Sometimes,writing this blog is simply cathartic. For this Female Entrepreneur , it is a way to clear the cob webs . Yesterday, I had the gruelling task of editing and updating my business plan. How I hate doing this. I know only too well whats in my head but of course others DO NOT and I need to constantly remind myself of this ! The VISION is still the same. So it should be. After all, thats why I started RACHEL GAFFNEY'S AUTHENTIC IRISH GOODS.
I think, as an entrepreneur we are in danger of letting the wheels fall off the track at times ! Its only natural really...we are after all "A JACK OF ALL TRADES AND MASTER OF NONE" in the beginning ! My love and passion for my homeland IRELAND is the driving force here. MONEY DOES NOT MOTIVATE ME. IT NEVER HAS. If I have to explain that last statement to you then you are probably not running a business that you are PASSIONATE about. Passion is about belief. The BELIEF that you can find another way to make it bigger,better,tastier etc. Please bear in mind that I have said this is indeed a business !! I have that belief.
I want to Educate and Entertain people about Ireland through Food,Drink,Travel,History,Clothing and Culture. This is what I set out to do. My vision is to create a lifestyle brand , the RACHEL GAFFNEY BRAND that will deliver that message with a little bit of IRELAND in every thing we do. The TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREAD is currently leading the way for this journey.
That being said, understanding that there are formalities and procedures that are part and parcel of running a business. Like NIKE says JUST DO IT ! There are core values,strategies,budgets etc. This morning I logged in to one of my favorite web sites http://www.savorthesuccess.com/ . This is a networking site for female entrepreneurs and business professionals, co-founded by Angela Jia kim. Today,sitting with my cup of coffee,listening to the rain outside,I watched and listened to her VLOG. Todays title "What Are Your Rules?" Simply go to http://www.savorthesuccess.com/ and check it out. My mother used to say to me as a child (still does in fact!!) SHOW ME YOUR FRIENDS & I'LL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE......
Now I know why I like Angela and her web site. Although today she speaks of Give,Give,Get, the time preceeding this vlog had already communicated this message to me about her. It was something viceral & intuitive. Her message and core values were already being communicated through her previous endeavors. Running events like ROCK THE WORLD IN NEW YORK.
The point to all of this? Staying on track,staying true to yourself keeping with your original vision and value system works.....
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
DONT COMPROMISE
People ask me on a regular basis about the ingredients I use to make RACHEL GAFFNEY IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS. It's very simple. I use 3 ingredients. Easy right?
Flour,butter and sugar. How hard can that be?
Shortbread is one of the oldest recipes, one of the simplest and also one of the hardest to get right. Trust me on this ! Whatever your product or service , a really good product or service uses the very best.
There is a saying that mum used all the time "Buy cheap,buy twice" How true. How many times have you experienced this with a pair of shoes, or handbag etc. It looks good, its the right price but in a short time its broken. Well, the same can be said for your ingredients. When making shortbreads, I only use UNBLEACHED,UNBROMATED flour. No compromise. Why unbleached,unbromated?
Bromated flour is flour that has been enriched with Potassium Bromate. This promotes gluten development and is frequently used by bread bakers. Potassium Bromate is classified as a potential carcinogen. Whilst it is still legal in the U.S it is banned in most countries in Europe.
Bleaching flour is also common. Chemicals such as Chlorine Dioxide and Benzoyl Peroxide are added to bleach flour. Unbleached flour is matured and unbleached naturally by oxygen merely being present in the air. Another old saying TIME IS MONEY. Well it certainly applies here. To unbleach naturally ,it takes months. The product then occupies valuable warehouse space. Now manufacturers bleach the flour in minutes by adding the above chemicals.
I began making TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS using only the fnest ingredients and will continue to do so. Thanks to the AIB (American Institute of Baking) for helping me through my years of research and a special thanks to Tim Huff of General Mills for his patience a few years ago when I flew to Minneapolis to learn about flour !
Flour,butter and sugar. How hard can that be?
Shortbread is one of the oldest recipes, one of the simplest and also one of the hardest to get right. Trust me on this ! Whatever your product or service , a really good product or service uses the very best.
There is a saying that mum used all the time "Buy cheap,buy twice" How true. How many times have you experienced this with a pair of shoes, or handbag etc. It looks good, its the right price but in a short time its broken. Well, the same can be said for your ingredients. When making shortbreads, I only use UNBLEACHED,UNBROMATED flour. No compromise. Why unbleached,unbromated?
