Her Story
About Holly
I've been in the food service industry for over 20 years, with 12 of those years spent as a server at Waffle House. After having hand surgery and my thyroid removed in the same year, I had to go on medical leave twice and realized I couldn't save any money living day to day as a server. That experience pushed me to step up into management at Waffle House to gain stability and experience. I decided to go back to school later in life because I had the experience but wanted the education behind it. I just graduated with my associate's degree in culinary arts at age 40, graduating with honors as top of my class and giving the graduation speech. I've been cooking professionally in the culinary industry for about 5 years now. I'm passionate about comfort food and love cooking, period. I'm about to start a second-level chef position at Hard Rock Cafe in Bristol, Virginia, where I'll be creating menu items and chef specials. My responsibilities include being creative, experimenting with different menu styles, and eventually I want to open my own restaurant with catering services. What touches my soul is seeing people's faces when they're enjoying what I've made for them. I put a lot of heart into anything I make and don't like cutting corners.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Holly
01What do you attribute your success to?
God and my family - that's it, really. When I say family, I mean blood-related and non-related. I couldn't have done it without them for sure.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Keep going, just keep on going. That's what Chef Mike told me before. Don't let stuff deter you. If it keeps getting stormy, just weather the storm and keep on pushing. My dad has told me before, can't nobody take it away from me - nobody can take away your education and knowledge once you get it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I said it before, and I'll say it again, keep on going. Don't let stuff just deter you. If it keeps on getting stormy, just weather the storm and keep on pushing. My dad has told me, can't nobody take it away from you - once you get that education, that knowledge, nobody can take it away. Don't let the world set you back.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Opportunities are exponential - as long as you keep on looking at something as an opportunity and taking it, that could be exponential. The challenge is not giving up. Sometimes you get faced and backed into a corner so many times that it starts getting overwhelming after a while. Another challenge is finding an employer that will support you with fair pay despite inflation, because it's easy to fall behind and forget what you're worth when it comes down to finding a new career. It's hard to find somebody that's gonna pay well.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Respect. Respect, respect, respect. It's not something that's negotiable to me. It was the only rule I had when I was growing up, and it's definitely a very big value to me. It covers everything, all grounds - work-related and personal. That's definitely my number one value.
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