Jackie Sun has been one of the greatest blessings to Cook Smarts. She was the first person I hired and took me from a one-woman show to a two-woman show. Not only has she proved herself to be an integral part of the team, but she is such a gentle, caring soul and has made me a better person over the years we've worked together.

In today's episode, we're getting to know this multi-talented lady and also taking a walk down memory lane. I cannot believe that Jackie has been working with me for 7 years -- time absolutely flies! Among the many stories you'll get to hear:

1. How Jackie became a pastry chef and how she made the transition to working for Cook Smarts and learned an entirely new set of skills
2. All the different hats she's worn over the years at Cook Smarts and what she loves doing most now
3. How working at Cook Smarts has helped her start her own company Wondershins
4. How she meal plans and cooks for a mixed-diet household

If you love getting a behind-the-scenes peek at small businesses and love a transformation story, then this podcast episode is for you!

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). If we read your review on a future podcast, you'll win a Cook Smarts tote bag!

We're on a little summer break, so I'm introducing you to another one of our Cook Smarts team members!

If every company had a Sarah Byun on the team, companies would have many, many more happy customers. Sarah started off as a Cook Smarts customer in 2014 and then joined our team as our Kitchen Happiness Cheerleader in the spring of 2015. Since then, she has helped countless customers get their questions answered, concerns addressed, typos on their emails fixed, always with the most cheerful demeanor.

In today's episode, you'll get to know this amazing multi-tasking mama and also get a behind-the-scenes look at our small but mighty company. Plus, you'll get to hear:

1. How Sarah juggles being a homeschooling mom with her Cook Smarts responsibilities
2. All the hats she wears because she does way more than answer customer service emails
3. The negative customer service email she had to answer in her application to get the job!

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2) . If we share your review in a future episode, we'll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag to bring you more fun and eco-friendly grocery shopping!

We're on a little summer break, so we're rerunning one of my favorite episodes!

One of the best things that's happened to Cook Smarts is bringing on a dedicated meal plan developer. Jess Smith joined the team in the spring of 2015, all the way from Thailand and has taken our recipe development process and the quality of our meals to a whole other level.

In today's episode, we're getting to know this multi-talented lady and also giving you a behind the scenes of our small little company. Plus, you'll get to hear:

1. How she made a huge career switch going from working for the State Department in Thailand to working in food full time and all the lessons she's learned during this transition
2. What it's like to go from food blogging to getting feedback -- sometimes less than positive feedback -- on every recipe you create
3. The most challenging part of the job and what's gotten easier over time

If you're someone who's wanted to make a career change and pursue your true passion, this episode is definitely not to be missed. Another added bonus: I also offer some advice to the entrepreneurs out there about building out your team.

For all the links mentioned in this episode and to see a picture of Jess' family of 5, head to our show notes: www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/3