ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY AND THE CONNECTION IT PROVIDES

If there’s one thing we’ve leaned on over the past year and a half of dealing with the new COVID reality, it’s community.

That’s where we’ve sought solace, found comfort and camaraderie and reaffirmed our collective sense of togetherness even when we were forced to stay six feet apart.

In a recent article in @menumagca, writer J. Marie Nicholson interviews Chef Meagan Bowden aka @platterqween on her @phancyfoodcatering business in Toronto, the importance of building a strong community and her deep-rooted passion for food and hospitality.

It was the sense of community she found with other women in the industry — not just during the pandemic, but throughout her career — that Bowden credits with having been crucial to her success thus far, as well as her mental survival while navigating COVID-19’s choppy waters.

Bowden has long been a passionate advocate for female and female-identifying entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry and in 2018 the Female Foodie Entrepreneur Meetup was born of her desire to provide a support system for like-minded individuals. Pre-pandemic, she organized monthly meetings for people to connect, problem-solve and learn from each other.

Like many others in the industry, she has leaned on her community more than ever throughout the past year, and would offer the same advice to fellow entrepreneurs.

Read the full Menu Magazine feature on Meagan Bowden at the link in our bio above.

Stand tall. Stay strong. Show love. Support local.