Latest / The Bubble Lounge (Highland Park & University Park Texas) / The Woman Behind Dallas’ Tastiest Weekend: Iris Midler of Chefs for Farmers

Transcript

The Woman Behind Dallas’ Tastiest Weekend: Iris Midler of Chefs for Farmers · The Bubble Lounge (Highland Park & University Park Texas)

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know about you, but when my teenager started driving, I was a nervous rat.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_02: So many things that could go wrong, and God forbid they get into an accident.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_02: Sure we have car insurance, but for some young drivers, the monthly insurance can be higher than the car payment.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_02: That's why we're excited to announce that State Farm is lowering their car insurance rates and you should call our good friend Kathy L.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_02: Wall with State Farm on Lovers Lane in Dallas.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_02: You see, Kathy and her team don't just sell car insurance.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_02: They sell peace of mind.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: So if an accident happens, they are actively working on your claim so you can put that accident behind you.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_02: And best of all, Kathy will personally talk with your team driver with some straight talk that will help them appreciate the driving privilege you have provided them.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_02: So if you're tired of high rates for auto insurance, please call our good friend Kathy L Wall State Farm at 214-350-2692 or visit her website at KathyLwall.com and let her know Martha from the Bubble Lounge sent you.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_02: For listening, sharing, and cheering us on all these years.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_02: Truly none of this would be possible without you.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_02: And speaking of passion and perseverance, my guest today embodies both.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_02: I'm joined by Iris Midler, the powerhouse founder behind Chefs for Farmers, which happens to be going on this weekend right here in Dallas.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_02: If you've ever wondered what it takes to bring together world-class chefs, local farmers, and thousands of food lovers for one unforgettable experience, you'll find out today.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_02: This episode is a perfect mix of heart, hustle, and celebration.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_02: Iris, it is so good to have you here today.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for having me.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_02: Well, before we get to Chefs for Farmers, which is here what we're here to talk about, you've had a rough few weeks.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_02: I've seen your post on social media and I just can't believe all that you've gone through.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_02: And I just want to hear about that and how how you pulled through.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, my mom broke her pelvis and I had to fly out to Pennsylvania.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: And then we had two homecomings and obviously the festival.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: This is the busiest month getting ready for it.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Actually, one in Houston first, right?
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: And then one a month ago in Houston.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: So it has been a crazy little season.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: But, you know, you get through it one day at a time and I write things down and I just go to the next task and balance.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I just, you know, I did what I had to do and it actually all worked out.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, to hear.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: I just feel like as moms, so many people have similar stories to like that.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_02: We're all juggling all the time.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: And so I always like to hear when somebody seems like they're doing it well, how they pulled through it, if if there's any advice they have to share.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I would say I've the one advice I tend to do to get myself through this period is a lot of self-care.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: So actually every day for the past three days, I've been getting a massage.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that helps me.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Or I also go to restore wellness.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's restore wellness.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: I get the IV drips, I do the red light therapy.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: So a lot of self-care in there.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, take vitamins and just have some me time.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's really important.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and if I need to say no to some obligations I have, or I mean, there are times where, yeah, I have to let, you know, people know that I can't do it.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, I am a people pleaser, but uh, you know, you got to take care of yourself first.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I hear you on that.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_02: And I just think that that's brilliant advice because it's so easy to put that to the back burner.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_02: As women do that all the time.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_02: I am so guilty of it.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_02: And it will catch up with you.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_02: It will you know, and you're not doing anybody any well when you can't function and you're burnout and you're tired and all the things.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I mean, I just uh I think it's important to know your limits and what you can do.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: So even at the festival, I mean, if I have to leave a little early and just take a moment and take a break, I will do that.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: And that's fine, you know, whatever I have to do to keep that energy going.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: So sometimes I have to do a reset.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: So that's why yeah.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_02: That sounds great.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_02: Well, what about managing mom guilt if you're not able to be at something?
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that was hard because the first homecoming I couldn't be at my daughter's um all the pictures and I felt kind of bad.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: But then I thought, you know what?
