When Helena Faustin, also affectionately known as That Nurse Can Cook, graced us with her presence on the show, we uncovered more than just the ingredients to her tantalizing Jamaican dishes. We journeyed together through her story, which is steeped in rich culture and spiced with personal transformation. Our conversation navigated the audacious decision to take her kitchen creations to the vibrant world of social media, engaging an audience hungry for authenticity and the comforting flavors of home.
Adapting to social media's rhythms can feel like a dance where the music keeps changing. This episode twirls through the realities of 'blowing up' online—an odyssey of patience, strategy, and the resilience to shift gears when the algorithm throws a curveball. Helena's experience is a testament to the power of connection, illustrating how showing your face and sharing your story can forge stronger bonds with your audience. As we reflect on the lessons of adaptability, we also recognize the crucial interludes of rest, the quiet times during which creativity simmers and faith marinates.
Ending on a note that's both savory and sweet, we're left with a taste of her future endeavors, a blend of culinary expression and structured business ventures. Join us for this insightful conversation.
Connect with Helena: Website | Instagram
Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
A Breadfruit Media Production
When Helena Faustin, also affectionately known as That Nurse Can Cook, graced us with her presence on the show, we uncovered more than just the ingredients to her tantalizing Jamaican dishes. We journeyed together through her story, which is steeped in rich culture and spiced with personal transformation. Our conversation navigated the audacious decision to take her kitchen creations to the vibrant world of social media, engaging an audience hungry for authenticity and the comforting flavors of home.
Adapting to social media's rhythms can feel like a dance where the music keeps changing. This episode twirls through the realities of 'blowing up' online—an odyssey of patience, strategy, and the resilience to shift gears when the algorithm throws a curveball. Helena's experience is a testament to the power of connection, illustrating how showing your face and sharing your story can forge stronger bonds with your audience. As we reflect on the lessons of adaptability, we also recognize the crucial interludes of rest, the quiet times during which creativity simmers and faith marinates.
Ending on a note that's both savory and sweet, we're left with a taste of her future endeavors, a blend of culinary expression and structured business ventures. Join us for this insightful conversation.
Connect with Helena: Website | Instagram
Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
A Breadfruit Media Production
Hello everyone, Welcome back to another episode of Carry On Friends the Caribbean American experience. I am excited because finally, after a year or two, she's finally on the podcast. Helena, welcome to Carry On Friends, how are you? Yay?
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you, carrie-anne, for having me. Of course, it's been a long time coming, I know, and I just feel like the stars have finally aligned. Yes, we've met each other before in person. We've even worked together. You did my event for me. So I feel like all those things had to happen first for this to happen today.
Speaker 1:So I'm happy to be here. Yes, yes, you're right. They had to happen because then this is going to be a nice and vibrant conversation, so let's let the audience in on who you are. So why don't you tell them a little bit about who you are, caribbean country you represent and the work you do.
Speaker 2:I am Helena Faustin. Most people know me by that Nurse Can Cook. So when they see me out in the street it's always that Nurse nurse can cook. So I am a nurse that loves to cook and I cook Jamaican food because my family is Jamaican. I am British born but my parents are Jamaican and part of the reason why I started my blog is to just share my love for my culture and my love for Jamaican food with a huge audience.
Speaker 1:Yes, and as we say, that nurse can cook. Yes, I mean your start from the beginning. What prompted you to decide to cook and let everybody see you cooking? I can tell you about me and my husband can tell the story when he first met me. Actually, when I meet people, I don't want people to come in my kitchen. Do not hover over me when I'm cooking, I agree. I agree Still tell my way You're making me nervous.
Speaker 2:I feel like you don't realize how territorial you are until someone tries to get in your kitchen. And would you believe that? My mother and I are kind of like that? Because my mother was the one who taught me how to cook and I took what she taught me and expanded on that knowledge and just turned it into something huge. And so now there's like this undertone when we get in the kitchen, like she's still like why are you doing that? And I'm like mom, why are you doing that? And she's looking at me like, first of all, who taught who and what are you doing? I'm always like why is she? And then I'm like I'm trying to stop myself from saying something. So I'm literally biting my tongue and I'm like why are you? Because once you start to expand on knowledge, you feel like you gain a deeper perspective. And then I feel like every chef kind of feels like their way is the best way. So, yeah, you don't realize how territorial you are until someone steps inside your kitchen.
