roca, at Fundacion Alicia with scientists and nutritionists under the direction of Ferran Adria and Pere Castells, the list goes on and on. And so this conversation with Skipper Chong Warson ranges the globe, starting in Half Moon Bay, Calif. to bungee jumping outside Vancouver Island, British Columbia to working in high pressure kitchens in Boston, Mass.; San Sebastián, Spain; Girona, Spain; and back to northern Calif. again among other locations. The topics range from talking about thrill seeking in motorcycle riding/bungee jumping, homemade Eggo waffles cooling on chopsticks, falling into and grinding through the ever challenging work of making and serving some of the most highly regarded food in the world while racing the clock and the swirling kitchen chaos, the requisite patience to not rush food, the secret to great paella, the importance of downtime in working as a chef, and the brain drain in running restuarants that's happening during COVID-19. One thing that we learned is that restaurants are the number one employer in Calif. And working backwards from the idea that the golden state has 1/8 of the United States population and by some estimates the various 2020 shutdown orders will end up closing 50% of restaurants that aren't backed by chains or corporations, that's a huge impact of which we weren't aware. While recording, Skipper mistakingly attributes Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours of work equals mastery theory to "Blink" instead of "Outliers". (He corrected it with Nicolai offline as soon as he was able.) Stay tuned after the outro music for a bit of tape where Nicolai first mentions working on the line for the first time in six years. This episode was edited and mastered by Troy Lococo. Special Guest: Nicolai Lipscomb.

EXTENDED PODCAST VERSION - For the FULL INTERVIEW - There's GOOD STUFF in the OT - The "dessert" of the interview! Today's VERY Special Guest is Top Chef Finalist in Season 17 - Allstars LA! Watch Bravo TV Thursday, June 18 and see who takes home the title of TOP CHEF! Stephanie was only 15 when she began working in the food industry at the Muffin Shop in Marblehead, Massachusetts. She graduated in 2007 from Johnson & Wales University and returned to Boston to begin her career at the Top of the Hub restaurant. From there, she went to work with Chef Barbara Lynch as a line cook at B&G Oysters, where she quickly rose through the ranks to the position of Sous Chef. Top Chef contestant Season 17 LA Allstars, Stephanie Cmar invites you into her "Shitty Little Kitchen" My Shitty Little Kitchen - A fun and informative weekly cooking show! Follow & DM Chef Stephanie Cmar on Instagram @ _myshittylittlekitchen or @stephaniecmar And watch Chef Stephanie on the Top Chef Season 17 FINALE on Bravo, Thursday June 15, 10/9 Central! All Stars LA featuring the fiercest group of competitors the show has seen with 15 finalists, front runners and fan favorites from seasons past who have all returned to finish what they started and battle it out for the coveted title. Go to bravotv.com/top-chef

Prophecy from Pastor Barbara Lynch.  God is burning up all the chaff in His children.  God moved and we received the drop of His Glory that contained His Fire.  The fire will subdue.

(Podcast) Pastor Barbara prays and then is moved by God’s Spirit to share His heart with us. God calls us His little sheep, His little lambs. God’s Holy vessels who are full of His Glory and His Presence, this turns into a prophetic word. God hears your every cry right. God promises healings and breakthroughs as we stay in His presence. God said He is bringing those who desire to come higher with Him, higher. God promises many things in this prophetic word. God is waiting to hear from us. God shares of His love in this prophetic word. It’s harvest time and God is bringing in His harvest. He says that no one will love us like He does.

On the day her movie A Fine Line: A Woman's Place Is In the Kitchen debuts in New York City, filmmaker Joanna James discusses her documentary's exploration of the struggles and triumphs of women chefs and restauranteurs, and the story of her mother Val's life in the industry. The movie intercuts Val James' story with interviews with top women chefs including Dominique Crenn, Barbara Lynch, and Mashama Bailey.And, continuing a conversation from last week's show, chef and author Rocco DiSpirito discusses how he became focused on health and fitness, his new cookbook Rocco's Keto Comfort Food Diet, his years away from restaurants, why he came back, and what he's thinking of doing next. EPISODE GUIDE0 - 4:25  Intro4:25 - 51:35  Joanna James51:35 - 54:20 Show Notes and Updates54:20 - 1:55:50 - Rocco DiSpirito, part 21:55:50 - end  OutroLINKSANDREW TALKS TO CHEFS official website A FINE LINE movie official websiteMAPP (A Fine Line's social impact campaign)Rocco's Keto Comfort Food DietRocco DiSpirito websiteBenno restaurant (hosted Rocco DiSpirito interview) Mermaid Inn (hosted Joanna James interview)

Diego and Nick sit down with Devin Adams, Restaurateur and Founder of the Townshend in Quincy, MA. Devin began his career in hospitality at Todd English’s Kingfish Hall, where he went from bar-back to bartender to sommelier, before finally landing in management. He later ran the beverage program at Lucca Restaurant in the North End, and eventually joined the opening team of Island Creek Oyster Bar. From there, he worked at Barbara Lynch’s bar, Drink, where he honed his skills both behind the bar and as a restaurateur. He was raised and lives on the South Shore firmly believing in taking five minutes out of your day to change someone else’s. 

The importance of both home ec and Howard Johnson’s mac and cheese; plus, how to eat a lobster with Boston chef Barbara Lynch, who explains what a "frappe" is. And that I've been pronouncing it wrong. Smart Mouth is on Patreon: www.patreon.com/smartmouthpodcast www.instagram.com/smartmouthpodcast/ www.facebook.com/groups/268127480409103/ Please subscribe to (and rate & review) this podcast in iTunes or any podcast app so you never miss an episode! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-mouth/id1171755407

Andrew took his podcasting gear on the road again (this is getting to be a habit) and recorded interviews with 5 participating chefs at the recent Chef’s Roll Anti-Convention in San Diego, California, earlier this month. This 3-hour episode should keep you entertained through our between-season break: Listen at your leisure to intimate conversations with LA’s Nyesha Arrington; Boston’s Barbara Lynch; Napa’s Ken Frank; San Diego’s own Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins; and Modernist Cuisine’s Francisco Migoya. See you in May with a new roster of guests for the spring and summer! Andrew Talks to Chefs is powered by Simplecast.

What are the common ingredients for high-functioning organizations? Lovin’ Spoonfuls founder and Executive Director Ashley Stanley and distinguished Boston chef and restaurateur Colin Lynch (Bar Mezzana and Shore Leave) join host Billy Shore to discuss their philosophies on building successful organizations and strong communities. Stanley recounts why she started Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a Boston nonprofit organization that rescues and distributes healthy, fresh food that would otherwise be discarded. “When you’re there with folks who have the same goals as you… you hear people talking about it in the office. ‘How do we make this better not just for our team, but ultimately for our end-users,’” she explains. Lynch, who was struck by the camaraderie of the kitchen at a very young age, believes his success derives from putting his employees in a position to succeed. “Our business is 100% about people, and the only way we can continue to grow and thrive and take care of our guests is if we continue to take care of the people that work for us,” he says. Both guests talk about drawing strength from their communities. “Lovin’ Spoonfuls wouldn’t be here without it - fundraising for a non-profit is a challenging endeavor and in the beginning it really was anything we could do,” says Stanley about when Lovin’ Spoonfuls was getting off the ground. The organization now rescues about 70K pounds of fresh healthy food that feeds about 30K to 35K people each week. Lynch tells the story about a restaurant worker who was seriously injured in an assault and the response from the Boston culinary community to help him recover. “It’s a very comforting feeling to know if something happens to you, everyone will be there to support you in this community,” he maintains. Join us for a conversation that gets to the heart of how to build successful organizations and the importance of teamwork and community. Resources and Mentions:· No Kid Hungry (nokidhungry.org): Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign is ending child hunger in America by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day.· Ashley Stanley is the founder and executive director of Lovin’ Spoonfuls. She has created unparalleled awareness for food rescue, with dedication to addressing the significant consequences of food waste. In 2011 the Boston Business Journal named her an ‘Emerging Leader’. In 2012, Lovin’ Spoonfuls was a two-time winner of the Mass Challenge competition, which is the largest global start-up accelerator. In 2013 Ashley was selected as one of the BBJ’s 2013 ’40 under 40′, which recognizes Boston’s most innovative business leaders. In 2014, Ashley was recognized by The Boston Globe as a ‘Game Changer, and in Boston Magazine‘s ‘Power of Ideas’. She is one of Oxfam International’s Sisters of the Planet Ambassadors. A Fellow at The 2013 Nantucket Project, she’s also a member of TEDWomen, and a TEDx community speaker. She’s been featured on NPR, and written for The Huffington Post’s ‘ReClaim’ campaign. · Lovin’ Spoonfuls is dedicated to facilitating the rescue and distribution of healthy, fresh food that would otherwise be discarded throughout Greater Boston and beyond. They pick up wholesome, perishable food from grocery stores, produce wholesalers, farms and farmers markets, and distribute it to more than 140 community nonprofits that feed hungry people across Greater Boston and MetroWest. Lovin’ Spoonfuls connects abundance and excess food with the food insecure men, women, children and families who need it most. Their timely rescue of food that has been deemed no longer salable — slightly bruised produce, dairy nearing its sell-by date, or perfectly good food products that are determined to be excess — provides meals to more than 30,000 individuals each week. Since 2010, Lovin’ Spoonfuls has rescued and distributed more than 8 million pounds of fresh, healthy food into the social service stream.· Colin Lynch is chef and partner of Bar Mezzana located in Boston's South End. He received his Bachelor’s Degree at the Culinary Institute of America before settling in Boston and working at Chef Barbara Lynch’s flagship restaurant No. 9 Park. He was on the team there as she received her James Beard Award for “Best Chef Northeast” in 2003. Colin was then promoted to the role of Chef de Cuisine at No. 9 Park starting in 2004. During this time, as Chef Barbara Lynch expanded to the South End with B&G Oysters and The Butcher Shop, he helped her develop menus and the teams. In 2007, he became Executive Chef for the Gruppo, where he was responsible for the Gruppo’s entire Back of House operations, including menu development, training, quality control, and supervision of all the Gruppo’s restaurants’ Chef de Cuisines. He led the opening of Menton, which achievied Boston’s first Relais & Chateaux designation, was nominated by the James Beard Foundation for “Best New Restaurant” in 2011, named as one of the best new restaurants in the country by Esquire, and received The Boston Globe's first four-star review from food editor, Devra First. In June 2016, Lynch opened Bar Mezzana to rave reviews from local press and guests who praise the inspired crudo, handmade pastas, and warm hospitality. He recently opened his second restaurant, Shore Leave, in Boston’s South End.· Bar Mezzana brings the simplicity and beauty of coastal Italian cooking to a sleek, vibrant space at 360 Harrison Avenue in Boston. Aperol spritzes, an award-winning crudo menu, and a career steeped in pasta making are highlighted by genuine, warm service and hospitality. Led by Heather Lynch and Beverage Director Ryan Lotz, Bar Mezzana’s wine program showcases a thoughtfully curated selection of varietals to pair with Chef Lynch’s food, with both widely loved bottles and lesser-known (but equally enjoyable) discoveries. Shore Leave is a tiki bar and restaurant in Boston’s South End. It is an interpretation of a tropical escape through the lens Boston’s rich dining scene.

