Jen Pelka & Tanya Holland Transcript
Kerry Diamond:
Hi everyone, Happy New Year. You're listening to Radio Cherry Bombe, and I'm your host Kerry Diamond, coming to you from Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in the heart of New York City. You might not know this about me but I am very big on New Year's resolutions, reflecting, and resetting. So if you're anything like me today's episode is for you. I'm sharing Jen Pelka's solo talk from Jubilee Wine Country. Some of you know Jen, she's the founder of Une Femme Wines and a good friend of Cherry Bombe's. Jen's talk was all about setting goals and taking your dreams to the next level. In her case, she literally took them all the way to space, but I'll let her explain what that means.
Jubilee Wine Country was held last October at the Solage Napa Valley Resort in Calistoga, California. It was an incredible weekend with so many wise women, great wine, food, music, and more. Thank you to the sponsors of Jubilee Wine Country: Kerrygold, San Pellegrino, California Grown, California Walnuts, and California Prunes, and to all the wine country winemakers who took part. If you'd like to join us for this year's Jubilee it's taking place on Saturday, April 12th at the Glasshouse in New York City. It's going to be our biggest and best Jubilee yet. Visit cherrybombe.com to get your ticket. After Jen speaks, I'm going to tell you about a little Jubilee giveaway just for Radio Cherry Bombe listeners. Let's hear from Jen Pelka.
Jen Pelka:
I was reflecting back on the last 10 years of Cherry Bombe Jubilees, and fun fact I was the person to write the very first sponsorship check to Cherry Bombe Jubilee when I worked at OpenTable. I knew that this was such an important event to sponsor. And I'm so, so impressed and so happy to see where the event has come to and that we're here in wine country. As it turns out, women supporting women has really been central to my entire career. I named my wine brand Une Femme which is French for one woman because all it takes is one woman to shatter another glass ceiling. I'm all about helping other women find their glass ceiling and help them to think about the ways that they can smash the hell out of it. And we're here today to talk about reaching for the stars and shooting for the moon literally. At Une Femme, we're always dreaming really, really big about the records that we want to smash, the first that we want to achieve, and the glass ceilings we want to shatter. You can too in your business and in your life.
So this year I asked myself, what crazy goals do I want to go after? What concrete wins can I and the team shoot for? If I were to put together a vision board where would I want to see Une Femme served? So I put together a list, a list of three concrete goals, and I told those goals to the team. I told our investors, I told all of my friends, all of my family, and now I'm telling you. Just the act of putting together a list of goals and talking about it makes it more real and more achievable. And it's, of course, something you can do too.
So my three goals I wanted our wines to be served in. Number one, the White House. We're not there yet. First, we've got to get the right person in the Oval Office. I'm sure you can guess who I'm voting for. And I can say we've spent quite a lot of time in the past few months donating wine to all kinds of election-related events. And I really hope in two weeks we've got someone in the White House who will be shattering the most famous glass ceiling that there is. Second place I wanted our wines to be served is Yankee Stadium. So I'm sure you can guess who I'm rooting for in the World Series. We're not yet there at Yankee Stadium, but we're working on it.
And the third place was space. That's right, outer space. And it turns out we've actually landed space first. That's right. Earlier this year we became the official wine partner to Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin. Blue Origin is a space exploration and tourism company where somewhat regular people just like you and me suit up ... It's wild. They suit up, they go up into space, they float around, then they land safely back on earth. So get this, the flight takes just 11 minutes and it costs $5 million. Every day people.
Every day people just like you and me. And it's really incredible. When they land they pop a bottle of our wine to celebrate. So you might be wondering, how do you become the official wine of Blue Origin? Well, that's a great question. And the answer really comes down to me working my network of women. I put together, frankly, just a really great cold email pitch and I started emailing people. I offered to sponsor Blue Origin's upcoming all-women's flight that is being led by Jeff Bezos's fiance Lauren Sanchez. I also dropped some of our other partners and said, "We also work with Delta, and Neiman Marcus, and the Ritz-Carlton" just to prove that we're legit. And it turns out they were interested. So while I haven't gotten my cold emails to exactly the right people at the White House or at Yankee Stadium yet, I still have two more months before the end of the year. And because I'm up here telling all of you, my newly expanded network of women, one of you may be able to help me reach my goals.