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: She knows I love her.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: I was there, I have the greatest, you know, community.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: The moms were there to chip in, uh, show my daughter the support.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's also who you have around you.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: And if you have good friends, they will come in and they will make sure that everything is taken care of.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I really had some good friends that made sure Ella felt um a part of, even though I wasn't there.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, so it that actually worked out too.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: You just you navigate.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: And um, she had a great, she actually went to two homecomings and it all worked out.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, she had a great time at both.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_02: Well, let's talk to talk about chefs for farmers.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_02: I've gone to it for the past few years.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_02: I absolutely love it.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_02: It's one of my most favorite events of the year.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely love going.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_02: What sparked the idea?
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: How did you even come up with this?
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: So it sparked 15 years ago.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: It was intended only for one time.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: My um, I was married to a chef a long time ago, a popular chef here in Dallas, uh, Matt McAllister, and he was very committed to sourcing locally.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, he wanted to bring in more farms at that time at the restaurant he was working at.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: And so we would on our Sundays off, we would, um, or his Sundays off, I should say, uh, we would go and visit farms.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: One farmer, uh, he wanted to work with him and he said, why don't you come sell to the come to the restaurant, sell, bring the produce?
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: The problem was it was two hours away.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: So he drove in for two hours and then he would have to drive back.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: That's a four-hour drive.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: So he said, I love working with you.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate the business, but I'm going to need more customers to make this worth my while.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: So I was not doing at the time, moved here from Scottsdale, Arizona.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, why don't we just try to put the farm farmers and the chefs together?
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: They don't have PR, they don't have marketing people.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: And let's connect them and do a long table dinner for 125 people for one time only and see if they'll meet each other and work together.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: And so we did that, and that was 2010, and it actually worked out well.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: And the hope was, again, for them to work together, rub elbows, and uh have ongoing business with them.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: And it worked out great.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: And that one event, some of the chefs started working with those farmers.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: Then a media writer came to me and said, Do you want to do this in Fort Worth?
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, Sure, I'll do another event.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: We had, I think, 200 people at that one.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: And then all the chefs were catching on to it about the camaraderie.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: It was a big industry event.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they loved what we were doing for the farmers.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: And we decided, I think there were 15 chefs that wanted to be a part of it.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: I said, Okay, we can't do, you know, coursed out dinner like that.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: So let's just have a food and wine festival and put it at, I think at that time, uh, we did it at, I don't, it was Caldley Park at that time.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: And uh we had, I think it was 30 chefs.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, 30 chefs and 36 wineries.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: I remember the number.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: And that was our uh that was 2000, I want to say 12.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: So that was our big first food and wine festival.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and now it's grown into two cities.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_02: Well, uh, one of the things I wanted to ask is how did you sell these chefs and the farmers on this whole concept in the early days?
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_02: It doesn't really sound like you had challenges selling them on the concept.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't really have to sell any chef on it.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they came to us and said, we really wanna so I mean the first one we explained that these farmers need to meet you all.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Do you want to do this event?
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: And the dish you're preparing, you're going to pair up with that farmer.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: And they loved the idea of using those ingredients in their dish and highlighting it them at the event in front of the attendees.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then again, so many other chefs caught on to what we were doing.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: And a lot of these chefs, they don't have time to go meet these farmers.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: They are busy, they're working, you know, some of them six, seven days a week.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm they they're not gonna go drive out randomly two hours away and they don't have the time or they have a family and they need to spend family time, you know.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: So, anyhow, it wasn't really a hard sell.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: And they said, can we be a part of these dinners or part of the festival later on?
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it all worked out.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: I really haven't had to I want to say like sell any um chef on any of this.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: Not too much.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: Like either they kind of believe in it, or if someone doesn't do the festival, they really it's more because they don't have the time.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_02: It's that time of year when algae buildup takes over.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_02: And let's be real, the water quality in Dallas isn't exactly improving with so many chemicals being added to the water to treat that algae.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_02: And it's not just about taste.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_02: Those chemicals can wreck your hair, dry out your skin, and worst of all, get absorbed into your child's body.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_02: That's where Mother Modern Plumbing comes in.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_02: They're one of the few certified water tech filtration distributors in Texas, which means they don't just install any filtration system, they install the best.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_02: Their expert plumbers genuinely care about your family's health and well-being because clean water isn't a luxury, it's a necessity.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_02: Protect your family before dry hair and questionable water becomes the norm.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_02: Call Mother Today at callmother.com.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_02: Does going to an oral surgeon sound scary?