Speaker 1:Yes. So if you're that territorial and you're nervous for your own mother to see how you're cooking and judging and all of this, tell me all that's left from your kitchen to people's Instagram, because I'm like you know. So just tell me how that went from your home to Instagram.
Speaker 2:I'm still trying to wrap my head around that. So I just want to go back to maybe around 2017, I think I want to say 2017. And it's crazy because Facebook has a way of reminding you of the thoughts that you held when you were in a different space. And when you look back on it, you're like, wow, like, did I really think that or did I really say that? Sometimes it's an awesome moment to reflect. Sometimes it's an opportunity to challenge yourself and say, wow, I've grown in my thinking since then. But I want to say, like to give perspective.
Speaker 2:A couple weeks ago, a Facebook memory popped up and on the status I said do you ever feel like God is trying to tell you something, but you just don't know what it is? And I remember when I wrote that status. I remember feeling like I feel like there's a message for me, or I feel like there's a greater purpose for me. I just can't figure it out. I just don't know how to put two and two together. And I think at that moment I was trying to brainstorm a business idea.
Speaker 2:The following year, one of my friends said you know, you're always showing your cooking on your Instagram. Why don't you create a separate Instagram and let that be a home for all of your recipes. You can start a cooking page and I said you know what I think I will? And at first, when I started, it was just a hobby. It was just something that I was doing for fun. But within a couple months, I started realizing wait, I could really do this for real and this is something that I could really take this for real and this is something that I could really take seriously. So I just started taking it seriously and fast forward to almost six years later. Here I am today.
Speaker 1:I want to go back to that point you said when God is trying to tell you something and you can't quite put your finger on it, and I think that's the journey, but when you're in it, it just feels very frustrating and you're like God, please, just just give me, just trips me the answer.
Speaker 1:Just give me a little. You know you want it so bad, but you know you feel it and I don't know about you. But sometimes you feel that multiple times, right Like within, like he's telling me something and I think he's telling me something again over here. So is it the same thing or two different things? You?
Speaker 2:know, you know what I actually feel that way today. Me too, I feel like we always feel. I feel that way today, I felt that way last night. I was like in the bed up late talking to God, and when you have something on your heart and you have something in your mind, you're bringing your problems to God and you just I feel like I'm so close to the solution and the solution might be right under my nose. So can you come sit at the edge of the bed and be like all right, boom. So this is what you got to do at the edge of the bed and be like all right, boom. So this is what you got to do. Like we really wanted to just be like all right, girl, x, y, z. But if he did that, you'd be removed from the beauty of the journey.
Speaker 2:You'd miss all of the lessons and you might fumble the blessing that he has for you. So part of the growth is honoring the experience and honoring the journey, even though it might be tough to get through it and sometimes we complain about our circumstances. We find ourselves in a complaining spirit like why can't things just be? But I've tried to stay away from complaining too much and just honoring my journey. Honor the beauty in your journey, Honor where you are currently so that you can learn to appreciate the blessing that's on the other side. I love that.
Speaker 1:And that's why I wanted to kind of pause there, because I know that experience, that you feel like, as I was telling another guest, that unction to do something and you just can't, you know, you just can't find what you feel it. You feel that undercurrent of something. So in that feeling that there's a bigger purpose or something for you to do, did you always know that cooking was the thing, or did you try a couple of things before? The friend said do cooking?
Speaker 2:I want to also expand on that, because what the Facebook memories were showing me is that I had a habit of cooking things and posting them, and sometimes the universe and God conspire together to show you something that you have a passion about. But your subconscious is aware that you're passionate about it and you act on it, but it's just a matter of bringing it from the subconscious level to the conscious level. So I spoke to my friends a couple of days ago and I said you know that one thing you keep gravitating towards it's not a mistake. It's not a mistake. And I was posting a photo.