Bromated flour is flour that has been enriched with Potassium Bromate. This promotes gluten development and is frequently used by bread bakers. Potassium Bromate is classified as a potential carcinogen. Whilst it is still legal in the U.S it is banned in most countries in Europe.
Bleaching flour is also common. Chemicals such as Chlorine Dioxide and Benzoyl Peroxide are added to bleach flour. Unbleached flour is matured and unbleached naturally by oxygen merely being present in the air. Another old saying TIME IS MONEY. Well it certainly applies here. To unbleach naturally ,it takes months. The product then occupies valuable warehouse space. Now manufacturers bleach the flour in minutes by adding the above chemicals.
I began making TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS using only the fnest ingredients and will continue to do so. Thanks to the AIB (American Institute of Baking) for helping me through my years of research and a special thanks to Tim Huff of General Mills for his patience a few years ago when I flew to Minneapolis to learn about flour !
Saturday, May 9, 2009
RACHEL GAFFNEY'S MAINE QUEST....DAY3
Well, yesterday I had to work. Like everyone else, I too have children with doctors appointments, dental check ups and baseball games !!
The ocean is calling. As of today, I am looking at OGUNQUIT, MAINE. Named one of the TOP 10 BEACHES in the US. The warmer water seems to be the current attraction for me, hoping my boys will spend their days enjoying its natural beauty.
I noticed yesterday that MAINE TOURIST OFFICE has posted my progress on TWITTER. You can view their posts under "visitmaine".
AMERICA TONIGHT is a nightly radio talk show syndicated in over 90 US Cities and together we are going to document this MAINE QUEST.
My boys, 13 & 11 are beginning to get a little excited about spending time in Maine. Along the way, my hope for them is to gain the love and respect for the natural beauty that is THE ATLANTIC .
This MAINE QUEST will be a social/business experiment and local businesses in the town we decide upon will be featured/interviewed regularly on radio. Internet access is a must.
I will be looking for people who would like to participate in Irish cooking classes,cross marketing with Irish Companies, people who can share their success stories and struggles in business. This will be a THINKING OUT OF THE BOX exercise, so get creative. if you would like to offer services in return for FREE PUBLICITY then email me at Rachel@Rachelgaffneys.com....
The ocean is calling. As of today, I am looking at OGUNQUIT, MAINE. Named one of the TOP 10 BEACHES in the US. The warmer water seems to be the current attraction for me, hoping my boys will spend their days enjoying its natural beauty.
I noticed yesterday that MAINE TOURIST OFFICE has posted my progress on TWITTER. You can view their posts under "visitmaine".
AMERICA TONIGHT is a nightly radio talk show syndicated in over 90 US Cities and together we are going to document this MAINE QUEST.
My boys, 13 & 11 are beginning to get a little excited about spending time in Maine. Along the way, my hope for them is to gain the love and respect for the natural beauty that is THE ATLANTIC .
This MAINE QUEST will be a social/business experiment and local businesses in the town we decide upon will be featured/interviewed regularly on radio. Internet access is a must.
I will be looking for people who would like to participate in Irish cooking classes,cross marketing with Irish Companies, people who can share their success stories and struggles in business. This will be a THINKING OUT OF THE BOX exercise, so get creative. if you would like to offer services in return for FREE PUBLICITY then email me at Rachel@Rachelgaffneys.com....
Friday, May 8, 2009
RACHEL GAFFNEY'S MAINE QUEST....DAY2
As I mentioned yesterday, perhaps the ocean is in my blood ! Whatever the reason , I feel the need for the ocean. So, yesterday I set about my quest....calling it RACHEL GAFFNEY'S MAINE QUEST.
I have decided to try to navigate my way to Maine on a budget with 2 boys,who are firmly embedded in a society of electronics, grade driven schools and organised activities!!! I wonder what it would be like for them without it ? This is not to say, by any stretch of the imagination that going to Maine is without such trappings either !
Yesterday morning through the world of TWITTER, I came across TIMBERCLIFFE COTTAGE B&B in Camden Maine, (actually we had been following each other for a few weeks now) .At 10.11am I spoke with Karen (The Innkeeper). We shared our ideas and thoughts on how we could help each other in our businesses. As some of you know I own RACHEL GAFFNEYS AUTHENTIC IRISH GOODS, including Traditional Irish Butter Shortbreads. Within an hour, I was introduced to Dana Moos, a fellow foodie ! Dana is also an associate broker at THE SWAN AGENCY SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY.