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_02: Well, it's not if you go to SA Oral Surgeons.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_02: I have to tell you about our experience with SA Oral Surgeons and their amazing staff.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_02: From the moment I called the schedule, everything was just so easy.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_02: You know how some places make you jump through hoops just to set up an appointment?
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_02: Not there.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_02: Their team is so organized and friendly, it honestly made the whole process a breeze.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_02: They were able to work around our schedule even during the busy holiday break and just made everything so simple.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_02: And when we walked into the office, I could tell right away this wasn't just any doctor's office.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_02: The staff was warm, welcoming, and genuinely cares about making you feel comfortable.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_02: They were so reassuring, which was just what my daughter and I needed.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_02: It's like they know exactly what to say and do to calm any worries.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_02: If you're looking for a place where it's not just about the procedure, but also the entire experience from start to finish, I really recommend essay oral surgeons.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_02: The scheduling process, the incredible staff, they've got it just all down to a science.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_02: You can even check them out and book online at essageons.com.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_02: That's essageons.com.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_02: It's care that's truly a cut above the rest.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I think it's such a wonderful concept because it literally is like a music festival.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_02: You're just there for the food, and it's so fun going to all the different booths and just getting a little sample of everything.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_02: And you discover so many new restaurants and shelves that you didn't know about.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's kind of so one thing that we started doing is finding these local chefs that were starting out.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: And there are some pop-up chefs.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: So one of my favorite stories is about Burger Schmerger.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if you know that one.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: I heard of it.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so super popular um burger place in East Dallas.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: And he was begging to be in the event.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't know who he was.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: His friend kept asking, can we be a part of this?
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, fine, just put him in the event.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: And before you know it, they won Best Bite Award from American Airlines, which these chefs really get excited because it's 100,000 miles that they're winning.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: And plus a ton of press.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, uh, it's a really big foodie group that comes to this event.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: So they are definitely um, they they definitely want to win that Best Spite Award.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: Anyhow, he won and he blew up and now he has his home place.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_02: That's an awesome story.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, you have to feel so proud that you were a part of that and everything that you did to help get him off the ground.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, him and you know, there's so many other stories like that.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: And we have three pop-up chefs this year, and we've helped connect people with jobs, and there's private chef catering events that you know, some of these chefs get into.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: We've, I mean, we basically help, you know, we're a platform to help emerging brands.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: So we give them exposure and and we also focus on the local culinary scene.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: So there's a lot of food festivals out there.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: They will have out-of-town chefs come in and we don't really focus on that.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: We will have a few, but I never want that to out overpower the local, our local chefs here.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I think that that's what really sets you apart is just that local focus.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_02: And we're really big on focusing on local here at the Bubble Lounge, too.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_02: So I absolutely love that we have that in common.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_02: And I just think we have some of the most amazing chefs in Dallas.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_02: I just had the opportunity to interview quite a few of them at Cattle Barons Ball.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_02: Every year I get to talk with them after they've gone on the live auction.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: And they're just so nice.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_02: They absolutely love what they're doing.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_02: They're so excited to be a part of these events and raise money.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_02: And they're just a really good, genuine group of people.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: No, all of them are very um, it's amazing how hard our chefs work.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's why this also worked out really well because we came, you know, we had our own restaurant and I was married to a chef.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: And when we did the festival, we didn't, we looked at we knew how, you know, what events were like.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: And some events don't understand how hard these chefs work.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: And on their one day off, they're working an event.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: And so, um, but yeah, they work really hard and they're talented and they're committed to their craft and they want to gain exposure.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: And a lot of them have dreams of having their own restaurant one day and they tell me about it.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: I have chefs that are sending me their decks.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's really interesting, and it's fun to be a part of that journey and uh see where chefs end up, see kind of just be a part of their lives.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's amazing how many have asked me for advice on kind of restaurant stuff.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't know, I just like watching that whole journey.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, to see the whole process unfold has to be amazing.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_02: Well, let's talk about the planning process.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_02: I actually used to do event planning back in the day, never for something quite this big, but how far out in advance do you start planning?