Amanda and Dan run down the biggest food stories of the month. The creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, Phil Rosenthal, has created a food travel show for 'the everyman' called 'Somebody Feed Phil', which Amanda likes and Dan does not (3:20). Unfortunately, people are actually eating Tide Pods (6:40). An East Village bar has banned guests from saying literally (9:00). One of Barbara Lynch's restaurant investors is whining to the press (12:00). Dave Chang's delivery only restaurant Ando is done just as Momofuku is opening their first LA restaurant (15:55). The original celebrity chef, Paul Bocuse, has died at the age of 91 (19:55). Bangkok's only Michelin starred street vendor wants to give back her Michelin star (21:30). #Saltbae, the hugely famous Turkish butcher known for his dramatic salt sprinkling (original video here) has opened a steakhouse in NYC and our critic Robert Sietsema went to check it out (24:40). Thanks for listening! Please rate and subscribe, email us literally anything upsell@eater.com, and subscribe to Kludt's weekly newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I was seriously so excited when today’s guest agreed to be on the podcast. Kristen Kish is the second female chef to win the prestigious Top Chef competition (season 10), and has worked as the chef de cuisine in two of Barbara Lynch’s restaurants. Kristen recently wrote her first book, Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques, which combines recipes, cooking techniques, and kristen’s story woven throughout. Kristen was so down to earth, thoughtful, honest, and inspiring. We talked about: -Being adopted by a white family and growing up in Michigan -How she spent many years from adolescence to early adulthood trying to be someone she wasn’t -The role perfectionism played in her trying to be someone she wasn’t -Trying to numb herself from the pain of hiding who she really was -Her coming out experience with her family -Learning to be her authentic self -Using perfectionism to grow as a chef -How she got into cooking and how she found herself on Top Chef -Her unintentional coming out experience while on Top Chef -How she managed the anxiety and stress of Top Chef -Her experience of being in the public eye after Top Chef aired -Coming up with the concept for her new book -The power of kindness Kristen is such a genuine light in this world. She has such a good perspective on life and I absolutely loved her message about authenticity and kindness. Tune in to hear Kristen’s story and make sure to check out her book, Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques! xo