Cooking classes together are indeed on the horizon !!
At 6pm Central time,I took part in SOCIALBEES,(Ca based company) AWESOMEHR TWEETCHAT. During this hour I met Kathie Papera founder of LILYPAD BABY ,based in Manhattan Beach,Ca. Kathie has a contact for me in Maine also and hopefully today I will continue to research that avenue.
Now here comes the interesting part. For those intersted in an opportunity to get FREE PROMOTION for their business,I have teamed up with a radio talk show and will be talking about this regulalry on national radio......so fellow entrepreneurs contact me...more to follow.......
I have decided to try to navigate my way to Maine on a budget with 2 boys,who are firmly embedded in a society of electronics, grade driven schools and organised activities!!! I wonder what it would be like for them without it ? This is not to say, by any stretch of the imagination that going to Maine is without such trappings either !
Yesterday morning through the world of TWITTER, I came across TIMBERCLIFFE COTTAGE B&B in Camden Maine, (actually we had been following each other for a few weeks now) .At 10.11am I spoke with Karen (The Innkeeper). We shared our ideas and thoughts on how we could help each other in our businesses. As some of you know I own RACHEL GAFFNEYS AUTHENTIC IRISH GOODS, including Traditional Irish Butter Shortbreads. Within an hour, I was introduced to Dana Moos, a fellow foodie ! Dana is also an associate broker at THE SWAN AGENCY SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY.
Cooking classes together are indeed on the horizon !!
At 6pm Central time,I took part in SOCIALBEES,(Ca based company) AWESOMEHR TWEETCHAT. During this hour I met Kathie Papera founder of LILYPAD BABY ,based in Manhattan Beach,Ca. Kathie has a contact for me in Maine also and hopefully today I will continue to research that avenue.
Now here comes the interesting part. For those intersted in an opportunity to get FREE PROMOTION for their business,I have teamed up with a radio talk show and will be talking about this regulalry on national radio......so fellow entrepreneurs contact me...more to follow.......
Thursday, May 7, 2009
BACK TO BASICS
As some of you may know, I grew up in cork,Southern Ireland. Summers were spent in places like,Ardmore,Co Waterford and Schull,Co Cork to name a few. They were not by any stretch of the imagination extravagant,but were nonetheless extremely wonderful holidays.
My parents would rent a house for a month at a time,and basically move there. My dad would indeed take some time off work,but for the most part it was just the four of us and Mum !
Ardmore, Co Waterford. I can still see the house we rented,as if it were just last week. It was not on the beach,but it did have an incredible view of the beach. If we did not want to wait for a drive in my mums car then off we set,which invariably we did, by foot to the beach daily. Rain or shine!!
There were no organised activities except for Lifesaving classes. No , not with swanky swimsuits and goggles. You jumped off the pier,where the boats were moored. Lovely,just lovely. Dead fish,fishing nets,bouys etc. You had to go in at times in your jeans,learning how to take them off in the water and use them to indeed save your life.
Perhaps it is because I am going to be 40 this year or perhaps the ocean is still in my blood,that I FEEL THE NEED and urge to simply go back to basics. I now am a mother with two lovely boys of my own but don't feel like they are in fact being educated. They go to a private school and don't have any knowledge of world geography. My thirteen year old is still studying Texas history. Don't get me wrong,we live in Texas,but even his general knowledge about the rest of this country is worrying to me. This is by no means a slight on the school,but even they don't see how grade driven they are. Losing sight of true education. Even schools can loose sight without it being intentional.
NOW, I am on a quest. I want to leave Dallas for a month or so this Summer. I want to take my kids to Maine. Live simply. No organised activities for them. Leave behind country club activities,organised sports,team uniforms,air conditioned buses for field trips and let them figure out how to get along without dare I say it PS3 and XBOX. I want to live there. Not vacation. I want to see if I can continue to run my business from there whilst my kids get their education. Can I continue to sell RACHEL GAFFNEY IRISH SHORTBREADS from there? EDUCATE & ENTERTAIN people about Ireland and in turn my kids can be educated about Maine. I can offer Irish cooking classes. Anyone out there have any ideas?Looking to partner with hotels,cooking schools,B &B's,culinary shops,radio stations.Portland,perhaps?2 bedrooms. Electricity etc of course. I want my kids to be able to get around without cars. I look forward to hearing from anyone. I will start documenting this journey.
