Her Story
About Helen
I started my professional journey as a licensed practical nurse in my late 20s, wanting to follow in my mother's footsteps. However, during the AIDS epidemic when there was uncertainty about transmission, I decided to leave that profession and became a full-time server at a local restaurant where I worked for 18 years. I worked my way up to floor supervisor, then banquet captain, and would fill in on the line when needed. When I married my current husband, I was a senior full-time server. Shortly after, I was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer and given a very grim prognosis. I decided that if I survived, I was going to do something I'd always wanted to do - become a chef. I attended culinary school while still undergoing chemotherapy treatment, going to treatment, going to school, coming home for 2 years. My instructors encouraged me to stay on for the bachelor's program, so I earned my bachelor's in food and restaurant management as well, graduating magna cum laude in both programs. I've been cancer-free since 2017, and next May will mark 10 years. Based on my reputation in school and locally, I was chosen as executive chef at Shadowbrook Resort right out of school with no line cook experience - that was my most notable achievement. I was with them for two and a half years until they sold the property and it became a retirement home. I then worked as restaurant manager and executive chef at ShopRite (Wake Fern) for 3 years, doing two roles. Now I'm semi-retired from commercial kitchens and working as my own freelance chef while building my business. I'm opening a small cafe called Red Sugar Plum for breakfast and lunch with early morning hours to serve law enforcement and firefighters in town, as there's no other cafe open that early. I'm also developing my own line of spice blends under the same name and finishing up my research stages to get them on the market.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Helen
01What do you attribute your success to?
I grew immensely through my illness, both mentally and emotionally. I realized that life is not promised, and each day is a gift. When I was going through cancer treatment, I worked with a few of my friends who were going through the same diagnosis. Some of them weren't married or didn't have significant others, so I went with them through their treatments, and it was gratifying. I was able to give to them what somebody had given to me, and that was Faith. Even after a recent fall where I tore my rotator cuff and fractured my hip, I kept working from home and kept working on my ideas and projects. I think my success comes from that determination to keep moving forward no matter what obstacles come my way, and from the faith that carried me through my darkest times.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Being honest, I would have to ask if she was ready for some brutal hard work, long hours, hot kitchens, and sometimes unthankful guests. It can be crushing if you're not ready for it. If you prepare yourself that everything's not going to be perfect for everybody, then you're setting yourself up for success. If you go in thinking that everything's perfect and everybody's going to like it, you're setting yourself up for failure. You need to know what the chef is doing, and you need to know what the restaurant manager is doing, because a lot of executive chefs out there are restaurant managers as well, and restaurant owners.
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