It’s the start of a new year, which is an exciting time all around. You’re probably excited about new opportunities, starting a company, or building product in 2018!   While I’m all for optimism, I’ve also gotta stay true to them theme of Build: debunking myths and misconceptions when it comes to building tech product, companies and your career in tech ;)   So we’re going to spend the next four episodes of Build debunking themes around fundraising for startups.   I know what you’re thinking: “Poornima, is this really necessary?! Can’t we just focus on product and engineering? How about some Build Tips with those friendly product managers, designers, and engineers from Pivotal Labs?”   Don’t worry we’ve got plenty of those in store for you! Before we dive back into the fun and friendly banter of Ronan and his team, I thought it was necessary to start 2018 debunking myths around fundraising.   Here are my reasons for doing this:   Reason #1: If you want to be a founder and start a startup in 2018, you need to know how to control your own destiny.   Gone are the days of a quick and easy seed deal. If you don’t believe me, then here are two posts from very active investors Fred Wilson and Jason Calacanis with compelling data spanning the past 5 years. They show you that investment in early-stage companies is indeed slowing down, and why the trend is going to continue. #byebyebubble   Reason #2: If you want to be a founder and fundraise, you need to know what it’s really going to take to get the first check that gives you the freedom to quit your day job.   I know I previously explored what it takes to raise capital from investors and how investors add value beyond the check. But times are changin’! As I went back and reviewed the episodes I realized that while much of the advice still applies, there are new challenges founders, especially first-time founders face.   If you’re going to be one of them, then you need to be aware of them as you build your startup. There are also going to be a lot of sacrifices that you will need to consider making. As you’re faced with them, you might feel like you’re doing things wrong, when others have had an easier time. But you cannot compare when the market is in flux.   Reason #3: Don’t want to be a founder? Even if being a founder is the furthest thing from your mind, you might be thinking about joining a startup as an employee at any stage — garage to growth.   Well you need to be able to tell fact from fiction. You don’t want to get lured into visions of billion-dollar exits, only to discover that they are going to be cutting health care benefits, won’t be able to make payroll next month, or all that equity won’t help you buy my 2005 Honda Civic!   You need to be able to ask tough questions to understand the real health of the company, and market opportunity, so that you can decide if it’s worth taking the risk.   Reason #4: As an employee at a startup, every quarter you are going to be tasked with challenging milestones.   Metrics matter more and more these days, and every department has a funnel.   For engineering, it’s making sure the team is continuing to build and ship a quality product, balancing out features with infrastructure and keeping an eye out for that pesky tech debt to avoid slowdowns.   For product, it’s making sure there is a good balance of attracting new customers, while engaging and monetizing existing ones. And holding the engineering team accountable to spending time on paying down product debt.   While marketing has to keep growing traffic no matter what!   Teams are also staying lean longer, and founders are looking for employees with generalist backgrounds who can #GSD.   Everyone’s contribution matters to achieving metrics, which makes you feel wanted as an employee. But it also means that you need to be good at prioritizing, understanding tradeoffs, and a fast learner!   At the end of the day, you need to know and understand that what you are doing is actually moving the needle and going to help attract investment and customers.   There is no point in building product or marketing just for the sake of it.   Hopefully my reasons have convinced you why learning about fundraising is integral to your own success at a startup, and we can move on to the first episode of the year! In it, we’re going to tackle the first misconception a lot of first-time founders fall prey: thinking they need to reach out to investors the moment they have an idea.   It turns out you actually don't need to reach out to investors and you can get started by funding your idea on your own. You’ve probably heard this a lot already…   Quite frankly, investors won’t even take meetings if you do reach out. I can count on two hands the number of investors who I had successfully raised from in previous years that wouldn’t even return my emails recently! Why? Because it’s getting really competitive out there and they want to make sure startups have substantial progress before they are willing to take time to meet.   To help us out, I've invited Erica Brescia, who is the COO and co-founder of Bitnami. Erica has also recently joined XFactor as an investment partner. XFactor is an early-stage investment firm that's looking to fund female founders as well as mix-gendered teams.   I choose Erica and her peers to come on the show because they are ALL founders first and investors second. Meaning they have sat on both sides of the table.   As you watch today’s episode you’ll learn:   Why investment may not be applicable to the type of business you are building and alternate approaches to funding your startup The questions investors ask themselves before they will respond to a meeting request or write a startup a check When startups are “too early” to fundraise and why the definition of “too early” is inconsistent — who really gets funded early and why The work that startup founders and teams must do, if they are keen on attracting investment In future episodes we’ll dive into topics like why raising capital won’t help you outdo competition, how to get over the constant rejection, and what it’s going to take to get that first check. Build is produced as a partnership between Femgineer and Pivotal Tracker. San Francisco video production by StartMotionMEDIA. Episode Transcript Poornima Vijayashanker:           Got an idea for a tech product that you want to scale into a big business? You probably think that you need to go out and raise capital from an investor, right? Well, it turns out that you may not need to. In today's *Build* episode, we're going to explore when it makes sense to reach out to investors.                     Welcome to *Build*, brought to you by Pivotal Tracker. I'm your host, Poornima Vijayashanker. In each *Build* episode, I invite innovators and together we debunk myths and misconceptions related to building products, companies, and your career in tech. One misconception a lot of first-time founders fall prey to is thinking they need to reach out to investors the moment they have an idea. It turns out you actually don't need to reach out to investors and you can get started by funding your idea on your own. In today's episode, we're going to dive in deep to understand some of the mistakes that first-time founders make when it comes to funding their idea. We'll also talk about what investors are looking for and when it makes sense to reach out to them. To help us out, I've invited Erica Brescia, who is the COO and co-founder of Bitnami. Erica has also recently joined XFactor as an investment partner. XFactor is an early-stage investment firm that's looking to fund female founders as well as mix-gendered teens. Thanks for joining us today, Erica.   Erica Brescia:              Thanks for having me. It's great to be here.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           This is the first time that you and I are meeting. Thanks for being here. I want to know a little bit more about you. Let's start with your background. What got you interested in tech?   Erica Brescia:              I've always been very interested in gadgets. It started out actually with mobile phones way back in the day, but I've always been curious about learning more about technology and gadgets and how things work. I really wanted to understand how mobile phone networks worked back in the day. Don't ask me why. I went on to study investment finance. A different path than a lot of people in Silicon Valley take. My father is an entrepreneur and I always had it in the back of my mind I wanted to start my own company. I got introduced to my co-founder and decided I was just going to help him work out a few kinks in the business and get it off the ground. Here I am now running a software company. It's really a case of being open to new opportunities, but also just having this lifelong interest in understanding how things work and learning new things.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Let's talk about Bitnami, your current company. What exactly does Bitnami do and what inspired you to start it?   Erica Brescia:              Bitnami is a catalog of open-source applications that you can deploy on servers. It's primarily like B2B software. Things like maybe Moodle or Druple or WordPress, if you're familiar with that. We also package up a lot of development environments and development tools, things like Jenkins and Get Lab or Anode or Rails or Django Development environment. We have over a million deployments a month of the applications that we package. We publish them both through Bitnami.com as well as on all of the major cloud bender platforms. Users choose Bitnami because they know everything is going to work right out of the box every time, and they get a consistent experience wherever they deploy the software. If I can just add one more thing to that, one thing I'm particularly excited about is up until now we've been bootstrapping through our relationships with cloud vendors, but we're about to launch a new product for the enterprise. We're essentially taking the next step in the company's evolution by productizing all of the automation that we've built to deliver this catalog of applications so that others can take advantage of it, too.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           It sounds like Bitnami has been going strong for a long time. How long have you guys been around?   Erica Brescia:              We've been working on the Bitnami part of the business since 2013, but the technology dates back about ten years to when we started Bitrock, which is the predecessor. We do have several years in now.   A Day In The Life of a Startup COO   Poornima Vijayashanker:           That's great. As a COO, what's your day to day like?   Erica Brescia:              It was funny, when I thought through that question, there's no day to day. I spent Monday and Tuesday in some really key BD meetings. In Seattle yesterday, I was in LA for an open-source conference. I'm obviously here today. The way that we have our leadership roles between my co-founder and I might be different than a lot of other companies. I run everything except for product and engineering. That means that marketing, sales, BD, legal, finance, everything rolls up to me. That basically keeps things running and make sure that the company is growing and bringing on the right people and has revenue coming in and all those good things. Obviously as a quickly growing startup that's very, very tech heavy, I'm still involved in everything including product and engineering, too. There's never a typical day. It varies a lot and the days are long, but a lot of fun.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Very good. Now you have actually taken on another role. If Bitnami isn't enough, you decided to join XFactor as an investment partner. Tell us a little bit about XFactor and why the decision to go into investment.   Erica Brescia:              Absolutely. I'll start with XFactor and tell you about the fund. Then I'll talk about why I joined. XFactor is a $3 million seed fund. We're making $100K investments in 30 companies. Pretty easy math. The genesis was really a woman named Anna and a guy named Chip. Chip is a partner with Fly Bridge. They got together and wanted to find a way to fund more women in technology because they had read some of the statistics about how difficult it can be for women to raise funding. The truth is, it's really an untapped opportunity. There's a ton of brilliant women building some very interesting companies. They were having problems in some cases getting through the traditional VC process because of some of the biases that we've all read about. We probably don't need to go through that. The idea was that they were going to get together a group of operating female founders. I think that's really the key is we're all women who have built and scaled our own businesses across a variety of sectors. I have a lot of experience in B2B and closing very big BD deals.                     I've acquired companies and things like that. Some of the other women are very heavy on the consumer side and they're great at branding and rolling out new products. We got a really diverse team of women, but who are actually still on the ground running businesses, very in touch with the problems that founders have in getting new companies off the ground. We think we have a pretty unique perspective and also an edge in terms of what we can offer founders because we're so close to the challenges that they're experiencing. We're very focused obviously with that check size on pretty early-stage companies and helping set those founders up for success. We do expect most of them will go on to raise for their venture capital. We're there to support them in doing that. I actually haven't raised VC for my company, but all the other women have. We have a good diversity of experiences and opinions around that too.   Being A Startup Founder And Angel Investor   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Why'd you join?   Erica Brescia:              It took a lot of thought. They came to me. At first, I thought they just wanted to run the idea by me back in February. Then I get an email a few days later saying, “We'd love to have you join us.” I really did spend some time thinking about it and talking to my co-founder and my husband about whether or not I'd be able to balance everything, because it is a big commitment. If I make a commitment, I want to come through on it and make sure that I'm not letting the founders and my fellow investment partners down. It really came down to the opportunity both for personal growth for me and to give back. There's a financial opportunity, too, which is fantastic. I really saw that we have a pretty unique angle into both deal flow. Several of us are YC founders as well. We have access to the YC network and obviously just good networks in Silicon Valley and outside as well. I felt like we could do something really interesting. I could meet a lot more women in technology. Also, I really do think there's a huge untapped opportunity there. I think we'll be able to produce above-average returns. It really came down to me asking the question, “Do I have time for this?” I'm going to get less sleep for sure. That's definitely been the case.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Sure. You can make time.   Erica Brescia:              It was just too good to pass up. This is one of those things that I just couldn't say “no” to because the opportunity is so big and it's something that I'm enjoying doing so much.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Wonderful. As soon as I saw the news, I wanted to reach out to you guys because I thought it was fabulous and needed to be spread to everyone else. Let's talk about your investments then. I know everyone has probably got different things that they want to invest in. We're going to talk to some of your partners later on. Let's talk about what you like to invest in.   Why Angel Investors Focus On Making Investments In Markets and Business Models They Are Familiar With   Erica Brescia:              Sure. I right now am very focused on things that I am passionate about. I think about whether or not the company keeps me up at night thinking about it later. I am usually receiving on the deal flow that it's on B2B and enterprise sales in particular because that's where my expertise and experience is. I found myself drawn to some other things, too. One of the investments that'll be announced soon, I wish I could name some of them.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           That's OK.   Erica Brescia:              I think we're about to announce that we've made eight investments in the first two months.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Oh, awesome.   Erica Brescia:              We've been very busy and we've met some amazing women. One of the investments that I've led so far is very much a technology, cloud-focused company, which is absolutely my bailiwick. The other one is a fin-tech company. I was really drawn. I loved the founder. Was very impressed by her and the team that she's put together. Also, it was just the problem that they were solving, I could see it so clearly. It was palpable and I was staying up at night and I was talking to my husband about what they were doing and why I thought it was exciting. When I start thinking about how they can make the business successful and what they should be thinking about, that's a very good sign to me. I know it's not direct answer. I invest in this list of companies, but that's really not the way that it's worked out so far. I've looked at a variety of med-tech companies, fin-tech companies, more women in technology and sourcing and recruiting companies. Some people doing interesting stuff with NLP. It's really been a very diverse range of companies.   Why Women Founded Tech Companies Are Broader Than Gets Portrayed                     One of the things that I think you'll see us talking about more, which is very cool, is a lot of these companies are not what you would typically think of as the women-in-tech companies. A lot of people think all we want to work on is beauty. I like makeup and clothes and everything as much as the next person, but I don't know anything about those businesses. A lot of the deal flow that we've had, it's coming from all kinds of very hardcore tech, a lot of VR stuff, too, and AR. We've seen a broad range. Right now we're looking for the next billion-dollar businesses really. Any other VC it's, “Is this something I'm passionate about and can it be huge and can I add value in helping them make it so?”   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Actually, that's a good segue into talking about I think one of the things that confuses some folks in our audience and even first-time founders is, what qualifies as a tech product and then what—let's start there and then we can talk about maybe what a big idea is.   Understanding If Your Startup Is A Tech Enabled Business Or A Tech Product   Erica Brescia:              Sure. Almost anything these days is tech enabled. If it's not, you might have a scalability problem. I don't think we have very strict definitions as to what is tech or not. If excelling in technology and in the technical underpinnings of the product is going to give people an advantage, that's probably a tech company or something that we would think of as such. Some of the subscription businesses or there's a food device I can't talk too much about, but that we're looking at. A really novel subscription business around it. Another two companies have come through that are working on breast pumps for women. They're hardware companies but there's a lot of technology obviously that goes into the hardware. Obviously a lot of tech powering how they're approaching the businesses. It's really a pretty loose definition of what a tech company is. Even some of them are physical spaces now that we're looking at. It's a pretty broad range. It's not like we're only investing in software or we're only investing in sass or something like that.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           That's good to know. Tech enabled but there's probably some conversation that needs to be had around, “Are you really just selling water online or is there a distribution model that is tech enabled and it's cool if you sell water online.”   Erica Brescia:              Exactly.   Why Finding An Investor Isn’t Good Enough — You Need To Find THE Investor Who Understand Your Market and Business Model   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Got it. Then let's talk about I think another area, though, which is—you've already started talking about you enjoy the deals that are B2B, more enterprise, and maybe a little bit more saas heavy. I think one of the concerns that a lot of first-time founders have is, “I just need to find an investor.” I just need to find one investor, but they may not necessarily find that right investor. It's interesting because it's not just limited to tech. I was reading Barbara Lynch's memoir, who's a restaurateur, and she talked about going and finding the investors who invested in restaurants for her nine restaurants. Talk to me a little bit about what it means to be vertical focused as an investor.   Erica Brescia:              You want investors who understand your business or at least have the capacity and time to learn about it and who are upfront if they don't understand things, too. There's several things that make people good investors. One is, don't be an asshole, if I can say that on your show.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Sure. Of course.   Erica Brescia:              I just don't want to work with people who are not good people. To me, some people don't care about...I've actually had people come to me and say, “It doesn't matter. All VCs are going to be assholes, you just need to accept that and move on.” I'm like, “Uh, uh. No. No, I don't. There's a lot of great VCs out there.”   Poornima Vijayashanker:           That's the normal assumption.   Erica Brescia:              There are a lot of good people out there, men and women in venture capital. I do think it's important that you understand somebody who understands your business and the cycles. Before, example, we've had a lot of very hardware-centric businesses come through. Those are difficult to invest in. In particular, if you don't have experience in hardware because you don't have a really good understanding of how long it's going to take and what the development cycle should look like and how capital intensive that you're going to be. It's harder to make good investment decisions. It's harder to be helpful for the founder, because if you have unrealistic expectations for the type of business they're building, nobody wins. It's the same, we've seen a lot of robotics companies doing super cool stuff, but I've told them, “Look, I'm not an expert in robotics. I'm going to have to go out.” We do have an associate who does some work for us, but we have to go out and be willing to invest our time to get up to speed in those industries in order to feel comfortable making an investment.                     It's good advice. I think what you're alluding to is, find an investor that actually knows what they're talking about in your space because otherwise they could really do damage by slowing you down, refusing to fund a second round or something like that. A follow on or just inundating you with questions all the time. The last thing you want to be doing is just educating your investors on the market when you have a company to build.   The Sacrifices Founders Have To Make To Get Their Startup Off The Ground   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Exactly. No, that's a good point. Let's talk about the other side of this, which is also, it's very tempting, as a first-time founder or somebody who’s green, to have an idea, whether it's hardware or anything that we feel is capital intensive or sometimes we just don't even have the capital as a founder. We haven't quite got to the financial point of our life. It's tempting to immediately say, “Oh my gosh, to get this thing off the ground I need to go and get investment. That might not be the right time.” Let's talk about what time horizon makes sense. I know it's going to be product specific, but I think it would be helpful to just—   Erica Brescia:              It really depends on so many different variables. One of them I think is important is to be realistic about where you are in your life and what kind of sacrifices you're willing to make. The reality is, if you have a family and a mortgage, it's a heck of a lot harder to stop taking a salary—particularly if you were to work in Silicon Valley because the salaries are quite high here right now—and go and start something from scratch. If you're 22 and right out of college and have none of those financial responsibilities, you might have more flexibility. My vote is do as much as you can before raising funding. Build as much as you can. First of all, there's so many good investment opportunities right now that I think most investors, they want to see...first they want to see that you're committed. If you just go out with a pitch deck—like I took two weeks of holiday for my job to put together a pitch deck and if you fund me, I'll go do this—you're never going to get funded because we want to see conviction.   We want to see that you quit your job, you're committed, you've been working on this with somebody else preferably for six months. You have the personality and the skills and the charm or whatever it may be, the conviction to actually get other people to join you. That's important, too. Unless you absolutely can not do it without raising money up front, I would say get at least to a prototype or as far as you can to be able to go show people and prove to people that you're there for the long haul and that you're willing to make sacrifices to make something happen. I will also plug incubators, like Y Combinator. Obviously I'm biased because we went through the program. That was a great experience for us in terms of helping us just build some momentum and we did rebranding of the company and accomplished a lot during that period. It's not about the funding necessarily, but it can give people who are cash wrapped a bit of cash to fund those first few months. It really helps you to accelerate that initial process and sets you up very well to raise from VCs after the fact.                     We've certainly sourced a lot of our deal flow from YC. We try at XFactor to be very broad and we've had people from all over the world, in fact, contacting us. Of course, we're going to look to YC because they've already been through that filter. They've achieved something during the period that they're in Y Combinator. It's a three-month sprint. We've found that looking at people that have at least gotten to the point where you would be if you've gone through a Y Combinator or similar. They've got something to show. That's when it makes sense. I will say, this is really the approach that we've taken with Bitnami is try to find money from customers. Let's not undervalue the fact that people will pay you for what you're building. Hopefully if you're building something valuable, and you're much better off going through that experience, learning what it takes to sell to people and collect their money—there's a lot of details there—and try to build your business that way. You don't need to go for VC right away. There are great examples of companies that have been hugely successful doing that like GitHub and Atlassian.   Why It’s OK To Build A Lifestyle Business   Poornima Vijayashanker:           I'm going to have you hold that thought because we are going to talk about that in a little bit. Now, the other thing I want to point out because you said customers, but I think also bootstrapping with a pay check to get off the ground. A lot of times people are worried about quitting their job and having a source of income, so using that especially for businesses that a little bit more capital intensive early on. Want to throw that out there. I want to dive a little bit deeper into this whole idea of, “I do want to get investment eventually.” Let's say I have gotten to a point, maybe I've gone to an incubator or I've gotten it off the ground, I have some customers. Then there comes that period where you're talking to an investor and they may not really understand how big your idea is. It's oftentimes that thing that people nitpick over and over again that, is this a big idea? Is this a big market? Or sadly people like to say, it's a lifestyle business. There's a stigma here in Silicon Valley against that. Let's talk about what exactly defines a big idea—if we can even define it because I know it's a little amorphous—versus a lifestyle businesses and maybe even break that stigma of that lifestyle business.   Erica Brescia:              Sure. First I'll say I don't think there's anything wrong with a “lifestyle” business. There have been a lot of deals that we looked at. There was this one amazing woman, I won't name the company, but she came through my network actually. She developed some really interesting technology. It was my belief after talking to a lot of people that she's going to sell the company for somewhere between $30–50 million within two years. Awesome for her. Not a great VC investment?   Why Venture Capitalist Don’t Invest In Lifestyle Businesses   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Why?   Erica Brescia:              Because we can't produce the kind of returns that we're looking for. We have LPs just like any other VC fund. We have a responsibility to them to generate returns. I told this woman I want to help her in any way I can. She's incredibly bright. I just couldn't see a path to them building a billion-dollar business. That's really what it needs to be. There needs to be a path that you can understand for how this can be huge. It's going to be very risky. I should say we always know that businesses are going to change and evolve and you're very much betting on the founders. That's absolutely true, but at the same time, if they have conviction around a specific idea and we don't see how it can get to be a huge business, and some of the great hardware companies we're looking at are like that. I think they will have fantastic businesses and fantastic exits. I certainly wouldn't call them lifestyle businesses because they're life changing in terms of the returns that they'll create for the founders. They may not be appropriate for a VC fund. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.                     You need to take a dispassionate look about what you're building, how big the market really is, how much of it you have an opportunity to grab, and be realistic about that. Then think about the kind of funding that makes sense. You might be able to find a family office or something or angel investors who are not looking for the same VC-style risk and returns. They'll be totally happy with the company selling for $10, $20, $30 million. In a couple years, they'll double their money and everybody's fine.   Where Do Venture Capitalist And Angel Investors Get Money To Fund Startups   Poornima Vijayashanker:           On that note, let's actually define what an LP is and why VC versus angels that people understand if they're not familiar.   Erica Brescia:              Sure. An LP is limited partner and they're the people that put money into the funds. They're often wealthy. They always have some money coming from somewhere. Often wealthy individuals, but depending on the fund, they might also be pension funds or endowments and things like that from universities or different trusts and things like that. Basically the people who put money into the hands of the venture capitalists who are the people who actually invest that money. In the case of angels, angels I think have evolved a lot. Now we have the super angels.