So right now, for just a minute, I'd like to challenge each of you to think about what three big goals you want to achieve next year. Three really big things that feel crazy but also crazy fun to go after. When you get home write that list on a Post-it note and stick that Post-it on your laptop. And then start telling everyone you know what you're going for and then just start going for it. It will take time and it will take persistence. You will get a lot of nos. But trust me, if you keep at it you will be able to hear a yes somewhere down the road. And you'll be able to remember that today, here at Cherry Bombe Jubilee, you decided to shoot for the stars and that's the first step that you made in making your dreams come true.
Kerry Diamond:
Thank you so much to Jen. I'm working on my three goals and will definitely share them with my network. If you want to share your three goals with Cherry Bombe, write them down, share them on your Instagram feed or stories, and tag Cherry Bombe for a chance to win a ticket to this year's Jubilee New York. You have until January 15th to post and we'll pick one person at random. Good luck and let's hit those 2025 goals. And hey, if you know anyone at Yankee Stadium, DM Jen.
Next up is Tanya Holland, chef, author, and culinary ambassador. Tanya is the author of a beautiful cookbook called “California Soul.” The state has fueled her in so many ways. I had the good fortune to interview Tanya at Jubilee Wine Country. She is one of my faves and I always enjoy talking to her. Stay tuned to learn about Tanya's golden state of mind and her amazing career.
When we were planning Jubilee Wine Country I said to the team, "We cannot do this event without the woman who wrote the cookbook “California Soul”" Tanya founded Oakland's beloved Brown Sugar Kitchen, she is a culinary diplomat, an author, a food TV trailblazer, and she's a good friend of Cherry Bombe's. Please welcome Tanya Holland to the stage. I'm so excited to talk to you.
Tanya Holland:
Me too.
Kerry Diamond:
Thank you for agreeing to do this.
Tanya Holland:
This is my happy place, Napa, it really is. Yeah, I love it up here.
Kerry Diamond:
It's becoming my happy place very rapidly. Okay, let's jump right into it. Your book, “California Soul” which just turned to yesterday. Congratulations.
Tanya Holland:
It was Pub Day. Thank you.
Kerry Diamond:
That's fantastic.
Tanya Holland:
Thank you.
Kerry Diamond:
“California Soul” represented a turning point in your life, a brand new chapter, and a true embrace of yourself as a Californian. Tell us, what is California soul?
Tanya Holland:
Well, I tell people California really influenced my cooking. I came out here in 2001. And just being exposed to the sensibility of sustainability, local, organic, knowing your purveyors, I mean, it was just amazing to me. My cuisine has been soul food that I've been focusing on so just combining those two. But I'm also a California soul. When I came out here I was like this is where I belong. Because I had moved around the East Coast, New York, Boston, Martha's Vineyard, went to school in Virginia, trained in France. I've been a lot of places and this is the longest I've lived anywhere outside of where I grew up in Rochester, New York. Yeah, still love it.
Kerry Diamond:
As you've mentioned, you've really seen the world. You've lived in Boston, Brooklyn, Burgundy, France. All the B's. The Bay Area. Why did you fall in love with California enough to stay here? And when did you know you wanted to put down roots?
Tanya Holland:
Wow. I mean it goes back to that. Also, it was a food capital I hadn't worked in. And then historically I knew of women and food, in hospitality, not so much wine, when I came out here, but now I do. Did better out here. On the East Coast I wasn't finding those opportunities. When I was coming up as a line cook, even when I worked the front of the house it just was limited. And I just liked the openness. This is still the final frontier and there's an openness. I mean, it's not perfect, especially in the wine industry there's a lot of work to be done. But I felt like as an entrepreneur which ... And a restauranteur, people were open to my ideas. Whereas back east, at least when I was there I think things have changed, it was shut down immediately.
Kerry Diamond:
You opened your first restaurant, Brown Sugar Kitchen, in Oakland in 2008. Why did you want to be a restaurant chef and owner?
Tanya Holland:
I really wanted to be a restaurateur. I had been in the front of the house for seven years before I went to cooking school and I wanted to know every aspect of the business. I didn't really go to become a chef but I was a good cook. I learned to cook from a young age too, my parents had this gourmet cooking club. But I just love restaurants as a place to gather people. And then all the interdisciplinary work that you have to do, you have to think of lighting, and florals, and service, and wine, and food, and all that.
I just had this vision. I wanted to create a space where people could come in and they could see people who look like them working in the front, working in the back, and the guests, and have that diversity. I just hadn't found that, especially in my cuisine genre, and I just really wanted to create that space. That was the only way to do it. I mean, I was scared and I didn't have ... I didn't get mentored so I didn't really have a lot of experience, and I learned by doing and made a lot of mistakes but ultimately I guess it worked.