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, November fourth.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, one year, one year in advance because we have a lot of partners.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we can't put on this magnitude of a festival without our partners.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: So we will start looking at, you know, what are their budgets?
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: And they're planning out a year in advance.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: So we're actually quite busy in November, right after the festival.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: We start doing our recap calls and what does that look like?
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: So lots of uh, lots and lots of planning.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: But luckily, I have a village that helps.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, you would have to.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_02: So what is the week leading up?
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_02: We only have a couple of more days before the Dallas event kicks off.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_02: What does the whole week ahead look like?
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, the whole week ahead, lots of different events and different um dinners.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: And we have a walk around at Italy and there are more kickoff dinners.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I'm trying to there's lots of ticket requests and uh lots of, you know, just setting up the festival.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: And actually that's some of my favorite parts of the festival is the before.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: Like I went there today and I love watching the tents go up and just seeing how it all unfolds and then you get to see the big day.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, my favorite part, like I even have music before the festival starts for the chefs.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: Oh wow.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so it's fun for them to set up and have fun.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: Then we where you get volunteers, all you know, food and picking up tacos in the morning.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there's some there's a lot of energy before the festival.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_02: Well, have you ever had any crisis happen?
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: Like I will always remember last year it had this huge rainstorm just like hours before you were about to open up anything else besides that.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_02: Well, yeah.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: We don't do after parties anymore.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, after parties were kind of a crisis.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they got a little out of control.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh-oh.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: So I know a lot of food festivals do after parties.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: We don't.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but that was, yeah.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: I almost I don't know if I can even repeat those crises.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um but I would say, you know, the rain that can pose a problem.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: I know in 2015 we had to move everyone to Ghillies.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: That was uh quite the task to find T A B C, to find to do the whole layout, email everyone.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then I know I'm trying to think what else.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um that's about it.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, nothing really else major.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um no, maybe oh, maybe like I think maybe a I think a car, possibly, like, you know, getting not hit badly, but you know, those kind of things.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: And but we fix it right away.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: Luckily we have good insurance.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_02: Well, so I feel like sometimes when you're the creator of something and you've been doing it a long time, you're too close to it.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_02: And it's hard to like really see all the good that you've done.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_02: But do you ever just have that moment where you're just like, oh my gosh, we really have created something amazing here?
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think um, I know I'm very grateful.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: So I come from a small business family and I love networking and I love connecting others.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: And to know I do this for a living, and that just happened.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: Like I didn't even intend the first dinner to even turn this into a business, but I get to do marketing and events and connecting.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: And this is what I, you know, I I feel very lucky.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: And so, yeah, and I am, yes, I'm proud of all the work we that we do.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: And it's throughout the year.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: We're not just, you know, we have dinners throughout the year.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: We're I'm helping chefs throughout the year.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: So it's not a transactional festival.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's really, you know, we're engaged in the community throughout the year.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_02: When it comes to caring for aging parents, families in the park cities want more than just help.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_02: They want someone they can truly trust.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_02: That's why I want to introduce you to someone that I've come to know and respect, Adam Lampert.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_02: He's the CEO of Cambridge Caregivers, and his team is setting a new standard for in-home care in our community.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Martha.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: At Cambridge Caregivers, we believe that care should feel like an extension of the family.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_01: Our caregivers aren't just qualified, they're truly exceptional.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_01: And every one of the 300 members of our team are full W-2 employees, which means they're fully trained, they're insured, background checked, and held to the highest standard.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_01: We never outsource to contractors.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_01: That should give families real peace of mind and allows us to offer that concierge service that the people of Highland Park and University Park have come to expect.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_02: I've seen firsthand how much trust and connection matter when it comes to caring for loved ones.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_02: And that's what makes Cambridge different.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_02: They show up on time, treat your parents like their own, and communicate every step of the way.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_02: It's the kind of care every family in Highland Park deserves.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_02: To learn more or schedule a consultation, visit CambridgeCaregivers.com or give them a call at 214-649-9922.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_02: That's 214-649-9922.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_02: Cambridge Caregivers, exceptional care, just around the corner.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I feel like the whole farm to table thing, it is something that we just kind of started hearing about more in recent years.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_02: Uh-huh.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_02: And how do you feel like Dallas has evolved and as far as just kind of embracing that more?