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           We'll get into that in a future episode. I keep saying this, but it's gonna happen. It's gonna happen guys.   Erica Brescia:              I won't take us to off course then. There are a lot of different kinds of angels. I was an angel investor before joining XFactor. I mean, not at a huge scale, but I'd made a few investments myself.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           What's the scale?   Erica Brescia:              I was writing like $10,000 checks.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Perfect.   Erica Brescia:              Smaller checks. Then there are people like—I'll take my father, who's one of my closest friends and heroes and has inspired me to do all of this. He built a brick and mortar contracting business that did quite well. He's been making tons of angel investments and all kinds of different things. Some tech, some very, very nontech. You have people like that. Then you have people like Eric Han for example. My company did raise a bit of angel funding primarily to get some really great folks involved with the company. Some of these people were like Eli Gillin, Eric Han. Eric Han was the CTO of Netscape. He went on to be a very early investor in Red Hat. Since then, has been one of the first checks into a ton of companies that have IPO'd. He was on the board of Red Hat after they IPO'd. Eli Gillin is running his own company now, but he started and sold a company to Twitter and ran a bunch of stuff there. These are people who have done well in their career, typically understand tech. They make a lot more investments than somebody like maybe me or my father who might've written a couple of checks a year. These people are doing several key deals a year, usually only investing their own funds. That's one of the big differences. They don't have LPs. It's their own money. They might be doing it more at scale. We call them usually professional angels or super angels.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Business angels.   Erica Brescia:              Exactly. Who are making a lot of investments, but they don't have LPs to answer to.   When Does It Make Sense To Approach An Investor With Your Startup Idea — First Know What You Are Going To Do With It!   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Great. Let's end with this question. When does it make sense then when you think you have this big idea, to approach an investor? I know you guys said early, but what is maybe too early and what's a reasonable early to get a meeting?   Erica Brescia:              It depends on what you need. Let's start with why do you need the money? That's the first question you should be asking yourself. Where is this money going to get you? You better have a good answer before you go talk to VCs. What milestone are you going to hit with this? Then the second question you should ask is, could I get it from anywhere other than VCs? Do I have friends and family who might want to just give me some money? Could I even take out a loan? Sometimes these other things make sense. There are a bunch of diverse opinions on this, but my view is you don't take VC unless you absolutely need it. Until it's holding you back from scaling. In the particular case of Bitnami, for example, we've primarily bootstrapped. We've only taken a million dollars in outside funding in total. I have over 70 employees in 12 countries. We're cash-flow positive. We've built quite a stable and steady business. We are starting to talk about potentially raising venture capital because we're launching this enterprise product that I mentioned before.                     That involves building out an entirely new part of the business. I can do that off of cash flow, but I'll probably go a lot slower and we see that there's a limited window of opportunity here. I think it really depends on your specific case and whether you can do it any other way. Or if there's an investor that you can feel or that you feel can add a lot of value. There are certain investors who might have a ton of experience in your space. Maybe they started an earlier company and exited it and are just itching for the chance to do it better now that the technology is evolved or what have you. If you find people like that, I think they can be really helpful to building the business. Otherwise, it's like, you should raise when you need to raise. If you feel like you could run out of money in the near future and not be able to actually execute on your plan.   Yes There Is Such A Thing As Being Too Early To Fundraise For Your Startup And Yes It’s Inconsistent!   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Let's admit. There is a time that's too early.   Erica Brescia:              Oh yeah. There always is. It's funny. We funded a company that was quite early and quite a high evaluation. That's one of the deals I led actually. I knew the founder and he'd already built a successful company.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           There you go.   Erica Brescia:              You're much more willing then, almost eager, to get in because this is a male, female team. I happen to know the male better than the female. I told him I wanted into that deal because I think this guy has a ton of potential. Even though it was early, I would write him a check, but he's proven. That matters.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Exactly. I think that's a big stigma, or rather a big misconception around who's getting a deal, who hasn't built a product yet, or it's not on the market. It's great that you mentioned that. I think for most other folks, they need to see something. They need to see product. They need to see at least a concierge-style minimal bible product or service, some cash flow, some customers. They really want to...those who don't have a track record need to step up their game and show a little bit more credibility.   Questions Investors Ask Before They Take A Meeting Or Write A Check To A Startup Founder   Erica Brescia:              Yeah. The things I look at is, are they committed is the number one thing. Starting a company is hard and a lot of people underestimate how hard and how many sacrifices you make. You can do a whole episode on what's involved in that. Are they committed? Can they build a team? I look at that a lot. That's one thing where people who want to move to Silicon Valley who have no connections there, that's one of my questions. How are you going to find people and convince them in a highly competitive job market to join your team? If you can do that, it also speaks pretty highly of you and your ability to convince people and help them see the vision. Then can they build the product? Is it something that people will pay for? Those are the checklist items that I have. The more that you can demonstrate, the easier the time you're going to have with fundraising.                   If you can't prove that people will pay for your product, if you can't prove that people will use it, especially if you can't prove that you can build it, that's when we're going to have a lot of challenges getting to the next step. That's when I try to give people a clean “yes” or “no.” Sometimes it's like, “You're just not there yet. If you do these things, then I might be interested. I'm sorry. I need to see more before I can make the call.”   Poornima Vijayashanker:           Yeah. I think that's fair. Thank you so much Erica for sharing all this information with us today.   Erica Brescia:              Thank you for having me.   Poornima Vijayashanker:           That's it for today's episode of *Build*. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive the next episode where we'll continue the conversation and talk about when it makes sense to transition from angel investment to seeking investment from venture capitalists and what you need to do in that interim period. Ciao for now.   This episode of *Build* is brought to you by our sponsor Pivotal Tracker.   Blog Post 2 Subject: When It Does And Doesn’t Make Sense To Fundraise For Your Startup Title: Startup Funding: When It Does And Doesn’t Make Sense To Fundraise For Your Startup Subtitle: Interview with Erica Brescia COO and Co-Founder of Bitnami and Investment Partner at XFactor Ventures   Ready for more myth busting around startup funding? Let’s get to it then!   Last week I shared a number of reasons you should share care fundraising whether you’re a founder or startup employee. Here’s they are again, and in the Build episode we talked about why it’s a bad idea to reach out to investors when you have an idea.   This week we’re going to continue our theme and focus on what compels us to think we need to raise capital like competition heating up, the belief that the business will stop growing, or that the idea we’re pursuing isn’t really BIG enough. We’ll also be diving into the mechanics of investment talking about the nuances of an angel versus a venture capitalist, and why it’s important to look for investors that have knowledge of your marketing or industry.   Erica Brescia is back to help us out with this episode. Erica the COO and co-founder of Bitnami. Erica has also recently joined XFactor Ventures as an investment partner. XFactor is an early-stage investment firm that's looking to fund female founders as well as mix-gendered teams.   Erica is a founder and investor, and having sat on both sides of the table, she knows how to dispel fact from fiction!   As you watch today’s episode you’ll learn:   Why Erica and her partners at XFactor are putting their money where their mouth is and starting a fund to invest in female founders and mix-gendered teams What the XFactor investment partners and other angels look for versus venture capitalists, and how much they are willing to invest Why competitors will come and go, and you cannot let their actions intimidate you or direct your business goals Why only you as a founder, can decide when is the right time to raise for your business     In the next two episodes we’ll explore handling all the rejections you receive from investors, how to motivate yourself to keep going, and what it’s going to take to get that first check!   Listen to the episode on iTunes! You can listen to this episode of Build on iTunes.   Build is produced as a partnership between Femgineer and Pivotal Tracker. San Francisco video production by StartMotionMEDIA.   ## Startup Funding: When It Does And Doesn’t Make Sense To Fundraise For Your Startup Transcript   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Last time, we talked about how as a first-time founder, you don't necessarily need to immediately rush out and get investment to get your tech product off the ground. We discovered some alternate ways of funding your product development and company growth. If you missed that episode, I've included it in the link below this video.   In today's episode, we're going to dive in a little bit deeper, and talk about when it makes sense to go out for that angel investment, and then how do you transition from getting capital from angels to eventually getting it from venture capitalists, and what you need to do in the interim to make sure you're growing your company. So stick around.   Welcome to *Build*, brought to you by Pivotal Tracker. I'm your host, Poornima Vijayashanker. In each episode, I invite innovators, and together we debunk a number of myths and misconceptions related to building products, companies, and your career in tech.   What Compels Startup Founders To Fundraise   One myth a lot of founders fall prey to is the need to constantly fundraise. They're worried that if they don't, their competition is going to swoop right in and outpace them. Or their business is just going to stop growing, and even worse than that, people might not think that they are actually onto a big idea.   To debunk these myths and more, I've invited Erica Brescia, who is the COO and co-founder of Bitnami. Erica has also recently joined XFactor as an investment partner. For those of you who aren't familiar, XFactor is an early-stage investment firm that's looking to invest in female founders and mixed-gender teams. Thanks again for joining us.   Erica Brescia:      Thanks for having me!   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Yeah! I know we talked a little bit in the last segment, but let's just quickly do a refresher, tell us a little bit about your background and what you do at Bitnami.   Erica Brescia:      Sure. Bitnami automates the packaging and maintenance process for server software for containerized, cloud, and behind-the-firewall deployments. We're most known right now for the Bitnami Application Catalog, which contains over 150 different pieces of server software, ranging from business schools, like content management systems, more project management systems, to development tools like GitLab and Jenkins for building out your development processes and pipeline, to stacks of things for building applications, like Node, or Rails, or Django. We work with all of the major cloud providers, and have over a million deployments a month of the apps we package across all the platforms that we support.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Awesome. In addition to Bitnami, you recently joined XFactor as an investment partner.   Erica Brescia:      I did, yes.   The Difference Between Angel Investors And Venture Capitalists   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Yeah! We talked a little bit about that last time, and I want to pick up the conversation from our last time and dive a little bit more into not only what does XFactor do, but this whole position between angels and venture capitalists. How do you guys think of XFactor? Are you considering yourselves as angels or VCs? Would it help to start with defining angels and VCs?   Erica Brescia:      Sure. I mean, I tend to think of angels as primarily investing their own capital, and VCs are investing other people's capital. We all actually have our own funds in the fund as well, so we're LPs in addition to being the investment partners.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         What does that mean?   Erica Brescia:      That means that we're the people who put money into the fund, as the limited partners, who just put money in the fund, and then they step away, and they entrust, basically, the team of investment partners to invest that capital in companies that will produce ventures that yield returns.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Where is that money coming from? Is that your own hard-earned money, or is that from somewhere else?   Erica Brescia:      In the case of the LPs for the XFactor fund, it's from a range of different people. Some of them have just been very successful in business. Some may be managing endowments or trusts, or other investment vehicles, and they invest both in the stock market and in VC and angel funds as part of their diversification strategy.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Got it. I think some of you have also contributed personal funds, right?   Erica Brescia:      Yes. We have put our own funds into the plan as well.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         That's important to note. Yeah.   Erica Brescia:      You've got to put your money where your mouth is, right?   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Great! No, I certainly appreciate you guys doing that.   Erica Brescia:      Plus, honestly, I think we're going to make money off of it! So why would you not do that?   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Exactly!   Erica Brescia:      That is the whole point.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Yeah. You guys are operating a little bit like angels, but a little bit like VCs as well, but let's dive into more of a traditional VC model. What does that look like?   What Seed Stage Investors Are Really Looking For And The Size Of Check They Write   Erica Brescia:      Sure. The distinction there is interesting, because I would say there's seed-stage financing, which a lot of people think of as coming from angels a lot, but VC funds do as well. Those are typically much smaller rounds and much earlier stage. The company probably has something built, probably has some users, probably can show some traction, but they're usually not raising huge amounts of money, at least not by Silicon Valley standards, which are different than the rest of the world.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Yeah. Let's get some ranges. Because I know some seeds can get crazy.   Erica Brescia:      Huge. Yes.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         So let's do a more middle-of-the-road seed. What would that look like?   Erica Brescia:      These days, I would say they're usually between $500K and $2 million. I know that's a wide range, sometimes it's smaller, sometimes it's bigger, but the fundraisings that we're participating in are usually somewhere around there. We have had some companies raise significantly more than that, and we've almost gone in more at like a Series A stage. But typically you're raising $1 million or $2million to get your idea off the ground and show a little bit more traction, before you go and raise at a Series A. Those used to be maybe $2 or $3 million. Now, most of the time, you're looking at maybe $6, $7, even $10 or $15 million as a Series A, which we certainly see in the cloud and container space in particular, which is where I'm focused with Bitnami.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         OK. That makes sense. Now, I'm not going to dive into microfunds and syndicates, and all that stuff. We're going to do that in a later episode. But let's go back to you, and let's talk a little bit about how you initially funded Bitnami.   How To Initially Fund Your Startup When You Cannot Attract Investment   Erica Brescia:      Customers.   Poornima Vijayashanker:        Customers!   Erica Brescia:     We sold stuff. Yeah.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Yeah. When was this, by the way?   Erica Brescia:      We started with a company called BitRock over 10 years ago, and BitRock built some really interesting technology around application packaging and deployment, which has become the foundation of Bitnami. We're very unique, I would say, for a Silicon Valley company. We developed a package software product. We sold it to customers, and we generated money that way.                     Then we started providing a subscription service to a lot of software companies that needed us to build, we called them "stacks" of software, so their products could be installed and distributed very easily, and we worked with a lot of the biggest names in open source, in those days. So we had that money coming in—   Poornima Vijayashanker:         If you don't mind sharing, how big were some of those contracts?   Erica Brescia:      They were in the tens of thousands of dollars a year. So reasonably sized, but we now, in retrospect, we charged far too little. But that's one of the lessons that you learn as a founder, you're always underpricing yourself in the early days.   So we did that, and built up the company that way. Then we decided to evolve into Bitnami. We went through Y Combinator in 2013—   Poornima Vijayashanker:         So before you did that, you actually had revenue coming in?   Erica Brescia:      Yes.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Give us a range of how big you were at that size?   Erica Brescia:      We had 12 people, and seven figures in revenue, when we—   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Oh! That's fabulous!   Erica Brescia:      —went through Y Combinator.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Yeah. OK. So why even bother going to—   Erica Brescia:      That's a great question! It was a subject of much debate, but again, interesting story, I suppose. My co-founder's wife had gone through Y Combinator with her own company, and had a great experience with it. And we knew that we wanted to send the company on a different trajectory—   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Which was?   Erica Brescia:      Growth.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         OK. OK!   Erica Brescia:      We wanted to build a huge business, and the model that we'd had previously was really what we talked in the last episode about, more of a lifestyle business. Right? We built a solid business, but that's not what we were there to do. We wanted to build a huge and very meaningful company. And we felt like Y Combinator was the right way to do that.                  It gave us a lot of focus, and helped us make some interesting and difficult decisions. It also helped us a lot with hiring in the early days, and bringing more folks to the team. We've been on a pretty healthy  trajectory since then. Over 75 people. I don't give out revenue numbers, but we're profitable and growing, and doing well.                     All of that money, except for a million dollars, which we still have sitting in the bank, has come in through customers. And that million dollars we raised after going through Y Combinator. We brought in some angel investors whom we really liked, for different reasons. Some of them have a lot of experience in building companies, specifically in our space, and we felt like they could help us a lot with that.                     A couple of them are VCs who invested personally in us, because we didn't want to raise a VC fund, and a few were overseas venture investors, but they make seed stage investments. One from Japan, and one from China. And that was purely because we plan on going into those markets, and we thought it would make sense to have some people over there with a vested interest in our success.                     Y Combinator served as a good catalyst to bring that round together-   Poornima Vijayashanker:         How big was that round?   Erica Brescia:      It was just a million dollars?   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Oh! OK. But you were already in the seven-figure revenue at that point, when you raised that million.   Erica Brescia:      Exactly.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         OK.   Erica Brescia:      And that money is still sitting in the bank, and we've added a healthy amount to it, and—   Poornima Vijayashanker:         That was what year?   Erica Brescia:      2013.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Oh! It's been a while. It's been four years.   Erica Brescia:      Yep.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Now, interestingly enough, you have that million, you're raising revenue, and you had grown without a lot of outside capital. I mean, you were already growing, so in that span of time, weren't you afraid that some competitor was just going to swoop right in and go out and raise $10 million or $100 million dollars, and put you out of business?   Don’t Let Competitors Intimidate You Into Fundraising For Your Startup   Erica Brescia:      What's actually funny about that question is we had a bunch of competitors do that, and they all went out of business..   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Oh, OK! Yeah!   Erica Brescia:      OK! Some spectacularly so. One raised $40 million, had huge names. One of the people on their board tried to come and intimidate me, and say I could never compete with—it was actually a woman running that company, too. But I won't name her, because that's not good for anyone.                     Yeah. We had a lot of companies come and raise money, but the model wasn't there yet. And that's why we didn't raise, either, right? There's a time, and we talked about this in the last episode. It's my belief that in most cases, you're better off raising when you have product-market fit. We had that at small scale, but we hadn't found what was really going to fuel exceptional growth of the company. It took us a while to get there, and a bunch of other companies tried to come in and do that, and they all went bust.                     I mean, there is a time and place when I think it does make sense, and when you do have to worry about competitors, because the truth is, once a big name competitor raises a big round, it's really hard to get anyone else to invest in you. I think Docker's a pretty good example of that in my space, right? They have tons of money. Nobody's going to invest in another container startup. Why would you do that? It doesn't make sense for investors.                     It is something to consider, but I think a lot of people spend way too much time worrying about their competitors, and not enough time worrying about their own business.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Yeah. Or their customers.   Erica Brescia:      Yeah! Or their customers. Exactly. So, yeah, that matters, but you need to do what's right for you, and what's right for what you want out of your life and your business. You should ask yourself those questions. Taking on VC is taking on a lot of additional responsibility, too—   What Kind Of Return Venture Capitalists Look For   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Like what?   Erica Brescia:      Well, they're expecting a certain level of return, right? A $100 million exit is not something a VS wants, where it might be completely life changing for you, if you don't have venture capital in the company. If you're taking venture capital, you're committing to running the company for at least 5–10 years, providing they don't push you out, which happens sometimes, too, if you're not doing things the way they want.                     You're committing to managing a board, with outside parties who are going to have sometimes divergent interests from you. It could even be the case that the fund cycles are usually 10 years, and they have to return the capital to their limited partners, which we talked about earlier. They might need to get out, and want to push you to sell when you don't want to. They might want you to sell to somebody you don't want to.                     There are a lot of great things that come from venture capital, if you partner with the right people. Obviously, you get the capital you need to fuel the growth of your business, and that can be incredibly important, especially to support go-to-market activities, or SaaS business models, where customer acquisition costs might be high, but the LTV is huge. There are reasons to take money.                    I'm not against that. But you also need to understand what you're signing up for, and what it really means, and that there may be an alternative path for you if that's not the path that makes the sense for you. If you don't want to run this company for 5–10 years, and you don't expect to sell it for hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars, don't take venture capital. Startups That Focused On Growing Their Business First   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Yeah. Some folks in our audience might be thinking, "Erica, that's fabulous for you and Bitnami, and all of the success, but I could never do that. I couldn't just sit and wait for my business to grow organically." Are there other examples of companies here in the Valley, that you're familiar with, who have done a similar approach? I know I can think of a couple, but I'm curious—   Erica Brescia:      Absolutely! Well, Atlassian, they're in the Valley now, but they came from Australia, and that's a spectacular story. They really couldn't raise, because they were in Australia, and especially back then, the VC climate in Australia was almost nonexistent. They raised very late, and a lot of it was secondary to the employees, and they've done spectacularly well. GitHub's another example. They raised very, very late in the process, in a very big round, and that gave them a lot of flexibility to do other things.                     We've seen that happen a lot. It really depends. Again, I think, going back to what I said before about product-market fit. It's my view that the best time to raise is when you just need fuel for the engine. You already know how the engine works, and it's already built, and the machine is there, and you know, "If I put X in, I'm going to get Y out." Right? That's when you can really take advantage of venture capital, and that's when it can really make a difference.                    I'm not saying take a long time to build your company like I did. I would certainly do a lot of things differently this time around, but a lot of it just has to do with where the business is, and what the capital's going to be used for.   Poornima Vijayashanker:         It's been a four-year period, right? Where you haven't taken outside investment. You took the initial million. But in that period of time, how has not taking capital, or not thinking about fundraising, how has that helped you and Bitnami?   Erica Brescia:      Well, several ways. I think the most important thing is focus. Not having $10 or $20 or $50 million in the bank makes you focus on what's really going to move the business forward. It's really easy, and I have seen this countless times with companies that I will not name. They raise a ton of money, and they go out and hire a ton of people, and everything falls apart.                     Because humans are humans, right? These are not just cogs in the machine, especially when you're trying to build a breakthrough or game-changing product. You need incredibly smart people. They're going to have strong personalities. They're going to have past experiences from other companies. And you need to be able to get those people to work well together. So many startups have failed in doing that, and it's led to their own demise, or at least slowed them down a lot, and really burned a lot of bridges with fantastic employees.   I'd say it's allowed us to build out the infrastructure to responsibly scale the team, and it's helped us to focus, again, on making the right investments in terms of where we're spending our time. It's also great for negotiating business deals, I will tell you. That doesn't come up a lot—   How To Compel Customers To Do Business With Your Startup   Poornima Vijayashanker:         How so?   Erica Brescia:      I was in meetings, even earlier this week, and these are quite big, multimillion-dollar-a-year deals, and they were asking some questions about what the business model looked like, and I could look at these people with a straight face and say like, "Look, we're not VC backed. My company needs to make money. You want me to be around. This needs to make sense for us, financially."                     That drives a lot of my decision making. I'm very, very involved in the corporate and business development stuff that we do. I need to do deals that make sense for my business. For some reason, it's a lot easier for people to get their heads around that when you don't have venture capital, which is kind of a funny thing, right?   Poornima Vijayashanker:         Well, people understand where you're coming from, and what resources you have at that level.   Erica Brescia:      Yeah! I'm not BSing them. "I have to pay people, and you're going to get a lot of value out of this, and you need to pay me, and I'm not going to do it on a bet that the relationship itself is going to benefit me enough, because that wouldn't be responsible business." That's what I go to all the time. It's not responsible business, you're not doing it. I think being bootstrapped and funding through customers really helps you think through that and make very good business decisions. We say no to all kinds of things, too. And I think that's easier, as a result of that.                    The one other aspect I'd say is, we don't have to manage investors. It takes a lot of time to build investor relationships, which I do do that anyway, because we may r

