An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Not being afraid to ask for help: On many occasions, especially when my girls were young, I had relationships with other moms, and we would help each other out by picking up or taking home each other’s kids. We each stepped in when needed.
In this fast-paced world, mothers who juggle work and parenting responsibilities face unique challenges and experiences. Their stories of resilience, strength, and adaptability are not just inspiring but also enlightening. We aim to delve into the lives of working mothers to understand how they manage their professional ambitions while raising their children either single-handedly or with a partner. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Lynde Giffen.
Lynde Giffen, founder of K Girls Kitchen, has been deeply connected to the food industry for most of her life. Her journey into entrepreneurship was influenced by her upbringing in a family involved in produce sales and her early love for baking. Growing up, she spent considerable time with her grandmother in the kitchen, where she discovered her passion for baking. By the age of 11, Lynde was already showcasing her entrepreneurial spirit, selling homemade cookies at the Los Angeles Produce Market while her father sold produce. This early exposure to the food industry laid the foundation for her future ventures.
Despite her love for baking, Lynde initially followed her family’s path, working in produce sales. She built strong relationships with top chefs and restaurants across Southern California, offering them the finest produce. However, her passion for baking remained a constant in her life, especially as she became a mother. Baking with her daughters became a cherished activity, particularly during the holidays, when they would create special treats for her clients. The most notable of these was their Chocolate Chip Pumpkin loaf, which quickly became a favorite among local chefs. The overwhelming demand for this product led them to enter it into the Los Angeles County Fair’s annual Bake Off, where they won first place. This victory inspired Lynde to establish K Girls Kitchen, a business centered on the artisanal baked goods that had brought so much joy to her family and clients.
Balancing motherhood with her career has been a central theme in Lynde’s life. As a single mother, she often found herself navigating the challenges of raising her daughters while managing her growing business. One poignant moment came when her eldest daughter, during a college class, named Lynde as the person she admired most. This recognition from her daughter affirmed that Lynde was succeeding in her balancing act, managing to be both a dedicated mother and a successful entrepreneur.
Looking to the future, Lynde is passionate about reducing food waste by advocating for the donation of expired foods to food banks. She believes that expired dates do not necessarily indicate that food is spoiled and that much of what is currently wasted could be used to help those in need. Through K Girls Kitchen and her personal advocacy, Lynde continues to make a positive impact on her community while setting an example for working mothers everywhere.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about celebrating working mothers, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
As the founder of K Girls Kitchen, I have had the food industry in my veins, and have worked hard to carve my path in my entrepreneurial ventures. Growing up in food, I know a cross section of stakeholders in the community. I know what e-commerce consumers are seeking (especially those who do not live near specialty food stores), how chefs are pursuing the freshest and most local produce, and why retailers are looking for delicious, artisanal, woman-owned manufacturers to support.
My love for baking began at the age of 11, when I spent hours in the kitchen baking with my grandmother. My father loved our cookies so much, he invited me to accompany him to work at the Los Angeles Produce Market. While he was selling his produce, I was selling my “Lynde’s Lushee’s” cookies, and yes, we would get to the market at 3:00 am. The special time spent together at the LA Produce Market sparked my interest in the food world in general, and in selling my baked goods specifically. I would emerge triumphantly with my own customer orders and return the following week with Lynde’s Lushees cookies.
Despite baking being my first love, I followed in my family’s footsteps, and sold produce to the best chefs and restaurants in Southern California. From the time my daughters could walk, they were in the kitchen baking with me. And for me as a single mother, I so enjoyed baking as our favorite playtime. During the holidays, we wanted to show our gratitude towards my chef clients with something from the heart.
We created this incredible Chocolate Chip Pumpkin loaf that my chefs went crazy for! We always proclaimed that it was Pumpkin Bread Season during that time of year and our home smelled like a warm hug. Year after year, the requests kept coming in. We would bake all day and night for not only my clients, but for friends, family and anyone who had ever heard of or tasted it. This was while I was selling produce full time. So, we decided to enter our product into the Los Angeles County Fair’s annual Bake Off. Much to our surprise, we won first place! We always knew we had something special, but this was the validation we needed to take it to the next level … And that’s when K Girls Kitchen was born.
Can you share a moment or story that happened to you where you were inspired or given hope that there could be successful parenting while building and growing a meaningful career?
My daughter was in the first semester of college and called me in the middle of the day. She said that she was in her psychology class and the professor asked the students to share who they admired the most and why. Then, they had to call the person and tell them. My daughter called me! She told me that she admired me the most because of how hard I work, that I don’t take bad treatment from anyone, stand up for what’s right and that no matter what was going on in my life (work or otherwise), that I always put her first. I was so proud. And what occurred to me was, “Maybe I was handling the work/life balance successfully!”