Speaker 2:I remember two days ago a Facebook memory popped up and it was like some chicken parm lasagna roll-ups, some chicken parm lasagna roll-ups, and I had no lighting, I had no fancy of equipment, it was just in a simple foil pan and under it I said you know, when you finally try one of those saved recipes from Tip Hero? And then another memory had popped up and I had posted my little roast beef. I was so proud of this roast beef that I made and you know, there was no fancy plating, there was no lighting. It seems like I guess that was always on my spirit, I just didn't realize it. I've always liked to cook, but loving to cook and sharing it with people are two separate aspects. So I've come to realize ah, this is something that I had been gravitating towards over the years and it just finally came to the surface.
Speaker 1:You said that um you've been doing that nurse can cook for like six years now.
Speaker 1:So when was that point in the six year timeline, timeline where that nurse, ken Cook, started to blow up, and were you feeling impatient? Were you complaining before the blow up? So what was the time from when you started to when you blow up? Because I think it's important to let people know that the journey is still ongoing, even when you identify. So, after you identify the thing, there's another journey, couple more laps to go, before you start feeling some level of accomplishment or success when you've chosen that thing In the spirit of answering your question honestly and from a space of transparency.
Speaker 2:I wanted to be careful with the word blow up, because I feel like the word blow up kind of insinuates that something snapped and then poof results and then poof results. And my journey has been like a slow-cooked oxtail dish Started out building my audience day by day, week by week, and it continued to grow, kind of like some planting an ackee tree. You start with the seed and you watch it, you water it, you put the work into it, you pay attention and slowly your tree begins to bear fruit. But you had to put the work in first. So it's not like when the tree bears fruit, oh, you blew up. No, this was a process from the seed, the soil, the watering, the pruning.
Speaker 2:Every single step was important to what you see today. I remember when I first hit 10,000 followers and I remember what that feeling was like and I think it took me. I want to say I started the page in March of 2018, I think by January of 2019. So that's like my math is, for eight months, about eight, nine months. It took me about nine months to get to 10,000 followers. So I wouldn't consider that overnight. And there was a lot of missteps, there was a lot of pivots and I feel like every year I've had to pivot to accommodate the changing landscape of social media. So what you see today is a result of a lot of hard work.
Speaker 1:And thank you because, even though I for sure know you didn't blow up, none of us blew up.
Speaker 2:It's an iceberg, Exactly to the outside world. They're like oh, she blew up, I didn't blow up. They're like oh, she blew up I didn't blow up.
Speaker 1:No, you've been working on this for a minute. I was slow cooked, yes, but in the way that social media and notoriety and fame is positioned in the world today, it feels like blow up is the term, which is a term I use because that captures people's attention. But it's really the story you just told, and eight months for some people is like oh my God, that's fast, you know, compared to others. But everything is depending on your topic, right that you?
Speaker 2:want to talk about. Yes, it depends on your niche, it depends on the landscape, it depends on the challenges you experience. I mean, back then taking nine months to get to 10,000 followers was pretty reasonable, but today you can get 10,000 followers in like a month.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, there are people out there who get 10,000 followers in one month or two months, so everyone's journey is completely different.
Speaker 1:And I think that's important. So, going back to another word that you said, you're constantly pivoting, and talk to us about the mini pivots that you're making on a weekly, daily, monthly basis. That's necessary to continue to shape your brand and your business.
Speaker 2:Part of my strength as a businesswoman and a content creator is recognizing when I need to pit it. I feel like sometimes it's easy to get stuck in your tunnel vision when you feel like what you're doing is working, and there have been times where I've missed the point where I should have pivot, and sometimes you got your head in the sand and you figured out this strategy that you've become so comfortable and so used to, and then, once you realize it's been a month, my strategy is no longer working. All right, let me go back to the drawing board. So over time, I've had to consistently figure out ways to identify when there's a shift in the culture, a shift in how people use and consume social media, and making sure I'm at the forefront of that and making sure that I continue to stay relevant and that I continue to give my audience exactly what they're looking for, because if you don't continue to pivot as your business demands, you're going to get left behind.