Kerry Diamond:
I had no idea the goal was more restaurateur than chef.
Tanya Holland:
Oh, yeah, yeah. And one of my people that I idolized was Maguy Le Coze. I want to dress like her, and look like her-
Kerry Diamond:
From Le Bernardin.
Tanya Holland:
And be that person. I never thought I would be in the kitchen as long as I was.
Kerry Diamond:
How interesting because we know you so well as a chef today.
Tanya Holland:
I know.
Kerry Diamond:
You made the decision to close Brown Sugar Kitchen a few years ago and focus on TV, writing, consulting, and other projects. When I had restaurants I found it traumatic closing them. For some of us it's not easy to officially end one chapter and move on to the next. I'd love to know how it was for you, and what advice you have for those of us facing hard decisions.
Tanya Holland:
I didn't really make the decision the decision was made for me by my investors, and COVID, and everything. I went kicking and screaming not because ... It was getting really painful for many reasons. I've had this past two years to really do a lot of inner work and self-discovery, I just felt claustrophobic. I feel claustrophobic in a professional kitchen because I'm more like I have to touch people but I'm also an empath. I mean, I had staff, vendors, investors, guests, everybody poking me, I'm the nexus, and it was really draining. So it's been nice not having it. Change is inevitable. I mean, one of the things I always say is, "Nothing lasts forever." We think that when you get this opportunity it's going to keep going like this but that's life it's just a flow. Because that was significant for me for the past 15, 20 years known as a restauranteur and a chef-owner.
Kerry Diamond:
They even had Tanya Holland Day in Oakland.
Tanya Holland:
I know. I swear it's one of those old cartoons, people they don't really see me, what ... They see a drumstick and they're like "You got any fried chicken with you?" My second dinner at the French Laundry, the maitre d' greeted me and said, "Do you have any fried chicken with you?" I was like "Come on." And I never thought I'd be known for fried chicken. Anyways, I'm going off on a tangent. But I am very happy with this new chapter it feels ... I feel more like myself.
Kerry Diamond:
My next question, you answered it. What does it mean to you to be a chef today? Is that term too limiting for who you are?
Tanya Holland:
It's definitely limiting to me. When people call me chef I'm like who are they talking to? Unless I'm in the kitchen grinding it out, which I don't really want do anymore, even though I've done it, and I will do it this year and I will continue doing some cooking. But yeah, I just always wanted to do more and I am doing more. I've always done it along the way but it hasn't been highlighted as much.
And I just feel like yeah, I just want to be expansive and make an impact. When you're in a restaurant you get to impact maybe, depending on your number of employees, 15 to 40 people or whatever but I've always wanted to make a world impact. I actually have a diary entry from ... I was probably 13 or something, I don't know what I want to be when I grow up but whatever it is I want to change the world or just be famous. Literally, I couldn't make it up if I tried. And then the end it says, "I really wish Billy Dee Williams was younger." I was obsessed with “Star Wars,” and Mahogany, and all that.
Kerry Diamond:
Oh my gosh, That is so funny.
Tanya Holland:
I think it's funny. I'll show it to you later.
Kerry Diamond:
I had a really good follow-up question that I ... Just went out of my brain.
Tanya Holland:
Oh, I'm sorry.
Kerry Diamond:
No, that's okay. I want to go back though. I want to slip this question in. You said you've spent the past two years doing the inner work. I think some of us would love to know what that means.
Tanya Holland:
Oh, sure, I love to share. I mean, that's another reason why I love California, I love all the woo-woo. All my practitioners, all my sisters. So yeah, a couple years ago a friend, she was my fashion stylist on my OWN show, Oprah Winfrey Network, and we became friends. She was like "Oh, I'm doing this product of teas and chocolates that's psychopsilocybin microdose." "I'll try that." And then she started telling me about these journeys that she does. It's like synthetic ayahuasca, DMT. And so she guides you, she's there. She's got sound bowls, and tuning forks, and she's chanting. And it was game-changing. And she was like "I feel like you just did some generational healing." And I was like "Yeah."
And it just gave me so much clarity. I had this interaction with this very misogynistic man, obviously. He was talking about a new business opportunity, and I just saw so clearly through him in this way. And I just stood my ground and it just made me confident. And so then I wanted to revisit it again this year and she's like "Well, I want to add on. I've been doing this intuitive massage before that with MDMA, I've never done any drugs like that." I was like "What? This is fun." She's like "It's going to really open you up and then we're going to go do the DMT afterwards." I'm like "Drug day, okay." I finally feel like I'm seeing myself the way others have seen me.
