wendy perry ...kitchen & culinary artisan
marketing maven ~ passionate foodie
...a taste of wendy
Born in Franklin County, North Carolina, Wendy is a true Southern Belle
with roots there and in Johnston County.
Except for brief spells living in towns where she attended college,
she has never ventured far from her hometown of Zebulon and resides in that area still today.
Her genetic makeup is comprised of generations of farm families who worked the land to provide for their kin folk and others in the communities where they lived. Both granddaddies owned grocery stores over time, one in town and one way out in the country. To this day, Wendy loves grocery shopping, a pleasure that befuddles her friends, and the fact she can spend hours piddling in them, even when traveling, likely dates back to early childhood "playing grocery store"
with cousins at those granddaddy-grocery-stores!
It is from those lineages she grew to be passionate about food and everything about it...
cooking it, eating it, playing with it, experimenting with it, helping others like and appreciate it,
marketing it (even as a little girl she was setting up store displays), and fascinated by all the equipment and gadgets having to do with it and the kitchen...all while serving it pretty too,
with garnishment and on proper dishware with cloth napkins! Wendy even fancies spying on others in grocery stores and taking a look-see in their shopping cart at what folks
are spending their grocery budget on... all part of her fondness for trend-watching!
Surrounded by all these influences, Wendy developed an appreciation for hard work and the rewards that brings while offering products, services and customer service exceeding expectations. Additionally, having grown up on the seat of a tractor, she has garnered respect not only for the earth that nurtures us, but also for those who toil in the hot humid days...
or the pouring rains... or the frosty morns well before the suns peeps over the horizon...
to feed us goodly foods planted and cultivated not by greed or lust for money, but by their weathered hands, hearty souls, and inner passions... and recollects what her daddy always said,
"Agriculture came before culture!," so let us not forget!"
"Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization."
...Daniel Webster ~ American Statesman
words from wendy....
For me, variety is the spice of life…. I thrive on filling my pantry with interesting people and opportunities that are rewarding for all ~ my clients, my audiences, and of course, myself! You may think '"that gal can't possibly have time for me" but like a chef in a well-orchestrated kitchen, many small pots are on the burners simmering to fill the plates of my customers varying tastes.
I’d like to share with you a few of the “seasonings” that make me Wendy, so you can see what I bring to the table for my clients and yours!
Authenticity… at the core of my being! I believe that if one is not true to one’s self, they cannot be true to others or in what they do. I am who I say I am and my word is my word… when I contract with you, nothing or nobody will hamper me in giving you my all, which leads to my next ingredient...
Passion! Goodness gracious, as you see, my passions are many… I have an innate “need” to share my knowledge with any and everybody that will hear me, (and sometimes with those who have no such inclination). But if I see a way to repackage a product (from restaurant menu items to the way something is serviced or merchandised), my inner “marketing maven” takes over! I find it hard to simply walk away without gracefully offering my idea(s) when I just know it will be profitable, or at least worthy of a try, which goes hand-in-hand with…
Freshness! Be it in food or the preparation of, dining and its surroundings, breathing new life into menus, home essentials or any facets of these things, I strive to stay abreast of current trends as well as those coming around the bend to tailor my creations and marketing efforts (as well as those of my clients) with an eye on what’s coming “over yonder” and not what’s “back there.” And these things need not break the bank, so rest assured consulting with me can actually save and make you money! In other words,
I'll earn my keep. I can hardly wait to see what will be on our plates, in our grocery carts or comforting us at home next! Keeping things fresh also requires...
Resourcefulness! Folks tell me all the time... "Wendy, you know everybody. You should market yourself as 'the resource lady.'" I suppose there is a lot of truth to that, but having spent an entire career in multiple facets of the kitchen and culinary worlds, I have collected a variety of colleagues, many who have become personal friends... and when I come upon a need I may not have in my Rolodex, I surely know folks to call upon... I can't imagine any other industry with folks as willing to share and help others than culinarians... by whom I find daily...
Inspiration! An educator by degree and experience, teaching inspires me... be it in a demo setting, hands-on, or in marketing products in various ways (also known as teaching new reasons and ways to acquire something). My quest for knowledge is great, and even when teaching others, rare is the circumstance when I do not learn from my students. Not a “ho hum” kind of gal, I believe that any subject or product can be marketed in a fun and charming manner, no matter who the audience…
Might I inspire yours for Y.O.U.??
"You are what you eat eats."
Michael Pollan
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
919.404.0499 800.567.0407
Wendy@WendyPerry.com