Today we’re sharing a super important but under-appreciated perspective: your server’s. Annie Patterson joins us to discuss the knowledge, focus, and mental toughness it takes to keep a smile on and provide the top-notch service that everybody deserves when they go into a restaurant. And, of course, we talk about wine!   This episode is sponsored by Ora Organic, my favorite supplement company because they use only organic and sustainable ingredients in ALL of their supplements, the products forking work, and who doesn’t love sexy packaging, right? I am so excited for you all to experience Ora Organic for yourselves with a SWEET discount! Go ahead and please enjoy a 15% discount off your ENTIRE order, always! Not just one and then done! At Checkout use JustForkingAround for your code and happily receive your 15% discount, forking awesome! (I have been using and am obsessed with the Trust Your Gut Probiotic Powder and the Omega 3 Spray called Nothing Fishy Here. The Organic Greens Powder, Easy Being Green, is also a crowd pleaser). ENJOY! Check out Ora Organic Here     Annie Patterson recently moved from LA to Boston to work at Barbara Lynch’s restaurant Menton, which is a French-Italian hybrid restaurant in the Seaport District. She is in the process of honing her ability to taste and understand wine, which may sound silly, but being able to articulate the flavor profile of a wine is a talent.   We also discuss: Roller derby The city of Boston Opening a vintage furniture business Getting overworked Annie’s ability to articulate the flavor of food Developing a passion for wine Preparing for a sommelier exam How we deal with difficult people How servers can set the tone for a whole evening Resources: Eat at Menton Annie Patterson’s Bio: Annie Patterson grew up on an orchard in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern CA. She started working in restaurants at a young age and annoyed all her coworkers with a never-ending stream of questions about food and wine. She enjoys being outside, dogs, well-made food & wine, and laughing at inappropriate times. She has lived all over her native state of California and currently resides in the beautiful city of “Bahstan, MA,” with her pug and girlfriend of 5 years. She continues to annoy her coworkers with a non-stop stream of thought and questions.

