Her Story
About Madison
I've been in catering for 8 years total, and with my current company for 4 years. I'm a very social person, so I knew that hospitality was where I would fit in the most. I just love new foods and experimenting with different cuisines. Right now, I'm mostly in corporate catering, and my day involves responding to clients, curating menus, and finalizing details on specific events, whether it's a small intimate dinner or a large gala. I'm doing a lot of menu curation, but also a lot of relationship building, which is a nice hybrid of being involved with the client but also staying professional with the company I'm with. I work on fun events, whether it's a luxury pop-up or with some of the coolest brands like Netflix. There's so many different things that I get to do daily that not many other professions offer. Not every day is the same, and I really do have a passion for what I am doing. I've learned about so many different cultures and ethnicities just by being in hospitality, learning about different cuisines, what goes into what makes something, and dietary restrictions like adhering to kosher. My expertise at this point is different varying cultures and nationalities.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Madison
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
If you do what you love, you never have to work a day in your life. For hospitality, it's so true. I am working on fun events, whether it's a luxury pop-up or some of the coolest brands like Netflix. There's so many different things that I get to do daily that not many investment bankers or anything that truly didn't call to me could offer. It really does help me stick with my day-to-day, because not every day is the same. I really do have a passion for what I am doing.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't get discouraged. It can definitely be a little bit of a boys club. Don't be afraid to speak up. Your voice holds value, no matter what level you are.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Just trying to find the right path. There's so many different elements to hospitality. There's so many different routes you can go, whether it's in weddings, or corporate, or hotel sales. All of that kind of falls under hospitality, but there's so many routes. So just trying to find the right one that fits my personality, and a good hybrid mix of being involved with the client, but also still staying professional towards what I'm working with. On my end right now, I'm doing a lot of menu curation, but also a lot of relationship building, which is a nice hybrid of being involved with the client, but also staying with the company that I'm with.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
For professional, I would say communication is super, super important. Getting to know the client, getting to know what I align with, staying up to date with the trends. Communication is something that I hold super important, because that's how I get to know my clients, how I get to know what's going on, what I can go about, and what avenues to take for them. I would say that kind of goes hand-in-hand with my personal life as well. I like to really have a special bond with the people that I hold close to, like my family, and I like to communicate with them daily. Just honesty goes hand in hand as well, professionally and personally. Staying true to who you are, I think that will take you a long way, professionally and personally. Personally, I value my word a lot. I like to stick to it and committing to the things that I'm saying.
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