Speaker 2:I started out this journey with a lot of other content creators who kind of just was like I don't want to do this anymore. It's like it's just not fun anymore. And I get it. I get it. Haven't you ever felt like I don't want to do this anymore. When things start to get rough, we're just like I don't want to do this anymore, like it's just, it's no longer fun.
Speaker 1:Me never sign up for this Right.
Speaker 2:I didn't sign up for all of this. Exactly. But you know, with every glory there's a story. Instagram going on too extra for me right now, yes, and sometimes Instagram can be very extra. So, like I said, the strength is in knowing when to pivot and also predicting when you are going to need to pivot.
Speaker 1:So, if you can, or if you remember because you've done multiple pivots can you give me an example of a time when you missed an opportunity to pivot and you're like I should have pivoted? Was it something that you were doing? A particular posting Explain that a little bit.
Speaker 2:Oh, definitely. I can immediately, off the top of my head, recall two instances where I failed to pivot early and I don't want to say I failed. I'm going to reframe that when I learned a lesson, because even I'm trying to teach my daughter stop saying you failed and stop saying you got something wrong Because you learned. You didn't get it wrong. You learned something that you needed to know. So I'll reframe that.
Speaker 1:I had a mentor who said Carrie Ann, you just now have new data. That's what they said.
Speaker 2:Yes, you have new data Exactly, so you got to reframe it. There was one instance where I noticed a drop in engagement, and I always tell other content creators a drop in engagement is not reflective of your talent, it's reflective of your strategy. So sometimes people take a drop in engagement personally and they say no one's interested in me anymore or I'm not good anymore. It has nothing to do with you, it has everything to do with your strategy. And if you want to be successful in social media, you have to have a strategy and your strategy has to include ways to keep your engagement really, really high if you want to be successful. So I remember I had seen a drop in engagement maybe two years ago. I want to say, and I was just like I guess I was a little bit stubborn. Sometimes we get stubborn because we become married to our strategy, because once we learn in it and once we master it, it becomes like second nature and we become resistant to change. And, um, I think that what I started to do was change up my formula and I said let me try this. And it was so obvious that my audience hated it, but I was committed to it and I was like no, like this. I really I know that I am sharing something that's from the heart, but at the end of the day, I have to provide content people want to consume, so I can't do this selfishly. So in that moment I realized, oh, you missed your mark. You should have pivoted and gone back to the drawing board, but you were a little bit too stubborn in that. So out of that, I've learned not to become too committed to any one way of doing things, because it stops us from the growth that we need.
Speaker 2:And the other time I feel like I didn't pivot fast enough was when people started really showing their face on camera, and for so long I was so comfortable being behind the scenes and just letting the food do all the talking. But I really found that people are craving connection online, craving connection online. I don't know what happened to our interpersonal relationships outside of social media, but I feel like, even more so after the pandemic, people come to social media to connect. They want to see your face, they want to see what you look like, how your hair is styled, they want to see what's in your kitchen, and so for a long time I was just like I don't want to say, hiding behind the camera.
Speaker 2:I was just comfortable with popping up after every 10,000 followers and be like, hey, this is the face behind. And I realized that was not going to work, because what happens is you kind of lose connection with your audience if they feel like they have no idea who's cooking this food. And me stepping out in front of the camera gave me an opportunity to have a better connection with my audience. So I want to say those were the two times. And there were also times where I did jump ahead and I recognized the need and I was at the forefront of something. So you know you have to take, you know your wins and losses.
Speaker 1:Thank you for sharing those examples and I think in you, sharing, you know, those specific examples tells you that you can't game it. You're just like learning as you go, sometimes you're not on time, sometimes you're on time and sometimes you're ahead, and it just really depends on where it is. But, either way, just kind of just go with it. Right? And I have so much of those things that I resonate with, like you know, social media.
Speaker 1:I mean we have a thing, we just we don't, we don't agree more time, but I kind of have to you know, do what I need to do, and I think saying that if you're not getting the engagement and not getting a certain energy is not you. I probably needed to hear this conversation back in September yeah, we personalize things too much. Yeah, back in September, particularly because I was going through a period where God was like I need you to enter that room and don't come out till I'm done with. A period where God was like I need you to enter that room and don't come out till I done with you, and that was like you know he does, those moments where it's like over there just don't even move. And you saying this right now is still even a valuable lesson, because even after you've gone through those, those periods of where you're like God has talked to you, you've gotten it, you coming back to affirm is even cementing the lessons that you've learned in those seclusion periods.
