In this age of female empowerment and the continuous search for balance between work and family, it’s so refreshing to read Samantha’s 5 Questions With interview below. Her company, Raddish Kids (a monthly cooking club for kids — more below), values this balance. Samantha supports the parents in her team to be flexible and wants them to be able to put their families first.

Yes, a healthy work/life IS possible! [Applause!]

Thank you, Samantha, for sharing your inspiring story with us, and for setting the very best example.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, where you live and about your family.
I’m the mom to a 9 year old girl, a 7 year old boy, and a 3 year old golden retriever. My husband and I are native New Englanders who started dating in college in Maine… but somehow ended up making Los Angeles our home. We live near the beach and I love that I get to play in the sun and sand year round!

Before starting Raddish, I was a middle school social studies teacher, and I remain passionate about progressive education. Cooking good food for my family and friends is my favorite way to show love… and family dinner is nightly part of our circus!

2. Tell us a little bit about Raddish and why you decided to start a cooking club for kids.
Raddish is monthly cooking kit for kids and families. Each thematic kit includes illustrated recipe guides for kids of all ages, table talk conversation starters, a hiqh quality kitchen tool, culinary activities, and an apron patch. Our themes range from an international focus — like Swedish Eats and Taste of Thailand, to seasonal fun, like Backyard BBQ and Spring Brunch.

When I left behind my career as a middle school social studies teacher, it was so I could teach kids geography, math, history, science, and more — in the kitchen instead of in the classroom! Before starting Raddish 6 years ago, I owned and operated a mobile culinary school for kids. We offered birthday parties, after-school enrichment classes, and summer camps throughout Los Angeles. The business was thriving, but I wanted to reach kids and families everywhere — and I wanted to bring them together in their own kitchens. So we packaged up our specialized approach to teaching cooking to kids and launched Raddish, the first cooking kit for kids!

3. How do you juggle motherhood and your career?
For many years, Raddish operated from our small backyard garage — where we shipped thousands of cooking kits each month, and managed a team of 7. So when my kids were tiny, motherhood and career dramatically overlapped! Today I aim to lead by example: our company values flexibility and work-life balance, so it’s okay for me to put family first — even though it took me a few years to embrace this.

Flexibility, asking for help, and delegating are skills crucial to both mothers and CEOs — and especially to mothers who are CEOs. I was raised by a fiercely independent single mom, so I’ve had to learn what it means to ask for help, but it’s critical at work and at home. At home, I’m grateful for our babysitter who also helps maintain order around the house and loves my kids like her own. At work, I’ve got an all star team who is collaborative and nimble.

4. Can you tell us something exciting that you have planned for this year?
I’m super excited about the recipes and themes we’re rolling out in 2020!!! Get ready for Nordic Cinnamon Buns, Chicken Katsu, and Apple Cider Donuts. (Not all the same kit, of course!) We’re also working on some exciting partnerships through grocers that will help us get more kids in the kitchen, and a plan everyone can implement for weekly family dinner nights!

5. What do you love most about your job?
Every day I scroll our Facebook Group and Instagram, and I’m flooded with photos of children joyfully and proudly showing off their culinary creations and kitchen fun. Our mission is giving kids confidence in the kitchen and beyond — so knowing I’ve created something that achieves this for thousands of families on a daily basis is hugely gratifying. I am also extremely proud that as a female founder/CEO, I’ve created a workplace that supports parents. Our flexible company culture allows employees to volunteer at their kids’ school, take family vacation as needed, coach sports teams, and pursue continuing adult education. We have moms on our team that work from home and moms that work part time. Our society has made it too difficult for mothers to return to work after having children, so I love that I get to be surrounded by smart, passionate, dedicated colleagues who strive for an attainable work/life balance.

Raddish Kids is a member of our shopping portal, you can find their profile page here.