It is exciting to be here with you today celebrating your success. Which three-character traits do you think were most instrumental to that success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
LASER FOCUS: Having a Vision & Attention to Detail: I have a specific vision of how I want my product to look. As such, I want that theme to be carried out consistently in all areas of my marketing. Whether it is the look of a package ordered online, in my booth at the farmer’s market, or the way that I exhibit at the IDDBA (International Dairy Deli Bakery) trade show.
STUBBORNESS: Don’t Listen to Outside Noise: I had a director comment that I was, “never going to make a living from this.” That was when I had only one flavor and he had no idea of my business plan. Although I still have doubts in my mind, I know that it is the intrusive thoughts of others that trip me up.
GRIT: Never Give Up: When I was working on my Midnight Chocolate, I got up at 3:00 am to pull out my eggs and butter to make them room temperature. Then, I would go back to sleep, and wake up at 4:00 am to bake until 6:30 am. Then it was time to start my day with my family. I did this for months until I could get the Midnight Chocolate taste and texture exactly right. Happily, it ended up winning 1st Place at the LA County Fair that year.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you share a personal story that highlights the balancing act of being a working mother?
I was a single mother from the time my girls were 1 and 3 years old- and now they are 19 and 21. I recall a specific time crouching in the corner of my bathroom on the phone speaking with a customer, in the hopes they wouldn’t hear my young children in the background. I recall conversations with my male colleagues about what great dads they were when they would bring their kids with them to see customers. Yet I was hiding, because on many occasions I would get, “oh, you have your kids today” implying that I wasn’t really working.
What has been your most effective strategy for balancing work commitments with your responsibilities as a parent?
Planning ahead is the key, for both business and personal. I never wanted to miss anything (i.e., school plays, cheerleader competitions, classroom events,) which meant that my workday included late nights and early mornings to accommodate doing daytime school events.
Can you share a significant challenge you faced as a working mother and how you overcame it?
At times I’d have to travel for work. The stress of trying to figure out who would take care of the kids and manage all their commitments was a lot. I would bring my cousin out from Texas. I knew that I could trust her, and that she would take care of all their needs, just as I would.
Some employers are hesitant to hire moms and especially single mothers. Will you tell us a story about your productivity and accomplishments and how being a mom assisted you at work?
I have perfected multi-tasking and prioritizing. My life is the perfect example of why you hire a single mom. I started a business, raised 2 daughters, and I am still a top salesperson in produce. I go from Zoom call with a supermarket buyer for K Girls, to going to see a customer to discuss produce, to booking flights home for my girls home from college.
How do you prioritize self-care amidst your busy schedule?
I am on the treadmill at least 5 times a week, early in the morning. This is my time to listen to a podcast, watch tv or decompress. This clears my head and prepares me for the day.
How do you find time and energy for personal development?
I am in the car a lot going to visit my customers. I listen to podcasts or books on Audible. I’m obsessed with “How I Built This” an NPR podcast where the host, Guy Raz, talks to innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists, about the stories behind the movements they built.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Things You Need to Thrive as a Working Mother?”
1 . Good time management: I am all about scheduling. As I mentioned earlier, I would bake in the middle of the night when my kids were small. In the morning, I would make breakfast, lunches, get their backpacks ready and get them off to school. Then it was time for me to be super-efficient in my day job in produce to finish by 3:00 pm for school pick up, getting my kids home and settled, continuing my work in both produce and K Girls, get dinner ready, get kids bathed and ready for bed, then continue baking… rinse and repeat.
2 . Not being afraid to ask for help: On many occasions, especially when my girls were young, I had relationships with other moms, and we would help each other out by picking up or taking home each other’s kids. We each stepped in when needed.
3 . Showcasing your devotion to your children: I worked in their classrooms weekly as the room mom. I chaperoned class trips. Now that they are older, I love moving them back to college each year to help them get set up. I’ve always treasured having an intricate role in my daughters’ lives, despite what was going on in my life.
4 . Carving out personal time to take care of yourself: After an intense 3-day trade show (plus 2 days set up and 1 day breakdown) I immediately flew with my cousins to Mexico for a 4-day vacation. Side note, each morning in Mexico I took 3 hours and did my follow-up from the show.
5 . Knowing your kids are happy, independent, self-sufficient, and thriving: Chloe is doing an internship where she’s putting her engineering education to great use. Hayley is spending the summer with her best friend working on an island and learning about business.
What support systems or resources have been crucial in helping you manage both parenting and your career?
Creating a strong mom-tribe. Your mom friends can change the world!
Also, your kids’ teachers can be your biggest advocates.
What advice would you give to single mothers striving to achieve success in their careers while raising children?
You must strive to be better than your male counterparts.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Being able to donate expired foods to food banks. Expired dates do NOT necessarily mean that they are spoiled. SO much is wasted that shouldn’t be.
How can our readers further follow you online?
https://instagram.com/kgirlskitchen
https://facebook.com/kgirlskitchenLA
https://linkedin.com/kgirlskitchen
https://tiktok.com/kgirlskitchen
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
Balancing Acts: Lynde Giffen of K Girls Kitchen On How To Thrive As A Working Mother was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.