My parents would rent a house for a month at a time,and basically move there. My dad would indeed take some time off work,but for the most part it was just the four of us and Mum !
Ardmore, Co Waterford. I can still see the house we rented,as if it were just last week. It was not on the beach,but it did have an incredible view of the beach. If we did not want to wait for a drive in my mums car then off we set,which invariably we did, by foot to the beach daily. Rain or shine!!
There were no organised activities except for Lifesaving classes. No , not with swanky swimsuits and goggles. You jumped off the pier,where the boats were moored. Lovely,just lovely. Dead fish,fishing nets,bouys etc. You had to go in at times in your jeans,learning how to take them off in the water and use them to indeed save your life.
Perhaps it is because I am going to be 40 this year or perhaps the ocean is still in my blood,that I FEEL THE NEED and urge to simply go back to basics. I now am a mother with two lovely boys of my own but don't feel like they are in fact being educated. They go to a private school and don't have any knowledge of world geography. My thirteen year old is still studying Texas history. Don't get me wrong,we live in Texas,but even his general knowledge about the rest of this country is worrying to me. This is by no means a slight on the school,but even they don't see how grade driven they are. Losing sight of true education. Even schools can loose sight without it being intentional.
NOW, I am on a quest. I want to leave Dallas for a month or so this Summer. I want to take my kids to Maine. Live simply. No organised activities for them. Leave behind country club activities,organised sports,team uniforms,air conditioned buses for field trips and let them figure out how to get along without dare I say it PS3 and XBOX. I want to live there. Not vacation. I want to see if I can continue to run my business from there whilst my kids get their education. Can I continue to sell RACHEL GAFFNEY IRISH SHORTBREADS from there? EDUCATE & ENTERTAIN people about Ireland and in turn my kids can be educated about Maine. I can offer Irish cooking classes. Anyone out there have any ideas?Looking to partner with hotels,cooking schools,B &B's,culinary shops,radio stations.Portland,perhaps?2 bedrooms. Electricity etc of course. I want my kids to be able to get around without cars. I look forward to hearing from anyone. I will start documenting this journey.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
SALMON NOT CORNED BEEF !!
I'm not attempting to be a party pooper here....but people, CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE really isn't traditionally Irish ! Well of sorts. Corning beef was a way of salting beef long ago to preserve it. Again, the great City of Cork, (my hometown) was famous for its production of Corned Beef in the 1600's -1825. It was exported all over the world, mostly in cans. Beef was traditionally served as a delicacy,so ham (gammon) or bacon was more common in Ireland. In the mid 1800's when the Irish emigrated,they looked around for a similar bacon joint,couldn't find one and discovered Jewish Corned Beef. This was closer in texture. This is where the tradition of Corned Beef and Cabbage began.
Now SALMON, thats a whole different story. That is very common in Ireland. I qute literally grew up on this and loved it. It was always wild salmon and not farmed salmon. Big difference. Of course the famous BLACKWATER flowed right through Cork,onto Waterford entering the Atlantic via Youghal harbour. It originated in Kerry. This is the delight for Salmon fishermen.
Last Sunday I made salmon for my family and again used it in a completely different way on Monday. Thats being frugal !!!
So here it is"
Sunday: I grilled a salmon in fresh lemons,sea salt (a little) bay leaves and peppercorns. This we had with a nice salad.
Monday: SALMON CAKES......My kids LOVED THEM
You will need:
Mashed Potatoes
Cold Grilled Salmon
Cayenne Pepper
Green onions finely chopped
Bread Crumbs & Crushed Cornflakes
Chop up the salmon , in a bowl and add mashed potato,chopped green onions,cayenne pepper.
Mold into a ball then roll in bread crumbs & crushed cornflakes. Next lightly fry in olive oil,turning occassionally. Serve with mesculin mix. I also like to serve some Irish Soda Bread with this. Enjoy
Now SALMON, thats a whole different story. That is very common in Ireland. I qute literally grew up on this and loved it. It was always wild salmon and not farmed salmon. Big difference. Of course the famous BLACKWATER flowed right through Cork,onto Waterford entering the Atlantic via Youghal harbour. It originated in Kerry. This is the delight for Salmon fishermen.
Last Sunday I made salmon for my family and again used it in a completely different way on Monday. Thats being frugal !!!
So here it is"
Sunday: I grilled a salmon in fresh lemons,sea salt (a little) bay leaves and peppercorns. This we had with a nice salad.
