Message from the CEO - Help for a Community I Love

Dear Financial Gym Community,

When I was four years old, my mother fell in love with a chef, who helped raise my brother and me; therefore, I fell in love with a chef as well. My mom worked the night shift as a nurse, so to give her quiet time to sleep during the day, my stepfather would take us to work with him. While he was prepping dinner in the kitchen, the daytime bartender, a single mom, would put on daytime soap operas for us to watch and make us popcorn from the bar popcorn maker. At four years old, I learned what a restaurant family felt like.

Over a decade later, my stepfather got my brother a busboy job at another restaurant in town; and despite the fact that he initially hated the hard work, my brother ultimately rose through the ranks of bus staff, to food runner to expediter. I saw how much he loved the community, so I asked for a job as a food runner. I lasted one night. The restaurant didn’t use trays, and I could never figure out how to carry more than two dishes without spilling Fra Diavolo sauce all over what was supposed to be a crisp white shirt. The restaurant family took pity on me, though, and offered me a job as a hostess. 

My love for the restaurant industry started young, and 38 years later, it still has not waned. I still love sitting at a bar. It’s the equivalent of dinner and show in my mind. I love reading a menu and wondering about the people who constructed it. I love going to my local restaurants where the bartender knows how I like my martini and the kitchen makes something “off menu” because I’m a regular and have consumed the menu multiple times over. I even love busing my own table knowing that perfectly stacked plates will make someone’s trip from the table to the kitchen easier. 

So, as you can imagine, watching the events of 2020 unfold, and seeing the devastation of the restaurant community that I love so deeply, like most people, I sat on the sidelines trying to support the best I could. It led me to consider what I could do at The Financial Gym to support those who were struggling. 

Three years ago, I met a hero of mine through a women’s conference sponsored by Bacardi. As a subscriber to Food & Wine Magazine, a lover of Top Chef and other food programs, I always admired Dana Cowin and what she built as Editor in Chief of Food & Wine. When I found out she was the keynote speaker for this event, I was beyond excited and prayed I wouldn’t fangirl too hard. I found out very quickly that Dana is not only down to earth, but she is a woman who not only supports other women by her words, but by her actions as well, proving that the hero status I felt for her was well-deserved. In the last few years since leaving Food & Wine, she launched a women-in-food podcast Speaking Broadly and a website highlighting women food entrepreneurs and their amazing products called Giving Broadly. 

Dana and I stayed in contact over the years, ultimately leading us to work together at the end of 2020 which led to conversations of how she could not only work with and invest in The Financial Gym, but partner with The Financial Gym to serve the community we both love dearly. 

So, today I am writing to you with great joy to let you know that we are kicking off the Giving Broadly / Financial Gym Scholarship Fund. From February 1st through the 14th, members of the restaurant community can submit applications to win a free 6 month membership (an over $600 value) to The Financial Gym. Whether you are an owner or a bus person, our Financial Trainers are ready to help you manage through what 2020 may have done to your finances and create a solid foundation to weather any events moving forward. I started this company with the goal to provide financial health to people of all financial shapes and sizes and to specifically serve underserved communities and the restaurant community is certainly one that has been underserved of late. 

If you are part of a restaurant family or know someone who is, I hope you’ll share this link with them and encourage them to apply. We have Financial Trainers who are ready to meet you where you are and help you establish a solid financial foundation and a really healthy relationship with money. If you are someone who is interested in supporting our scholarship efforts, click here to donate all or part of a scholarship for members of this community. 

Cheers!

Shannon