Investing in Myself + BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! Today is a big day for Climbing Grier Mountain and I can’t wait for you to join me on this next adventure! 

We need to have a little chat about an exciting new development here at Climbing Grier Mountain. Something has been brewing for a while, in fact, I’m not sure how I’ve kept quiet for so long! However, I’m not one to keep secrets and today feels right to spill the beans.

I come from a family of entrepreneurs. Both my parents run successful companies – my dad a CEO in senior healthcare management and my mother an owner/operator of a vintage boutique. I am lucky. My parents have shown me that passion and hard work gets you through almost anything. Their message I follow – in life, there are no guarantees, so the only thing you can count on, is yourself. To be my best self, I need to invest in myself.

For the longest time, I have pictured myself running my own business. As a little girl, I used to play “office” in our family room, complete with name tags for my Barbies, fake Monopoly money for capital investments, and a used tea cabinet to hold my office supplies. Nothing made me happier than dreaming about helping people, working on projects, and teamwork.

Now, fast forward to my thirty-four self. I’ve been in the financial industry for almost ten years. I enjoy learning the ins and outs of the corporate finance world, but nothing was satisfying my craving to do more. I wasn’t being challenged and to be real honest, I was bored. I once heard a motivational speaker say, “If you ever get bored at your job it’s time to move on. Because not only are you holding yourself back, you are taking the spot of someone else who needs that spot in order to grow.”

Well, it just so happens that the universe took notice of my unhappiness and decided to present me with an unexpected opportunity. I had two options: 1) stay at my current job and remain comfortably numb, or 2) take a leap of faith and pursue CGM full-time. At first, I didn’t know what to think. I’ve been in Groundhog Day mode for the past ten years, so it was a total shock to the system. After letting the choice sit with me for a bit, that tiny light from my childhood imagination grew brighter and brighter.

Ultimately, I chose to exit stage-left and embark on a new career path. One where I become my best self, make my own decisions, and fight every waking minute to be successful. On December 16th, 2016 I quit my job and hired myself. Meet the new CEO of CGM Publications, yours truly.

Here’s the best part!

I AM WRITING A COOKBOOK!!! Yep! Yep!

The whole process happened so fast. My publisher first discussed the project last fall. I submitted the first manuscript on March 15th.

I started writing and producing recipes on January 1st. Each week, my aunt Joan (who is my saving grace and this book would not be possible without her expertise and talent) and I would create and test 10 recipes. 10 RECIPES?!!!! Looking back I am not sure how the hell we survived, but we did.

In a way, the whole cookbook process was a blessing in disguise even though we were working under an aggressive deadline. I didn’t have time to question quitting my job. It forced me to commit 100% to this experience.

So, you may be thinking, what the heck did you write about? Great question! As you know my passion is comfort food. When the wonderful folks over at Page Street Publishing asked me if I wanted to do a cookbook about Modern Comfort Food, I was like YOU BET YOUR SWEET TOOKUS I DO!! I developed a Table of Contents that centered on brunch, international cuisines, vintage classics, retro desserts, and even a modern drive thru chapter. After several drafts and phone calls, they gave it the green light and we were in business.

Another tidbit you may want to know – we are still working on a title! That may be the hardest part! The book is due out this fall…OMG. I did all the photography so I hope you like dark and moody. Below is a picture of some of the props I used. I went with gray, blacks, and blues (very CGM-ish).

The primary purpose for writing and creating this book for is connections. It centers not only on the food you are eating, but with the people you are eating it with. I want people to spend time in the kitchen creating recipes that bring back a special memory, heal a friend in need, or feed a crowd in a hurry. This cookbook will inspire you to get into the kitchen but not keep you there all day.

I hope you love this cookbook as much as I have loved making it. Here’s to the next chapter of Climbing Grier Mountain. I think it’s going to be a tasty one.