Speaker 1:Yes, most definitely, most definitely it's very helpful, because sometimes you'll be like well, mea do, mea do wrong, maybe me fit quit.
Speaker 2:Maybe I should be quitting and that too, that is the devil, you understand what I'm saying. Let me do wrong, like maybe I should be quitting, and that too, that is the devil. You know what? I'm saying Let me tell you that is the devil come to steal your joy and get you to walk away from the blessing that God has. I reject and rebuke the spirit of a quitter.
Speaker 1:Listen. I mean it was rampant, it was. It was to the point where I was like it's ugly, it's ugly, it's ugly, bad, bad. They say it is a piece of ting. So what I was able to do and like when the spirit moved me, say all right, here what. I feel very tired and I feel very miserable. So I guess our season done early, we're gonna stop. Stop the episode here so I can take one myself and sometimes that's what you need to do.
Speaker 2:Yes, sometimes you just think and I do that too. Would you believe that I do that too? Really, if I don't have the vibes to do something, me and I do it. That's how I feel I'm not doing it. You know why? Because when you go forth in your work with a spirit of miserableness, misery it shows in your work, and I would rather show up as my best self and take the appropriate time to say you know.
Speaker 2:I need to regroup and sometimes we don't honor those spaces. We have become accustomed to hustle, hustle, hustle. Why are you quitting? Why are you taking a break? That's lazy. It's not lazy, and we've been conditioned to feel like we must be working all the time. There is power in rest. Rest is productive.
Speaker 1:Listen, missy. I thank you for speaking that back to me, because it is still a message that we continuously need to hear that, yes, we need to take pauses if your energy or your spirit is not there you need a time for rest and restoration and those things happen.
Speaker 1:I think it's part of the normal cycle of creativity, because I also feel like our creativity is like a bank account that you spend so much. At some point you need to replenish it, and if we're constantly working, if we're not going out being inspired, we can't replenish that creativity, and sometimes we need to just take over yourself to replenish that. So how do you?
Speaker 2:do that take?
Speaker 2:over yourself to replenish that. So how do you do that? And I love that you led into this question because I'm going to share with you something that I hope you'll take after we end this conversation. One of the most significant lessons that I've learned in my journey is planning a break and not waiting until you feel the spirit of overwhelming, the spirit of being drained. Don't wait until you're drained and don't wait until you're overwhelmed as a sign to stop.
Speaker 2:So now, when I'm creating content, I say you feel like you're in a very productive mood, you are going to need a break in two weeks and plan for that break. So you go into your break fully rested and in a great space of mind, because sometimes we take those rests and they're not really rests. We take those rests and that's when the negative inner voice starts to speak up and this rest period is spent commiserating over your journey and saying why can't I just get it together? And oh, my goodness, woe is me. But you can have a more productive rest if you schedule the rest in and take the rest when you feel good. Don't wait until you feel bad as a sign that you need to stop. I also realize it leads you to take shorter rest periods. Even if you want to be productive or if you value productivity, you can take a shorter rest and come back feeling even more energized that way, because I feel like it takes too long to recover from burnout. It takes too long. Sometimes it can take weeks, sometimes it can take months.
Speaker 1:It does so with what happens. So typically I don't record episodes towards the end of Q4 because I'm like it's the holiday, you know. So I try to end the season by early November, cause I'm like it's the holiday, you know. So I tried to end the season by early November Cause I'm like it's Thanksgiving, christmas everybody gone about their business, and so I get to rest.
Speaker 1:So I started feeling this in September and I was like I have one more month to go and I was like you cannot wait till one more month to go and end it right now. And I said in that recording I said, yeah, this is earlier than normal, but it still would have gone into my normal break anyway. But you're right, it was just like I felt it and I was trying to push myself to make my normal scheduled time off and I was just like I can't push it till then. I have to end it like now. Cause I was feeling. It was like like I feel like I was just rolling a big old truck up my heel and I was just like I cannot. So I was like I was done the minute. I felt like that. It felt so light. I was like thank you God.