Kitchen Work. With Badass Women. Welcome to a very special episode! In this season of gratitude, I'm feeling very grateful for Richmond's Fire, Flour, & Fork festival. Not only did it land me my dream podcast guest, Gabrielle Hamilton (episode up now!), but I was asked to moderate a Women in Food panel with some of the top names in our industry. Women in Food. Every festival seems to do this. It's not like when you sign up for your breakout sessions you see a panel called, Men in Food. Is it necessary? Has the conversation been exhausted? Yes and no. As you will hear in this episode recorded just two weeks ago all of our panelists, while somewhat tired of being asked the same questions, feel the conversation must continue, particularly in light of the recent allegations against chefs like John Besh. Who are our panelists? Chef Joy Crump of FoodE and Mercantile in Fredericksburg, Virginia and Season 12 of Top Chef contestant, Kerry Diamond of Cherry Bombe, the new Cherry Bombe cookbook, and Radio Cherry Bombe, Chef Kristen Kish, Season 10 winner of Top Chef and author of the cookbook, Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques, and Chef Jessica Wilson, who will open her restaurant Grace in the Chimborazo neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia next spring. We discuss the dynamic between men and women in the kitchen, the disparity between gender images projected by the industry and the market's expectations, recipe development, core values and goals, sexual harassment, and much much more. As I said in my last episode, so much happens when you choose to just show up for your life. Enjoy! Speakers you will hear in this episode: Joy Crump Joy is the co-owner and Executive Chef of FOODE and Mercantile in Fredericksburg, Virginia. A graduate of the Art Institute of Atlanta’s Culinary Arts program, Joy specializes in researching and preparing locally grown, and organic foods. Her career began in Los Angeles working as the caterer and event planner for the President of Capitol Records. At the same time, she worked on private events for Warner Bros. Television. In 2005, Joy relocated to Atlanta where she studied under Chef Bradley Rouse, head chef for The Atlanta Hawks while working on her degree. After graduation, Joy began cooking at Woodfire Grill as an apprentice to Chef Micahel Tuohy. Joy appeared in Season 12 of Top Chef last fall and her signature Chicken & Waffles won the Virginia is for Lovers Culinary Madness Challenge in April. Kerry Diamond Kerry is the co-founder of Cherry Bombe, an independent, bi-annual magazine examining the inexplicably intertwined worlds of food and fashion and host of the weekly Radio Cherry Bombe podcast. Kerry has worked for Women’s Wear Daily, Harper’s Bazaar, Lancome, and Coach just to name a few. After falling in love with a chef, she helped him open 3 restaurants, all in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Cherry Bombe the cookbook is a collection of recipes and stories from 100 of the most creative and inspiring women in food today. Kristen Kish Kristen was born in Seoul, South Korea, adopted at the age of 4 months, and grew up in Michigan. After attending Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago, she worked for Michelin star chef Guy Martin of Le Grand Véfour at his Boston restaurant. She then worked for Barbara Lynch in Boston, first at Stir, and then at Menton, a Relais Chateaux restaurant which she ran when she was 29. Barbara became a mentor, suggesting she might want to audition for Top Chef. She did, winning Season 10. Kristen has co-hosted the series 36 Hours on The Travel Channel and her first cookbook, Kristen Kish Cooking, is a celebration of her taste buds, focusing on classic techniques. As she says, “Once you know the basics, from braising to pickling, smoking to searing, you can bend them to your will.” Jessica Wilson Jessica has worked with, been taught by, and inspired and motivated by chefs such as Julia Child, Gabrielle Hamilton, Missy Robbins, and Job Yacubian. She’s always been surrounded by the culinary arts from her early years growing up on a farm in Vermont to working with culinary historians to foraging on morning walks to her first job as a dishwasher at age 14. Wilson’s two-decade career has taken her from Vermont to Florida to Massachusetts, and on to success in the East Village and Brooklyn in New York. Her resume includes time at Prune and A Voce, and most recently turns as executive chef at Goat Town and the Michelin-recommended Dear Bushwick. Jessica is now poised to open GRACE in Richmond, a neighborhood garden-to-table restaurant with an emphasis on fresh, sustainable, local, and affordable. The green space of the double lot will be a seasonal garden, providing for the restaurant and a morning community market. SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast: Foggy Ridge Cider - Owner Diane Flynt is stopping cider production, but continuing her important work growing cider apples for area cideries. Get the Final Call while it's still available! Then rent her garden cottage. Heaven on earth. Tim & Sarah Gorman, Cardinal Point Winery - Just amazing wine. Listen to their episode! Laurie Colwin - Great cookbooks, full of story. Laurie left us way too early. Edna Lewis's A Taste of Country Cooking - The gold standard when it comes to intertwining recipes and story. Subscribe to This Podcast. Stay Edacious! - Come on, after this episode? You know you want to. Subscribers get new episodes instantly, while non-subscribers have to wait a few hours or days depending on the iTunes gods. Never miss a chance to be edacious! Subscribe to Edacious News - Never miss a food event in our area! Learn about regional and national food stories so you can stay edacious! Leave a review about Edacious! - Click the link, then "View in iTunes" then "Ratings and Reviews". Whether you think it's great, or not so great, I want to hear from you. I might just read your review on the air! Whoa! #famousforahotminute This episode is sponsored by Teej.fm and listeners like you who donated their support at Patreon, who wants every creator in the world to achieve a sustainable income. Thank you.