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I think the chefs, um, I think they still need to come a long way and embrace it even more.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: I I also I think it's great when our chefs put the farms on the menu and, you know, what farms they're sourcing from.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: And really my hope is that the patrons visit more chef-driven restaurants where that support local farmers.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think that's so important.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: And that's how we grow all these independent, like magical restaurants.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I I think they're they've come a long way and they are embracing it.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: But it's also important for the the customer to know when you have restaurants that are supporting farms, the costs are going to be a little higher.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_00: But your food is so much better.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: You know, so I think it's so important that they understand that.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's sometimes better to go get that dish that is maybe ten dollars more, but you're eating so much healthier.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_02: I will always remember that we met I'll always remember that we met this really interesting chef in Colorado in Aspen, and he was talking about how amazing his mushrooms were.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_02: He had some top secret mountain that he would go find this special kind of mushroom, and he would just go on and on and on about it, and just to hear his passion and excitement about these mushrooms that he had found was so interesting.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: And it's so much healthier for you, you know.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_00: So I and it's just more and you can taste it and it's more fresh.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, I really appreciate those restaurants that commit to that, and we have so many here, but it's also we need our customers to also I I I feel like we're getting every year it's better and better, and we have more and more.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: But I think uh you know, Dallas, um, and that's why this event is so important.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_00: Every dish at the festival is paired with an ingredient from a farm.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: So every single dish.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_00: And we reimburse that farm for those ingredients.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_00: So interesting.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we don't expect the farm, a small business to donate that.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: We will pay them back for that.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_02: Oh wow.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_02: Well, how do you educate the consumers and the public that comes to the event that this is such a crucial part of it?
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we list it on the signage.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_00: I definitely think, you know, we're not a perfect festival.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we're trying to always improve.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I think our messaging around that could be improved or it's always evolving.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: But I definitely think I would like to, if you asked what's the next three-year plan, I would like some more programming around the farming and why it's important.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, even maybe having a demo with a farmer there and a chef at the actual event that could be something really cool.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_00: So, but you know, trying to always find ways and uh but right now, currently it's on our signage.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then we have more signage at the front who we're uh, you know, who we have as farms, and then yeah, and then on social media occasionally.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: But again, we are working on that part.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_02: It's a work in progress.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I do feel like a lot of the um vendors did a good job of talking about that when we would stop by each booth.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yeah.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_00: So the vendors are very excited, and the chefs are very excited to say which dish.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_00: And that's actually, you know, you never know what you're gonna find.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_00: But even here, right now, I can, you know, talk to the chefs and say, hey, you know, make sure and mention the farm.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: But a lot of the farmers that we have don't really so they don't necessarily sell to the customer, they sell only to the chef.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: But it's still important for the customer to know to support these kind of restaurants that support farms.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: Sure, yeah, sure.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I would imagine this industry is pretty heavily run by a lot of men.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_02: And I was curious, like, what's it like being a female in this industry?
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's not easy.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: It has its uh, yeah.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_00: I mean I will say I'm fortunate because most people are so kind and I feel like I'm in a very loving community and industry.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, sometimes it's hard, but I think I've pulled my weight that I don't know, I don't see any issues, but somebody first coming in, maybe they might have it.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_00: But I mean, they just need to do a good job.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_00: And if you do a good job, then they're fine with you.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't do a good job and you're dealing with the chef, they might give it to you.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: I can imagine.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_00: They have high expectations.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_00: So, which I understand.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_02: Well, what type of lessons have you learned from you know, learning to ask for help?
