Last Night Took Me Back to the 1990s

Last night, I had dinner with my longtime friend, Cathy Engle, at St. Tropez Bistro in Saskatoon.

Cathy and I worked together at Solulo Foods from 2009 to 2011, so it was such a pleasure to sit together again, enjoy a lovely meal, and catch up. Cathy is now a wine sommelier with Federated Cooperative. As she walked me through the beverage and wine list with such knowledge and passion, I was reminded of another time in my life—the 1990s, when I was an apprentice cook.

And just like that, I was transported back.

In 1992, I graduated from high school in Courtenay, BC, but I had already begun working at The Old House Restaurant, now called Locals, when I was about 16. My high school cafeteria teacher, Mr. Lie, helped set me up there as a cook apprentice. Even then, the hours I worked counted toward my apprenticeship, which was such a gift.

By 17, I had moved out of my family home. Looking back now, I realize just how much the people at The Old House looked out for me. At the time, I was young and just trying to keep up with life. I did not fully understand how much I was being cared for.

But they cared for me deeply.

They encouraged me, guided me, and even pooled their money together to buy my grade 12 graduation dress and jewelry. That still moves me to think about.

When it was time for me to go to Vancouver Community College (VCC) to complete my theory training, my chef Ronaldo arranged for me to stay with another chef - Chef Gaetane Palardy at Hotel Vancouver. She gave me her fold-out bed for a month while I attended school. I did that twice: college for the theory portion, then back to the restaurant to continue learning on the job. What a gem she is!

I trained under seven different journeyman cooks.

We made everything from scratch — soup stock, pasta, desserts, and more. The restaurant itself was an incredible place to learn. There was a catering department, an elegant upstairs dining room, a main floor restaurant, an herb garden, and even a gift shop. It was a beautiful, high-standard environment, and somehow, in the middle of it all, there was this incredible community of people making sure a young girl had what she needed to succeed.

That kind of care leaves a mark on you.

When I think of Chef Ronald, Chef Gaetane, and Edie, who was around 55 years old and still working those long, hard hours in a fast-paced, prestigious kitchen — I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. I want to hug them and cry.

What a community I had.

Last night reminded me that long before I was coaching, teaching, facilitating, or building businesses, I was being shaped by people who believed in hard work, excellence, generosity, and looking out for one another.

It also reminded me that no one truly rises alone.

There are people in our lives who steady us before we even know we need steadying. People who see something in us before we can see it ourselves. People who quietly give, support, guide, and protect us while we are still becoming.

I was blessed to have that.

And now, all these years later, I have the privilege of doing that for others.

As a business coach and cheerleader, I get to see something in people, call it out, and steady them on their journey. I get to remind them of what is possible, believe in them when they are tired or uncertain, and help them keep moving forward. That feels especially meaningful to me because I know what it is like to have others do that for me.

Last night, over dinner, stories, and a beautifully explained wine list, I remembered where some of that came from.

With a full heart, I remember.

— Penny

PS. Join us this week at Think Bigger Fridays with one of my colleagues, Marie T. (Torossian), who is a dynamic speaker, coach, and mentor specializing in business education and finance.