Hey hey, it's Food Republic Today! On today's episode, we discuss today's top headlines, including the sudden boom of plant-based meat alternatives (0:32), San Francisco unseating NYC as the US city with the most Michelin stars (3:54), chefs participating in this weekend's NYC Marathon (5:41), and quick hit headlines (6:48). We check in with Alex Stupak and Barbara Lynch about the intersection of restaurants and real estate (8:05), chat about all things natural wine with Isabelle Legeron, France's sole female Master of Wine (10:29), and wrap up Scott Conant's opinion of wannabe celebrity chefs (25:10).

On the season finale of Eat Your Words, host Cathy Erway is joined in the studio by fellow HRN host Michael Harlan Turkell, whose first book, Acid Trip, is out this week! The book is a journey through the world of vinegar, and includes recipes from chefs Daniel Boulud, Barbara Lynch, Michael Anthony, April Bloomfield, Massimo Bottura, Sean Brock, and more. Tune in to learn about the depth of flavors in this seemingly simple ingredient, and how balancing acidity in a dish is just as important as saltiness and sweetness. Eat Your Words is powered by Simplecast

Welcome back for part two of my Special Sauce interview with Southie street urchin-turned-chef-restaurateur Barbara Lynch. This week we talk a little bit more about her memoir, Out of Line: A Life of Playing With Fire, but Barbara also manages to surprise me with a few additional tidbits of information, like the distinguished company she keeps (one of her "great friends" is an acclaimed presidential historian whose initials are DKG). Barbara and I discuss what spurred her to continue to open up restaurants ("I get bored easily," she says. "I always have to challenge myself.") And we also touch upon why, despite her expansive success, she's resisted the siren song of opening up a restaurant in Vegas, and the impression she was left with after meeting with mega-hotelier, Steve Wynn. We also reflect on the pleasures of setting up your employees for future success (for those Serious Eaters who don't know, Kenji first learned how to cook in one of Barbara's kitchens), and on the necessity of keeping a big box of original Cheez-Its in your car at all times. But if you want to hear about the inspired guest list at her last meal, or about its simple yet entirely appropriate menu, you'll just have to listen.