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, you're jugging juggling so many things, asking for help and just um building that supportive group.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_02: You mentioned you had a very good support system.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think it's um one constantly learning uh and asking for help.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, I'm always trying to improve and learn and talk to experts in their fields.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, like for example, we have 5570 during our wines.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to guess wines.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not a psalm.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to, I mean, I'm going to the experts.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_00: They are experts.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: Our wines this year and our VIP are going to be amazing because I went and I said, I need help.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_00: I we have never had, and I will say in the previous years, our wines have been they're good, but it's hasn't been at this level.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's going to be this year.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_00: And I decided I need to ask Jeff Gregory, who's amazing, for help.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I did.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it's just um, yeah, it's I mean, I love asking for help.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think, yeah, you have to, you know, understand what you're good at, what you're not good at.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I realized like I can't do it all.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't have to know it all.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_00: And I just have a team of experts around me.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_00: So and then I try to not micromanage them.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_00: But occasionally, you know, we're a lot better over the years, but I've learned a lot to let people do their job.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_02: And we just have so many good resources right here in the area, and you're really fortunate to have that tribe to read reach out to.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: Well, what about I always love asking women business owners what advice you have for other women that maybe have a dream of starting something, but they just don't know where to start.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so I would say just start with Well, write a list and try to get at least maybe five to ten things in the day.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and just, you know, have goals.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think that's really important.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_00: But I also think it's really important to have mentors.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_00: I think that really changed me, changed everything in the past.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_00: I even want to say past the year.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_00: I really leaned on experts in my field that were extremely successful.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_00: And they are not local here to Dallas.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_00: They are I went to conferences.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I think going to learning about the field you want to be in, and then learning from people who are very good at it.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_00: I think that is key.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_00: That changed everything for me this year.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I did a lot of yeah, went to several conferences, met with people who won awards for festivals, and it changed everything.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't even I met, I did locally, I met the state fair marketing director.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, she changed how we're probably doing our entire social media this year.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_02: No way.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I did a lot of uh a lot of asking questions.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_00: And then don't get offended if someone doesn't have time for you.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_00: There were a few and they didn't have time.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I understand that because I don't have time to answer some questions to some people, but there is somebody that has time.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_00: And I think when you go to these conferences, they know that people there they're there to help people who are seeking those uh seeking questions or answers to what they what they have questions on.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_00: So again, I can't stress enough about the importance of trying to learn your field by going to seminars and well, I love what you said because you've been doing this a really long time.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_02: And yet you are still seeking knowledge and looking for those experts and those mentors to still flourish from.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, well, let's talk about this year's festival.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_02: What what's new?
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_02: What do we have to look forward to?
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_02: So it looks like really good weather, by the way.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_02: It's great weather.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_00: Lucked out this year.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so what's new?
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_00: We have some new pop-up chefs, and I think that's pretty cool.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um, again, love promoting new people.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_00: Apparently, there's some guy out there that uh a chef, half colinaire.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_00: I heard he's amazing.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: He's going to be there.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_00: We have another one, Pablo Pete's, and he's incredible.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_00: We also have a wellness area.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_00: Oh.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_00: I believe there might be a cold plunge.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_00: I'm pretty sure.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_00: See how that works out.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we have some neighborhood live bands.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_00: So we have one of our park cities, um, Alyssa Fisher.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_00: She's in a band and she's playing.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll see how that works out.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we're kind of testing if we want to go in the live music direction in the future.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then this year it's two days.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_00: So both VIP days are sold out, but uh, we have The general admission tickets still left and tons of, I want to say Park Cities people.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like it's a Park Cities VIP party.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but you must see a lot of our people out there for sure.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_02: It's always fun to run into people.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_02: Well, what about insider tips?
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_02: I know you've been getting a lot of texts and I've been loving your posts.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_02: What to wear?
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I would say elastic pants.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_00: Stretchy pants.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I would say pace yourself.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, maybe, you know, find out which chefs, your favorite chefs, see which day they are on.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_00: Are they in VIP?
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_00: Are they not?
