Today we’d like to introduce you to Yvonne Lau.
Yvonne, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My inspiration came from a special on Netflix. It was about an archaeologist who was exploring Pompeii and found a bakery. Yes! there was a bread in the oven! The bread was given to a Master baker who made a starter from it and baked a loaf of bread. Unbelievable!
Come to find out, bread starters date back 3,000 to 4,000 years! My goal was to make my own starter and bake the best sourdough bread in memory of my mother, Josefina, who loved sourdough bread!
Alright, 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?
Sourdough is quite finicky. The bacteria reacts to everything in its environment. Some of my first loaves looked like the bread that was pulled out of the oven in Pompeii! (Smile)
A challenge ensued…l gave myself a year of baking, only on weekends, since l worked full-time. Eventually, my breads rose beautifully, texture was like no other, as well as flavor.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
By profession, l am a Bilingual Board Certified Lactation Consultant and worked in a hospital for over 25 years.
My proudest moment was graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a Bachelor’s in Human Services with emphasis on health education. It took me 14 years! As a single mother, seeing my adult children in the audience was incredible!
It sounds a bit simple, but l feel what sets me apart is my competitive nature and perseverance.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Becoming a lactation consultant was difficult. I am not a nurse and was in a co-hort of 20 nurses and one registered dietitian. Our instructor was extremely knowledgeable and professional. She challenged me constantly. Little did l know that my future practice required it! Now that I’m retired, l work remotely helping women breastfeed all over the U.S.
I passed my boards on the first attempt. What a feat!
