Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Johnson.
Katie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
How did I get to where I am today? A lot of trial and error just like everyone else!
If you had asked when I was a kid, I would’ve told you that I wanted to grow up to be a hairdresser. And while I do cut my own hair these days, that specific career is not exactly the path I took. After college, I started working at the Chicago Sun-Times. I always dreamed of being a writer (communications major nerdette alert) so even being affiliated with writers (despite working in the very separate, so separate we were staffed on different floors, advertising and marketing departments) was kind of a dream come true. But, it was also a tumultuous time for newspapers and print media (and still is – although I would argue that print still seems to be the favorite format despite our addictions to our various forms of screens). The paper entered bankruptcy and was threatening to foreclose if new owners couldn’t be secured.
Luckily, that happened and Chicago is still a “two newspaper” town, but going through that kind of instability motivated my thirst for other passions, not to mention taught me the important lesson to dig in and have patience. I took night classes at Northwestern and earned a certificate in museum studies. And then I signed up for a sanitation course at College of DuPage to earn my ServeSafe license (which I have studiously renewed every four years before it can expire). That lead to me leaving the newspaper world for the food and hospitality world. I have no doubt that potential employers have looked at my resume and wondered why I would make such a jump, but the two things have always been so closely related in my mind. At the root, both of these careers are about telling stories – in one the medium is the printed word, on paper; whereas the other is more interpretive, through the items on a plate, telling you how the things you are about to eat got there, why and how they were composed together and what meaning they hold for the person or persons stewarding them to your table.
I was fortunate that in embracing the overlap between these two worlds, the result led me to first, finding my “tribe” and secondly, reinforcing my life’s “work.” Throughout my various experience in the food industry, I have had dream jobs as well as nightmare jobs (and everything in-between). But all in all, I remembered my time at the newspaper and recommitted to my desire to always seek out more. I found an outlet in food writing and wrote for a couple of local blogs, which eventually led to me stumbling across an application to be on the board of Slow Food Chicago. I applied and was interviewed, but there just wasn’t room for me yet – another lesson in the fact that you can always have more patience – but I was instead offered an ambassadorship and started volunteering, helping revive their site’s blog. Soon enough, a spot opened up and I took on the communications chair seat. And I haven’t left. Although I dread the day, my term will be up soon, but I will always be grateful for the people and opportunities I have been gifted with joining in the fight for “good, clean and fair” food for all. I say dread because I’ve met the most genuine, fascinating, amazing people and had experiences I certainly wouldn’t have had on my own. Not only are Slow Food Chicago events typically pretty magical, but being a part of this organization led to me traveling to Italy as a delegate from Illinois and witnessing my heroines Alice Waters and Marion Nestle speak at workshops. Because of my involvement in Slow Food Chicago’s food book club programming, I have also had the chance to meet one of my favorite graphic novelists who also lives in Chicago, Lucy Knisley. I could go on forever, but Slow Food has been pretty instrumental in connecting me with pretty wonderful individuals. And I know it is a movement that will live on with me even after my role on the board is up.
When I’m not volunteering my time with Slow Food, you can probably bet I’m either baking or reading (or snuggling with my rescue pit mix, Kicha). In the spring I enrolled in graduate school to earn a masters degree in library sciences. So, that thirst to be affiliated with those who embrace the written word is still strongly pulsing through my veins. About six years ago, I also formally started my permanent side hustle business, Smashed Muffin Goods. I began vending at farmers markets in the city and suburbs under the cottage law. After bringing some “just so happened to be” gluten-free and vegan cookies, I noticed them quickly becoming best sellers, so I gradually started adapting more and more recipes so that more and more customers could safely indulge. After a few years of markets, I decided to just stick to special and custom orders (as I have always worked in some other capacity while maintaining this “side hustle”), which allows me to focus more on specific needs. Sometimes that’s experimenting with a conventional order and sometimes it’s figuring out a way to make a cookie without traces of corn which may be found in vanilla (corn-based alcohol is often used) or baking powder (which commonly contains cornstarch).
Regardless of the task, it all relates back to creating inclusivity and diversity in the stories we engage with – either through reading or eating.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course, not. But if it had been smooth, I probably wouldn’t have learned so much about myself and about the world along the way.
As you can probably tell from the above question, I’ve done plenty of searching in terms of having a career. But to me, it’s perfectly healthy to keep exploring for what the next “thing” is that gets you excited. I remember watching a public television show with family not too long ago. It was about a former television producer turned storyteller (noticing a theme here?) who was interviewing an old coworker turned birdwatcher. He asked his former colleague if he ever worried about always searching for the next thing (or bird in his case) to entice your interest. “Well, it sure beats the alternative, doesn’t it?” he said. His point being, while some see “searching” as translating to being “lost,” he sees it as a positive way to approach life, constantly seeking what else you can learn from it. I guess the point I’m trying to say is – embrace the struggle, it’s what makes this life real.
I know I still have a lot to learn, some of it will be gleeful and some of it may be less so, but regardless I’m enormously glad for that.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Slow Food Chicago, Smashed Muffin Goods – what should we know?