Kerry Diamond:
Wow.
Tanya Holland:
I never have really acknowledged my own gifts. If anybody wants information I will totally share it. It just has been really healing for me, especially working in those environments where as a woman, as a black woman you get vilified, you get misunderstood. I'm told that I'm intimidating, scary and it's like this is who I am and I'm not going to shrink myself to make other people comfortable. So it's been great. That's mostly what I've been doing. That and bio-hormone replacement therapy started six months ago and another game-changer.
Kerry Diamond:
All right. Back to that expansiveness though. Being expansive. One of the fascinating roles you've taken on recently is Culinary Diplomat, that's a real title, with the United States Foreign Service department. You've done tours of Kazakhstan and Mexico. You've looked for the prime minister of Thailand, is that correct? It's amazing. What is this all about?
Tanya Holland:
Oh my God, I love it so much. So when I was in college I studies ... It started with French, four years in high school, continued it. And after school one day, in high school, the teacher said, "Who wants to learn Russian?" So I'm like "Well, my name is based on a Russian name so, of course, I do." And I end up majoring in Russian language and literature. And I thought I wanted to be an ambassador because I heard ... I learned about it.
And then I learned you had to take this foreign service exam, it seemed very daunting. And they said, "Or another way to become an ambassador if you know a president and they appoint you." And I was like "I'll go that route. I'm sure one of my friends is going to be president one day I'm pretty certain of it." So when I heard about this program ... Because they started when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State. It was funny, that group was very male-dominant and I didn't know how they got selected. So in 2015 I got this random email letter from the State Department saying, "It's been requested that you come to Kazakhstan as a Culinary Diplomat."
Kerry Diamond:
Did you think it was fake?
Tanya Holland:
Yeah. Well, I shared it with one of my good friends she's like "That's like sending money to Nigeria that's not real." It turns out it was real. Because it was the 150th anniversary of the emancipation of slaves the foreign service officer wanted to honor that and teach the Kazakhs about soul food. And he was from Kentucky and he was missing soul food. And then he wanted someone media trained. African-American chef, media trained. And he scrolled down and saw that I studied Russian he was like "What?" So I was like yeah, the degree is finally paying off. I mean, it was phenomenal just going over there teaching but I also got to learn how to cook some dishes. Everybody's like "Did you eat beshbarmak? Did you eat beshbarmak?" And I'm like "Yeah, I did." That's their horse with noodles. I had to try it but I'm like "I'm good, I'm good, I'm good."
For the media I did this one television show and the host had a translator in his ear, and then I had one English ... He spoke Kazakh but they're mostly trilingual over there, English, Kazakh, and Russian. I heard this and Oprah. My contacts like "They just said you're best friends with Oprah." I'm like "In Kazakhstan I am." I had been in the magazine. Yeah, it was incredible. And then Mary Sue Milliken couldn't do something in Mexico when she recommended me for Mexico and that was great. We went to schools and I taught. And then I cooked for the prime minister. And then two weeks ago they reached out and they're sending me to Uganda in February.
Kerry Diamond:
Wow.
Tanya Holland:
I know, I know. I'm very excited. Yes.
Kerry Diamond:
I love it.
Tanya Holland:
And just so you know, Я говорю по-русски, я выучил его в университете. So I do speak a little Russian.
Kerry Diamond:
What did you just tell us?
Tanya Holland:
I just said I speak Russian.
Kerry Diamond:
Oh.
Tanya Holland:
It was my major in college.
Kerry Diamond:
Got it, okay. Would you be interested in being the White House chef?
Tanya Holland:
Well, funny that you should ask. No, because it's a very institutional job. And Cris just ... She's retiring and actually-
Kerry Diamond:
Cristeta Comerford, right?
Tanya Holland:
Yeah. I mean, I want to, with the new administration, get in there and be impactful. There's a lot of work I want to do. So I've been putting that in my intentions. I also start working with a business coach this year. She has a psychology background. And the way she works is just brilliant and that's helped me a lot too. I'm going to be senior advisor on food policy to the White House. A week ago, 10 days I got an invitation to the White House. It's Dr. Biden and Cris are hosting a culinary diplomacy event so I'm getting in there. I'm going to find out who their buyer is. I'm going to find out who their buyer is and we're going to get in there.
Kerry Diamond:
You got to slip some Ceja wine into there too.