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe go to them first.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_00: I always compare there's Houston and there's Dallas.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_00: I always say, uh Dallas is the like the hunger games.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_00: Like people have strategies on that what where they're going to eat.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_00: Oh.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_00: But I would say a big, big tip though, and I think this is this isn't a very important tip, is to try to Uber or Alto.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I think driving there is a big mistake.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_00: The traffic, the there's limited parking.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's you'll have such a better experience if you uh work with one of the ride shares.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I also think don't bring any belongings, valuables.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's really important not to do that, or you're gonna have a really bad time if something happens to it.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and then hydrate.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think hydration at these events are really important.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_00: You're drinking alcohol, you're having fun, but it is, you know, we do stress the importance of celebrating responsibly.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I think hydration is key.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_00: And we have a great water sponsor with a lot of water there.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_00: So hopefully people hydrate.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I like to hear that you say people have a strategy.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_02: It's like the hunger games.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's so funny.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we've never had a strategy, so we might need to put one together.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_02: We just jump in and we tried to pace ourselves.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_02: We all started out very hungry, super excited.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_02: And by the end, you're like, wow, I couldn't eat another bite.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, exactly.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_00: And there is someone in VIP Groppo.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_00: He it's a restaurant from Miami.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_00: He's having truffles on his pasta.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's gonna go pretty fast.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_00: So if that's your thing, you need to get in there, huh?
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_00: You better get in there pretty fast.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_02: That's so great.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_02: So, what would be your game plan?
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_02: How would you approach the whole thing?
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_00: I personally would go to VIP first because we uh we have a lot of VIP.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I would go to my favorite restaurants or my favorite chefs to see what they're doing.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_00: I would have those bites.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_00: I would also, if the bites look bigger than we suggested, we always say two ounce, but they like to serve bigger bites.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_00: I would take a bite and then I would, you know, tell the chef, and I have been very good about this.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_00: I I just tell them I have to paste myself, it's a one-bite rule, and then you have to throw it out, or you won't be able to eat all the food there.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_00: So it's okay to hurt their feelings, they should know.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you can politely tell them or put it, you know, put it away maybe when they don't see you.
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_00: But I have to be careful about that because they're looking at me if I like their dish.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I do.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_00: I love everyone's dish, but I have a one-bite rule.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_02: So what is your favorite comfort food after, you know, having a week like this and celebrating all these days of the festival?
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_00: So I have to say I usually celebrate either with a beautiful steak.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, it's my celebration after CFF, or I like to go and get queso from Las Palmas.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_00: They have my favorite queso in town.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_00: So those sound like two great things.
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_02: Well, what do you hope guests feel when they leave and they're walking out of Chefs Performers?
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_00: I hope they walk out saying, that restaurant, oh my goodness, that dish was so good.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_00: We have to go there.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_00: Or I was, you know, so impressed with that chef.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_00: Or the chef who wins the best bite award.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_00: Who is that person?
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_00: And then they become really big.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_00: And it's maybe, you know, someone that none of us thought would get the best uh bite award.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_00: So just really going out, I think, you know, I think I always did this festival to highlight the farmer and the chef.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: And I just hope, I guess guessing that was incredible food and incredible chefs, and it was a great time.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_00: Perfect.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_00: They want to come back next year.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_00: Well, how can people find you and purchase tickets?
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_00: So they can go to www.chefsfor farmers.com.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_00: And we are about to sell out on GA too.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_00: So hopefully they can uh they will purchase a ticket if they want to come.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_00: And there's plenty in the GA.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_00: VIP is just there's a little air conditioning.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_00: You get in one hour early, and there's some other chefs in there, but GA is just as wonderful.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_00: And it's the best deal in town for that much food.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_00: True.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_00: Very true.
• 34:46
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thank you so much for all you do.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_02: This has been such a treat to just to hear the backstory, get to know you better, and I literally can't wait for Saturday.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, thank you.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I am super excited.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_02: I hope you enjoy it.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_02: Well, that's been another episode of the Bubble Lounge.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_02: I am Martha Jackson, and I'll see you next time.