Slow Food Chicago…
is an international non-profit that started as a movement in Italy in the 1980’s in response to the threat of fast-food companies becoming more present. In the US, there are over 200 chapters nationwide and we are lucky that Chicago is one of the larger chapters. Not only are we a rather active chapter, but we have a relatively large board compared to some other cities (we currently have roughly 16 active board of directors). This means we can put on more programming throughout the year. This ranges from free programming like our food book club, crop mobs or preSERVE community garden volunteer days, to ticketed events like our summer solstice potluck or annual farm roast. Through these programs, we seek to educate and motivate consumers to become more engaged with their food and the journey it takes to make it to our plates as well as create awareness for the injustices in our current food systems so we can collectively find ways to encourage a more equitable framework, one that considers producers and eaters alike. There is also an initiative called the Ark of Taste, a living catalog of delicious and distinctive foods and dishes facing extinction if we don’t keep eating them and create a demand for their production. “Eat me to save me” you’ll often hear us say.
This will be my third year serving on the board in a communications capacity and this year I am co-chairing the role of board President with my colleague and friend, Clare Johnson. As communications chair, I manage our monthly newsletters, maintain the website, create content for the blog, and manage our food book club (surprise surprise). Being part of the executive team as co-president means I help manage partnerships, work closely with our social media and public relations chairs and overall, keep things moving forward.
Smashed Muffin Goods…
is a baked goods (and sometimes savory goods too) business with a focus on allergy friendly goods using wholesome plant strong ingredients. Whether a conventional order or what may be seen as a more restrictive order with allergies, food sensitivities or dietary preferences in mind, my goal is to create something that is a “smash hit” for your taste buds.
I have fond memories of baking with my mom when I was younger, so food and baking from scratch has become very connected with how I express love to others. Outside of a one-week pastry camp at The French Pastry School downtown, I am a self-taught pastry chef. There was a time when I considered going back to school for nutrition, but that didn’t quite pan out. (Harkening back to that “trial and error” referenced earlier.) Instead, I pursued a certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from Cornell. With more and more diversions from the standard American diet, and Slow Food opening my eyes to a wealth of little-known ingredients, all of this has awakened my love for experimentation. Despite science being a struggle for me in school, baking makes it approachable for me. I’ve made cakes without any granular sugar or butter and found plant-strong ingredients to replace conventional counterparts (including maple syrup or agave and fresh fruit for a sweetener or coconut oil as a frosting base). I often use flax, a vegetable based oil or even bananas as a swap for eggs. And though my farmers market days are behind me for now, I still do custom orders. There is no greater joy than being able to provide a child (or adult) with a special treat to indulge in on a birthday or celebration that is safe for them to eat.
Because of my work with Slow Food, last summer I was able to attend Slow Food Nations in Denver, Colorado, at which I participated in a couple of artisan-bread making workshops. I came home with a 20-year old sourdough starter which has become many of the loaves of bread I enjoy at home today (when I’m not fan-girl-ing on Hewn, just one of the many great artisan local bakeries we are blessed with in Chicagoland). So I am slowly but surely teaching myself all about bread and even purchased an attachment for my kitchen aid that allows me to grind whole wheat berries into flour. At last summer’s farm roast, I provided a loaf of bread made with Turkey Red Wheat berries, the flour for which I milled in my own home kitchen, for the Ark of Taste workshop breakout session we held.
I’m proud that my passion and genuine joy for creating and experimenting comes through in my baking. So much so that every time my production schedule seems to be clearing up, somehow it magically fills up all over again.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Patience and commitment seem to have been the perfect storm throughout my personal experiences. We may not always be perfectly happy with where we are at. But, that discomfort just means we have room to grow and (hopefully) learn. Change can be hard, but it is often necessary in this world of impermanence. Adapting and evolving don’t always mean the end. I was exhausted and felt like giving up after loving the community but struggling to make a profit as a vendor at farmers markets. So, I resolved to find another way. And luckily I have still been able to maintain a presence and continue to get new business pretty organically. And the best part is, now I get to enjoy farmers markets as a consumer myself! There are no shortage of good markets throughout the Chicagoland area in the summertime.
As I mentioned in the first question, I’m also currently pursuing a masters degree. You may have picked up that I love to read (and write), and discover other people’s stories. We like to see ourselves reflected, but it is also beneficial to challenge our world view and seek out stories that contrast from our own. So for me, a key has been to never pass up the opportunity to learn more. Whether it turns into a career pivot or not, that thirst for knowledge will add up to creating more empathy, which I certainly feel we can use more of these days…
That being said, I fully recognize that one size does not fit all – what works for me might not work for you. So, by all means, embrace that and do you! But I hope my sometimes wayward path, thus far, can inspire you to embrace whatever journey you happen to be on!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://smashedmuffingoods.weebly.com/
- Phone: (630) 209-7793
- Email: smashedmuffingoods@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smashedmuffingoods/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmashedMuffin/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlmK07-oKFw&t=3s
Image Credit:
“Ark of Taste”, Clare Johnson/Slow Food Chicago
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