Boston-based chef-restaurateur Barbara Lynch has had an eventful year. First, her memoir, Out of Line: A Life of Playing with Fire, was published; it's a moving, brutally honest, no-holds-barred account of her hardscrabble upbringing in a South Boston housing project. And then Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Since I couldn't put down her book and I rarely get to talk to people on Time's list, I had to have her on Special Sauce. And she didn't disappoint.   Here's Barbara on why compliments from diners about her food endeared her to cooking: "I think I tried to please my mother her whole life. I would never get a compliment so it's kind of like when you get a compliment, it makes you feel good."   Here she is on why her childhood was so chaotic and problematic: "I think my mother had her hands full, basically. She raised all six of us without a husband. She slept with the police radio to know when her kids were arrested or not."   And here she describes the question that is at the heart of Out of Line:  "How did I get from point A to point B without a high school education or any education whatsoever? Now look at me. I'm still in shock, especially with the Time 100. That just floored me. And then seven successful restaurants? I thought I'd always own a sub joint."   The story of how Barbara Lynch, street urchin, became Barbara Lynch, James Beard Award-winning chef-restaurateur and restaurant empire builder, has to be listened to to be believed. As a bonus, you'll get to hear all the head-shaking details I left out. 

The Total Tutor Neil Haley will interview Celebrity Chef Barbara Lynch. Barbara Lynch has won multiple James Beard awards, including Outstanding Restaurateur (only the second woman to win), an Amelia Earhart award for success as a woman in a male-dominated field, and the Relais & Château designation of Grand Chef (one of only six in North America). She is the owner of Barbara Lynch Gruppo, which encompasses seven celebrated restaurants, including No. 9 Park, B&G Oysters, Drink, Sportello, and Menton. Three of her restaurants are anchored in and have spurred the revitalization of South Boston, her lifelong home. In 2017, she was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World. Learn more at BarbaraLynch.com and follow her on Twitter @BarbaraLynchBOS. Blood, Bones, & Butter meets A Devil in the Kitchen in this funny, fierce, and poignant memoir by world-renowned chef, restaurateur, and Top Chef judge Barbara Lynch, recounting her rise from a hard-knocks South Boston childhood to culinary stardom and community activism. Celebrated chef Barbara Lynch credits the defiant spirit of her upbringing in tough, poor “Southie,” a neighborhood ruled by the notorious Whitey Bulger gang, with helping her bluff her way into her first professional cooking jobs; develop a distinct culinary style through instinct and sheer moxie; then dare to found an empire of restaurants ranging from a casual but elegant “clam shack” to Boston's peak of modern haute cuisine.         

We chat with Boston chef and restaurateur Barbara Lynch, who just came out with her memoir, Out of Line. Barbara talks about how she went from stealing a bus as a teenager to operating a hugely successful restaurant group. She's got an amazing story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barbara Lynch, world-renowned chef and restaurateur and the author of the memoir OUT OF LINE: A Life of Playing with Fire, joins the Clever Cookstr to talk about her food philosophy, her seven renowned Boston restaurants, and her new book.

On today's episode, Shari is joined by Barbara Lynch, a world-renowned chef and restaurateur from South Boston who has a new fascinating memoir, Out of Line: A Life of Playing with Fire. Barbara is the founder and CEO of Barbara Lynch Gruppo, which includes restaurants No. 9 Park, Menton, B&G Oysters, Drink and Sportello. She has received numerous accolades, including James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef Northeast in 2003 and Outstanding Restaurateur in 2014 (the 2nd women ever to receive this honor), and was most recently named on Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world 2017.

The woman behind some of America's best wine lists is the featured guest on this week's Speaking Broadly. Host Dana Cowin interviews June Rodil of McGuire Moorman in Austin, Texas and learns the secret to great service--and generally being a great human being. Lesson number 1: remember that you are not the center of the universe. Rodil shares her favorite wines and regions, some of which are stellar and sell for around $16. Plus, star chef-restaurateur and author of the recently published memoir, Out of Line, Barbara Lynch tells stories of growing up poor in the Boston housing projects and how that set her up for success.

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, Barbara Lynch is a modern-day Julia Child. Steps away from the golden-domed Massachusetts State House in Boston sits Lynch's two decade-old premier restaurant, No. 9 Park, where you don't need to be a Boston Brahmin to enjoy her approachable haute cuisine. A two-time James Beard Award Winner and Relais & Chateaux Grand Chef, this blunt, blue-collared Irish girl from Southie has attained cooking stardom, but at what cost? Raised by a mother who worked multiple jobs to support her wily brood, Lynch rebelled, lied and stole just to survive her disruptive youth. It was food that saved her, from a bright green pesto sauce she made for her friends at 13, or the luscious fried clams at the local Howard Johnson hotel; these flavorful memories lead Lynch to master the craft and own a handful of the top restaurants throughout her fair city (B&G Oysters, The Butcher Shop, Stir, Drink, Sportello, and Menton), in turn becoming one of the most nurturing female chefs in the country. Recently named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, it hasn't been without it's heartaches and struggles, as confessed in her brilliant memoir, Out of Line: A Life Playing with Fire.

Barbara Lynch, owner of Barbara Lynch Gruppo, discusses her memoir, "Out of Line: A Life Playing with Fire," and reflects on past, present and future. Barbara grew up in a housing project in South Boston. She rose through the ranks in Boston restaurants to become an award- winning chef and now oversees seven celebrated restaurants of her own including No 9 Park, B&G Oysters, Drink, Sportello and Menton. She's a recipient of The James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur Award.This show is broadcast live on Wednesday's at 2PM ET on W4CY Radio – (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (http://www.talk4radio.com/) on the Talk 4 Media Network (http://www.talk4media.com/).

Guest: Barbara Lynch

Barbara Lynch put the Boston restaurant scene on the national radar. The 2014 James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur has eight restaurants in her home city, including a collaboration with Eataly Boston, and recently published a memoir, Out of Line, in which she details how she rose from Southie to become a major figure in the restaurant world. Just last week, she was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people of the year. The chef and restaurateur sat down in the Upsell studio with hosts Helen Rosner and Greg Morabito to chat about how she runs her kitchens, her Dunkin’ Donuts order, and that time Todd English threw a soda bottle at her head. We'd LOVE to hear from you. Email us with your questions, comments, suggestions at Upsell@eater.com. and check us out on social! Barbara: twitter.com/@barbaralynchBOS Helen: twitter.com/hels Greg: twitter.com/gregmorabito Eater: twitter.com/eater Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In The Front Burner's last episode (details and future plans at episode's end), we talk with Boston chef Barbara Lynch about her no-holds-barred memoir OUT OF LINE: A LIFE OF PLAYING WITH FIRE, which is about as revealing a book--by a chef or anybody--as you'll ever read. Then we welcome Chef Brock Johnson of Seattle's legendary Dahlia Lounge for a catch-up on the Pacific Northwest in general and Chef Tom Douglas' empire in particular.

This week, Christopher Kimball takes a tour of South Boston and learns about the secret life of chef Barbara Lynch; Dr. Aaron Carroll campaigns for dissing the 5-second rule; Ana Sortun gives a quick recipe for a midweek Turkish supper; and we present our recipe for soba noodles and asparagus.

Ted Hawkins got his start in hospitality working summers in various restaurants on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. Soon after graduating Boston University's School of Hospitality Administration, Ted was hired at Chef Barbara Lynch's Menton restaurant, as a kitchen server and quickly moved to a front server role. Over the next 4 years Ted climbed the ranks within the Barbra Lynch Gruppo to serve as Assistant General Manager of Lynch's, No. 9 Park. Today, Ted serves SRV, a Coda Group restaurant, as the General Manager and Wine Director.

Fresh off winning the Outstanding Restauranteur award at the James Beard Awards, Barbara Lynch sits down with Dorothy Cann Hamilton on Chef’s Story for a candid and insightful conversation on her upbringing, her career and her current projects. Hear how “Knuckles Lynch” survived a tough childhood in the projects and went from working as a bookie in high school to becoming a world renowned chef and restauranteur. From bad business deals to meetings with Michelle Obama, get a rare behind the curtain look at one of America’s most fascinating and bold personalities in food. This program was brought to you by Fairway Market. “At 12, I realized if I could cook for a living, I’d always have a job because people will always eat and drink.” [11:00] “My first trip to Italy was the first time I really felt I wanted to do this. In Italy you didn’t need a title you just needed to make good pasta.” [23:00] –Barbara Lynch on Chef’s Story

Barbara Lynch loves vegetables. She'll eat pretty much anything from the ground that's been harvested or picked by some local farmer. But she's also a savvy restaurateur and one of the most talented chefs - male or female - in the country.