Tanya Holland:
Absolutely.
Kerry Diamond:
Some sparkling-
Tanya Holland:
Welcome you back.
Kerry Diamond:
All right, let's talk about wine country. You have a deep affinity for this part of the state. What was your introduction to this region and why do you love it so much?
Tanya Holland:
I think the first time I came was teaching at Ramekins cooking school off the square in Sonoma. I was just like oh, this place is great. I'm trying to think of the first visit that I had in Napa. But I just haven't stopped coming. I just love the nature, seeing the vines. I love wine, obviously. The community is so passionate because it is a ... Their passion projects. Just the open space. But also it's an international destination place and so you never know who's going to be here. And I've met some really interesting people. I just feel like I belong here. I've been actually talking to landlords and developers up here for about 10 years trying to open a place and it hasn't happened because well, we know, it's a little bit of a boys club up here but I'm still working on it.
Kerry Diamond:
Okay.
Tanya Holland:
And some other things.
Kerry Diamond:
Did you tell me that years ago you thought about moving here but you were dissuaded from moving here?
Tanya Holland:
I did. I wanted to move here in the early 2000s. Michael Bauer, the long-term restaurant critic was like "You can't move to Napa, Tanya." And I remembered him saying because there was no black people. He says it was because I was single. And I was like "Well, probably both would've been bad." But anyways I didn't move. He was right, he was right it was too early.
Kerry Diamond:
Do you think you'll ever do a wine project?
Tanya Holland:
I've been wanting to do a wine project forever and now I am working on one. I wasn't sure if I was going to talk about it. When you talk about what you're doing and what your dreams are and your goals you never know who's going to come up and support you in that. I just happened to say it to Jen and she's like "Oh, we have this consortium of canned wine producers." I'm doing a canned wine. I was like "See, that's why you got to share it, don't hold it back." Launch in the spring.
Kerry Diamond:
Okay.
Tanya Holland:
Oh, thank you, thank you. I can't wait to share the brand with you, I'm so excited. The story is so cool. I just don't want to do that just yet but it's going to be exciting.
Kerry Diamond:
Keep it under wraps for the Cherry Bombe story. Yeah, okay. You mentioned a lot of things that are coming up for you. Anything else that's next for you?
Tanya Holland:
Yeah. I just got a fellowship at HBCU, Historical Black College and University in New Orleans called Dillard. My friend who went to Tulane Law introduced me to the chair of the Ray Charles Department of African-American Materials and Culture so he left a big endowment. And she just got a grant from the Mellon Foundation to bring fellows. And they have a minors in food studies and I'm going to help them take it to a major. So just help develop the curriculum. But also I'm going to be doing a TikTok series which I'm scared. I downloaded TikTok but I've never used it or looked at it. But she wants me to do a TikTok series with the students around food insecurity on campus which I'm excited to do because it needs to be talked about. And then also working with them on starting sustainability practices down there because again ... I mean, when we leave the Bay we see a lot less sustainability practices. Or New York, major metropolitan areas. So yeah, I'm really excited for that.
Kerry Diamond:
Gosh, that's-
Tanya Holland:
Professor Tanya to you.
Kerry Diamond:
Professor Tanya, okay. This is very exciting. You have a lot of very cool projects coming up and I'm so happy for you. I mean, you know I'm a big fan of yours.
Tanya Holland:
Oh. You've been so generous to me over the years and I just love how this brand has grown and how you bring people together. I mean, I wanted to come join Amelia and Maryam on stage. God, that's so awesome. And Ara. It's invigorating so thank you.
Kerry Diamond:
I know. It's so funny, you all would've made an amazing panel but we'll save that for next time. I would love to know, what is a motto or mantra that gets you through the day?
Tanya Holland:
Several. So I got in 2020 my first tattoos and my last ones because I did not like the process. But grace and ease on my forearms just to remind myself ... Just to give myself grace. Things have to be easy nothing has to be hard.
Kerry Diamond:
Okay, Tanya, you have been such an inspiration. So thank you so much. That's it for today's show. I would love for you to subscribe to Radio Cherry Bombe on Apple Podcast or Spotify and leave a rating and a review. Anyone you want to hear on an upcoming episode? Let me know. Our theme song is by the band Tralala. Joseph Hazan is the studio engineer for Newsstand Studios. Our producers are Catherine Baker and Jenna Sadhu, and our editorial coordinator is Sophie Kies. Thanks for listening, everybody, you are the Bombe.