Book Review: Attract And Feed A Hungry Crowd

Attract and Feed a Hungry Crowd: How Thinking Like a Chef Can Help You Build a Solid Business


Written by Tea Del Alma Silvestre


Published by HungryCrowdPress


March 26, 2012

About The Author

Tea Silvestre, aka The Word Chef,  is a recovering English major and coaches solopreneurs on how to find and share their Secret Sauce with the world.

A Feast Of Information

The author begins this book with the following quotation from Linchpin by Seth Godin;

"The future belongs to chefs, not to cooks or bottle washers".

The chef represents people who create the recipes, rather than those who follow them. Ms. Silvestre believes an entrepreneur should think like a chef in order to ensure success. The chef entrepreneur will create their on unique recipes.

Each person has their blend of talents, passions, gifts and resources that make up their "secret sauce". It is a dynamic interaction of your experiences, history and natural abilities. Your secret sauce has to be totally unlike anyone else's. 

The author shares nine steps to help you find your secret sauce. The goal of your secret sauce is to figure out exactly what you bring to the table and how to communicate that in a remarkable way.

The author emphasizes the importance of finding clarity, creating a signature dish, setting "big hairy audacious goals" and developing relationships with words and actions.

There is a chapter in the book about the value of storytelling. People will remember your stories much longer than your statistics and lectures. Ms. Silvestre believes your business stories must focus on emotion. The stories we tell literally create our businesses. These stories should describe how your product or service is different. They should teach your readers something new. They should inspire change.

My Thoughts
When I read a book, I can always detect the author who is truly a "word chef". These authors know how to use the English language in a way that educates, persuades and inspires. They know how to inspire change. This book is a real feast of good things that every entrepreneur should be hungry for.

Ms. Silvestre did an outstanding job of stating her case for originality and creativity. She emphasized that we can use the recipes of other chefs when we are learning, but we must create our own original "signature dishes" if we are going to be competitive and successful in the business world.

The author includes a very good Reading List of marketing books at the end of this book. These books should be on the "Must Read" list of all entrepreneurs.

"Attract and Feed a Hungry Crowd" is only 60 pages long but it packs the punch of a much longer book. I emphatically recommend this book to all entrepreneurs and anyone interested in marketing their product or cause. This book will fill you with a delicious feast of knowledge and inspiration.

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I ordered this ebook from Amazon.Com when it was offered as a free download. Please check the price before ordering.
The link for this book at the top of the post is my affiliate link from Amazon.Com. I appreciate your support!

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

A Recipe Greeting Card

Do you have an old worn-out cookbook that you are thinking about throwing away? Today I will show you how to take a recipe from an old cookbook and reuse it by making a unique greeting card.

The theme this week for Mo's Digital Challenge #86 is "Recipe".  One of the ways to participate in this challenge is to make a card that has to do with cooking. The winner will be picked in a random drawing tonight.

How I Made The Card

(1.) The base for this card is ivory cardstock and it measures 5" by 6.5".

(2.) The background paper (green with coffee cups) is from a packet of DCWV "Vintage Collage Stack" patterned paper. I punched the corners with a Martha Stewart corner punch.

(3.) I used the digital image "What's Cookin'?" from Mo's Digital Pencil Shop. I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils and then cut it out.

(4.) I chose the recipe "Nut Pie" from an old 1930s vintage cookbook. I tore around the edges and then distressed the edges with Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Old Paper).

(5.) I stamped "Yummy" on a piece of cardstock and framed it with a lighter color. I then glued it to the lower corner of the recipe.

(6.) I embellished the card with two faux buttons that I made with a Martha Stewart punch.

This is a fun and easy card to make and is perfect for all the cooks that you know. Please leave share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Julie and Julia - A Movie Review

I recently saw the movie Julie and Julia - I liked it. I have listed some of the things I especially liked below:

• This story is based on a blog. Julie Powell was a young woman who was looking for a challenge. She came up with the Julie/Julia Project in 2002 and she recorded all the details of her experience in a blog. Julie pledged to cook the 536 recipes in Mastering The Art of French Cooking, Volume One (1) by Julia Child. She had one year (365 days) to achieve her goal.
• The movie is based on two true stories; the life of Julie Powell and the life of Julia Child. Meryl Streep did a fabulous job playing the part of Julia Child. Julia learned to cook while living in France with her husband Paul. Julia was the only woman enrolled in her first cooking classes in France. Cooking soon became her passion.
• I liked the humor in the movie. Some of Julie's cooking experiences were hilarious. After watching this movie, I will never cook a lobster...NEVER!
• Julie was very real. She struggled with her job, finances and marriage. She was frequently discouraged and almost quit her cooking project numerous times.
• This movie was an inspiration. It showed how two women found something they were passionate about and changed the world.

Could you or I do what Julie did? I think we could. It would take focus, determination and commitment. What "project" would you like to start? I would love to hear from you.

MOVIE RATING: Great ~ I would love to see it again!