Speaker 2:Right. And you know what, sometimes when I get to that point I take a self inventory and I say did I miss a cue? Like two weeks ago I?
Speaker 1:sure did miss that cue from the summertime.
Speaker 2:Right, did I miss the cue that says, girl, you might need to slow down? Or I'll look at my schedule and I say, wow, this week is pretty packed. I know I'm going to need a rest week after that. So sometimes it gives you a little something to look forward to and you're like, oh, I have a rest week planned, I'm not going to do nothing. And I feel like when you're a creative and you create from the heart, it comes in waves. There are times where you're feeling super creative and you have all these ideas, you're feeling super productive, and then you have your times where you're just like I'm not really feeling it.
Speaker 1:Not really feeling it right now. I know what you mean and I'm glad we had this conversation because I'm in a productive phase and already I know that.
Speaker 1:all right, I'm taking a break. I don't know when this interview is going to come out. I'm taking a break. So I'm batching all these interviews and I'm like, okay, I know, once I'm done with this, I'm a take a pause, take my time out to get them released, and then I'm a pick up again. So I am so glad that you are sharing this. So, all right. One of the things that I know is important to you is your faith in God and your relationship with him. We've talked about that.
Speaker 1:And um, one of the things that I know has impacted people because I heard someone else talk about it was the whole Beyonce If Y'all Go Church episode. So we can talk about the incident, but did that change anything about how you share your faith and this idea of other things that you do in your life? I'm just curious.
Speaker 2:I am so glad you asked me this. Me and my best friend went to dinner. We had a conversation about it. I'm going to tell you exactly what I said, because I'm not afraid to say it. And I said to her that whole situation is starting to make me want to reframe how I discuss my faith. And I also said this to my mom as well, and they both said the same exact thing. She said you know what?
Speaker 2:Sometimes the devil comes disguised as another Christian to come and harass you and judge you. Because you know what he knew that if he comes and harasses you, he's going to silence you. And now you're going to stop telling the world about how good God has been to you. You're going to let that person silence you and allow you to stop sharing what God has done for you. Who wins? I guess you just made the devil happy, because now you won't talk about God anymore, listen.
Speaker 2:And so I'm not going to say that it didn't make me pause. I did pause and it did make me think about ways to reframe how I talk about God, because I feel like social media is such I treat it like a gunpowder keg If you're not careful enough, it can backfire against you in ways you did not envision or plan for. So there's nothing wrong with reframing the way you talk about something without having to completely abandon the idea, because whatever you talk about is what you will attract. If I talk about Jamaican food, I'm going to attract Jamaicans. If I talk about plants, I'm going to attract plant lovers, and you are going to attract extremists and non-extremists. And you have to figure out a healthy way of how to navigate that space.
Speaker 1:Thank you for sharing that, Because when I heard it I had all sorts of feelings and I said, boy, these are the type of things that make people think all Christian crazy and all these other things, and I'm just like this has nothing to. Yeah, there's extremists and non extremists.
Speaker 2:That's what I'll chalk it up to.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I'm glad that you were able to share that and also kind of give still give inspiration to people that they can share, talk about their faith in God. No, I have a very pressing question before we wrap up. When you cook all of that food right and you show me how we cook, cook right is it dinner for the night? Is there enough left over? Should I bring my plastic container come, because it feels like a whole heap of food and there's no way you, your husband and the cheap, and then I'm gonna eat off the food.
Speaker 2:So I just want to know asking for myself, not a friend myself a lot of people say this and it looks like a lot of food, but it's not a lot of food. It's not a lot of food. I made oxtail for dinner yesterday and there's no leftovers and I knew I was going out with my sister for dinner last night so I only, literally, I had like two little pieces and maybe two spoon of rice and Greg is looking at me like there's only, like you know, the little MAGA pieces. I'm still, that's it and I'm just like what happened to the food? It's not a lot of food. I know people see a big round Dutch pot but once I eat, greg will eat, the kids will eat Monday. Maybe there's leftovers the next day, just like a normal family. It's not a lot of food. These are normal size pots that everybody buys HomeGoods, macy's, wherever normal size pot of food.
