Today we’d like to introduce you to Nandita Godbole.
Hi Nandita, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I remember the kitchens of my childhood, nuances of flavors that brought me joy, aromas that tickled my senses, and colors that made everything playful.
In my mid-thirties, I found myself back into the spaces that brought me comfort – food. Two decades later, I am even more embedded in exploring the drama of flavor, texture, and aroma in everything I do.
I am a cookbook author, a lifestyle journalist, a hospitality consultant, and a ceramic artist.
After hosting a wildly popular supper-club series in metro LA one summer, I was reminded how much I loved sharing clean, fresh, and exciting flavors of my cuisine, and I wrote my very first cookbook on Indian cuisine. In time, I wrote more books, and now have written seven cookbooks on the various aspects of Indian cuisine otherwise hidden in a blur of a detailed but very one-dimensional table of contents.
Seeing how Indian cuisine continued to mystify diners, I began writing about the cuisine for those who did not want a cookbook and became a lifestyle journalist. With my experience, I slowly began consulting within the hospitality industry and with PR agencies who represented restaurants.
A cuisine has roots in a specific culture, but food is for everyone. I am here to help bridge the gap.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing worthwhile comes easy.
A friend had said to me many years ago that it takes a lot of conviction to break away from a predictable structure of routine and that entrepreneurs are braver than most people because we take a leap of faith.
Growing a business means convincing other people that your vision – the one you’ve been obsessively and quietly fine-tuning for weeks, months, or years is worthwhile. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted.
Writing my first book, “A Dozen Ways to Celebrate,” was difficult, as was every book since then. Writing my seventh most recent cookbook, “Masaleydaar: Classic Indian Spice Blends,” was more stressful than any other – because of my computer with a prelim. Manuscript was stolen merely hours after I launched a Kickstarter for it. But I found the strength to keep going.
Each step of my journey came with its own version of challenges – a crashed computer, a corrupt computer file, a hard-drive failure, life events, a theft, health challenges, and mental health worries – are all inescapable parts of life.
Throwing money at a problem never solves anything and cannot motivate a creator when they are down. But the moral support of folks who believe in your work, who celebrate your work, and can be your cheer squad is always more valuable to you than a check or two. They help you persevere.
We’ve been impressed with Curry Cravings (TM) LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As a lifestyle journalist, an author, and an entrepreneur, I have insight into a niche subset of the robust hospitality industry – retaining consumer patronage.
I have been consulting with folks in the hospitality industry for several years – a pep talk here, a marketing plan there, even coaching PR folks in spotting the disconnects – all helping businesses develop a vision for growth.
Knowing Indian cuisine inside out and knowing what it takes to churn a brand out of the ho-hum rut of the ‘curry house’ labels, I can spot ‘room for improvement’ in an establishment within 30 minutes of being there. I’ve been able to help improve menus, identify gaps in well-intentioned sustainability initiatives, develop long-term marketing / PR goals, and also work with businesses to create an attractive community-forward venue, as well as niche destinations.
Every establishment, regardless of scale, operates at the same level – because they are addressing the needs of one individual at a time. Hospitality is best when the guest is happy.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
True success is keeping the finish line moving. It means treating a business plan as an ongoing venture that constantly can be fine-tuned. Success cannot be defined by external mechanisms that may not see all the work and challenges that went into bringing you where you are. If you are able to sleep tired but happy and can return to what you were doing the next day, with a broad grin and boundless enthusiasm, you are already successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.currycravings.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/currycravings
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanditagodbole/
Image Credits
V Umashankar