Monday: SALMON CAKES......My kids LOVED THEM
You will need:
Mashed Potatoes
Cold Grilled Salmon
Cayenne Pepper
Green onions finely chopped
Bread Crumbs & Crushed Cornflakes
Chop up the salmon , in a bowl and add mashed potato,chopped green onions,cayenne pepper.
Mold into a ball then roll in bread crumbs & crushed cornflakes. Next lightly fry in olive oil,turning occassionally. Serve with mesculin mix. I also like to serve some Irish Soda Bread with this. Enjoy
Thursday, April 23, 2009
4 LESSONS I AM APPLYING FROM YOGA TO MY BUSINESS
Going to bed with worry on your mind,stress,your next move etc can take its toll. I know only all too well !
Exciting as it is, running your own business, it comes with all the other baggage you would rather do without !
So last Friday,this 5ft 8 Red Head decided to take yoga a little more seriously.
It was WONDERFUL. So much so that I felt it necessary to return Saturday morning to a "Hip Opener " class.
I learned that yoga taught me so much about my business or rather how to cope with stress. I don't mean relax, I mean I LEARNED a lot.
1) By exhaling with absolute and definite sound/noise , you are in fact ridding yourself of the buyer who was un-neccessarily rude to you, the lost package, the unpaid bill, the customer who has folded etc. At first I felt ridiculous !! Everyone else was doing it so I did it more and more and then found I didn't want to stop.!!
2) During one of the poses (don't ask me which one !) Suze, our instructor told us to hum, or at the very least to make a vibrating noise in our throat. This is really good for your heart. When you do this, you release Nitric Oxide. This is essential for healthy blood flow. It feels really really silly at first but really really good!
3) One of the people in the class gave Suze a glaring look as she did not like the pose and she simply said to her "Your look is bouncing off me, I'm in a bubble" Great advice. Acknowledge,how you are feeling during that sticky situation and then let it pass on by.
4) Hip Openers.....ow !! Boy did I have vivid dreams !! I had to remain in some pretzel like position for 5 mins. It was so uncomfortable (not painful) that I was about to stop and take a rest when as if by witchcraft Suze came and stood by me and said that we were to acknolwdge the discomfort we were feeling and to continue to feel it...just like in life we want to run away from feeling unpleasant or uncomfortable feelings. We prefer pleasure. Of course! This time we need to stay in the moment,feel the discomfort,face it ,if you will, then when its over we enjoy the pleasure. This is my goal for the next few weeks..........Facing my DISCOMFORTS in my business...feeling them,dealing with them and then moving on to the next adventure.
Exciting as it is, running your own business, it comes with all the other baggage you would rather do without !
So last Friday,this 5ft 8 Red Head decided to take yoga a little more seriously.
It was WONDERFUL. So much so that I felt it necessary to return Saturday morning to a "Hip Opener " class.
I learned that yoga taught me so much about my business or rather how to cope with stress. I don't mean relax, I mean I LEARNED a lot.
1) By exhaling with absolute and definite sound/noise , you are in fact ridding yourself of the buyer who was un-neccessarily rude to you, the lost package, the unpaid bill, the customer who has folded etc. At first I felt ridiculous !! Everyone else was doing it so I did it more and more and then found I didn't want to stop.!!
2) During one of the poses (don't ask me which one !) Suze, our instructor told us to hum, or at the very least to make a vibrating noise in our throat. This is really good for your heart. When you do this, you release Nitric Oxide. This is essential for healthy blood flow. It feels really really silly at first but really really good!
3) One of the people in the class gave Suze a glaring look as she did not like the pose and she simply said to her "Your look is bouncing off me, I'm in a bubble" Great advice. Acknowledge,how you are feeling during that sticky situation and then let it pass on by.
4) Hip Openers.....ow !! Boy did I have vivid dreams !! I had to remain in some pretzel like position for 5 mins. It was so uncomfortable (not painful) that I was about to stop and take a rest when as if by witchcraft Suze came and stood by me and said that we were to acknolwdge the discomfort we were feeling and to continue to feel it...just like in life we want to run away from feeling unpleasant or uncomfortable feelings. We prefer pleasure. Of course! This time we need to stay in the moment,feel the discomfort,face it ,if you will, then when its over we enjoy the pleasure. This is my goal for the next few weeks..........Facing my DISCOMFORTS in my business...feeling them,dealing with them and then moving on to the next adventure.
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