Speaker 2:Sometimes I save some for my mom, like I have a fish in the fridge waiting for her. I said I was going to save for her. Sometimes, if I cook food and if there's still leftover, I say, oh, you want some? I made some. I baked some fish today, like do you want one? And she'll save it. I made the jerk chicken and festival last week and she was at the house helping me with the kids while Greg was at work, and she took some for herself and my sister. So the food always, it always finds its way into someone's belly one way or the other.
Speaker 1:Listen, I just wanted to know. I was like that's a whole heap of food. You're sure you're not need to come to Brooklyn to be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, a lot of people think, oh, my good, you're cooking all that food. It's not a lot of food. It's really not a lot of food.
Speaker 1:As we say in Jamaica, we just say enka for the food.
Speaker 2:I don't blame you. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. I'm cracking up because I feel like everyone is like oh my goodness, what are you? Going to do with all that food. All that food. I'm like it's not a lot of food and Greg, he has a big appetite. I feel like men have bigger appetites than we do and he will eat his plate. Let's say, dinner is like maybe five o'clock.
Speaker 2:By 11 o'clock I can hear the lid on the pot opening again. I'm like Greg, really, oh, this is the bedtime. I'm going back for round two. Sometimes he goes back for round two. Sometimes I pack lunch for him to take to work, so it's not as a lot as people think it is. I think they see a lot of posts back to back and they think like oh, she's cooking like this every day.
Speaker 1:Like no, I think that's what it is. It seems like you're cooking every day, but you're dripping the content, and so it just feels like, oh my God, more food, more food, more food, more food yes, all that food. All right, so I'm going to ask some other questions that I've heard before, but maybe people in my audience have not. So you were on the Food Network and you won a competition. Talk to me a little bit about that experience and what you took away from that experience.
Speaker 2:It was a really, really wonderful experience. Honestly, even if there were no prize, I'd do it again.
Speaker 2:I'd do it for free because I just enjoyed it so much and I learned so much about myself because, like I said before, we spoke about this at the Samsung event back in November and I realized it was like a really an indictment on myself. And I noticed that I have a tendency to run from problems because the moment they revealed that this was not an audition but a competition, it elicited a fight or flight response in me. When I tell you, I wanted to jump out of my skin and run. That was my first reaction and I said to myself what are you going to do now when you can't run? I said you can't run, you just have to do it.
Speaker 2:And sometimes we have these big dreams in our heads about what our end goal for us would be or what our wildest dream is, but we don't realize, we're kind of scared of those dreams and sometimes, when you realize your dream is coming true, it comes with a little bit of fear. I was happy to be there. And then I was like I can't lose. I'm like you better not lose. So there was this added pressure of not wanting to lose, not wanting to let my people down.
Speaker 2:I'm like I have to represent Jamaica, like Jamaica is a country of winners, like we're competitive, we like to win, we like to be the best. We're braggadocious people by nature. I said no way am I going to allow that to happen. So I felt the pressure to win. Also, I didn't know what I was going to be cooking. I was like I hope they don't give me like a mushroom beef, wellington or something with some ingredients that I've never heard before, and I hope that it's going to be something I could finesse. And then I said what kind of seasonings do they even have?
Speaker 1:All the important questions.
Speaker 2:All the important questions, but you know what? They were so good to me and they prepped me. I didn't realize they were prepping me, because we were in talks for a lot of weeks and what they were actually doing was prepping me for the show. I just didn't realize it, and that's kind of like how God works too. Sometimes he's prepping you for the blessing that he has. So I felt completely comfortable when they revealed what the secret ingredient was and I was like, ah, this is what they've been prepping me for. So although they kind of sprang this competition element on me, it didn't necessarily feel like I was like a fish out of water and I can't wait to do it again. If the opportunity ever presents itself, I would definitely do it again.
Speaker 1:Wonderful. So what is next for you? What do you have coming up on the horizon, as much as you can talk about it, because I know there are always things that are in the works. What are you looking forward to in the next couple weeks, couple months?
Speaker 2:For 2024, I see myself really hankering down on the business aspect. I feel like for the past couple of years I've been so much of a creative and like the money and the finances were something that were a result of my creativity. But this year I plan on really focusing more on a business model. So that would look like products, it would look like classes, it would look like whatever's on my heart to put an offering, just so that I could make my footprint even more deeper in the hearts and minds of the people that support me. So I look forward to that journey today, tomorrow and for the months to come. So that's where I see myself right now is really really, really honing in on the business aspect of running this empire.
Speaker 1:I think that is a very smart decision and I think it's important to extend the brand as much as you can to incorporate people into the experience, and so I think that's a fabulous idea. You do catering. Is that something or no? Or like, what's that?
Speaker 2:I get this question. I want to say besides, how do you balance it all? The next question is do you cater? And I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot because I don't ever. I never say never to anything because you have no idea where your journey is going to take you. But a lot of people don't know this about me I do not particularly enjoy cooking in large quantities.
Speaker 1:Well cooking is a very different beast. It's a completely different skill.
Speaker 2:Just because you know how to cook doesn't mean you know how to cater. Okay, they're two completely different skills. Knowing how to cook a small average pot of rice and peas is completely different from making a 15 quart pot of rice and peas and making sure it comes out shelly. You see those people on Instagram where they have the paddle that oblong paddle and they're digging up the curry goat and they're digging up the rice and peas and it wells shelly. That is a skill that not everyone has.
Speaker 2:Okay, and I don't mind cooking for parties, like when we host at the house. I will cook for parties. I will cook for like we'll have an event, we'll have 10, 15 friends over. I'm always overwhelmed. I go in with like a lot of vibrance and excitement. Halfway through I'm just like when is this going to be over? Like just when is it going to be over? But also, um, a part of that is realizing your limitations and sometimes you need to say hey, maybe this would be a more enjoyable experience if I had help instead of trying to do it yourself. So I never say never, but I'm just letting you know I don't like cooking in large quantities.
Speaker 1:So it's my turn to share something, what my friends would share with me. So I have a friend, a childhood friend, and she was she. She always say to me you know, carrie, you're such a creative, you have vision, but I don't sew like like you, I can't make dress like you, and she's like you don't have to do those things to have the vision or the creativity to do this thing. And so you just said it right, you can easily plan a menu or a rest, you know something, but find somebody who know how to cook big pots and shelly rice and all that stuff and let them do that.
Speaker 2:And then you're like ah, my dreams have been actualized, it's all here and I get to enjoy it without being overwhelmed, right, so you know, your strength is in understanding what your limitations are as well, and that's okay.
Speaker 1:Wonderful. So why don't you tell the community of friends where they could find you? I did share your recipe book in as a list of recipe books that they should definitely check out. I'll share that again, but tell them where they could check you out, where they could follow you and all the things that you have going on, sure.
Speaker 2:You can find me at that Nurse Can Cook on all platforms. I'm on TikTok, I'm on Instagram. I have a Facebook page I think it's called the cooking nurse, cause I think that domain was taken. I had to. That's a whole nother story for a whole nother podcast. My original Facebook page was actually hacked. That's another important to tell your audience make sure you protect your platform. The two-factor authentications, all that stuff. Make sure you protect your stuff. So that's a whole nother discussion. But you can find me on Facebook the Cooking Nurse, instagram that Nurse Can Cook.
Speaker 2:I have a website, thatnursecookscom, and there's a bunch of free recipes and free resources for you to enjoy. And I also have two e-books. One is called Dinner in 30, and it has 15 recipes that you can cook in 30 minutes, because who doesn't love a meal that's ready in 30 minutes? And then I have another cookbook that's called Iry Delights and it has some of my premium recipes in there, like barbie fried chicken. I have Henny jerk wings in there and the people have been loving it so far. It's actually on sale right now, too, for 30% off on the podcast.
Speaker 1:I'm glad that we had to have this conversation and I'm so excited. Thank you for having me. Yes, yes, yes and, as I love to say at the end of every episode walk good, thank you.
Speaker 2:My grandmother used to say that to me all the time. Yes, it's all people saying that's walk good, all right, take care you too.