“When setting out on a journey do not seek advice from someone who never left home.”
– Rumi
I am pumped to welcome longtime friend and fellow entrepreneur to the T&T mic, Courtney Mcrae! Courtney and I reconnected at our 20-year high school reunion few years ago and I have been excited to do this podcast ever since! Courtney has an amazing background in all thing’s food (even working as a pastry chef in Australia), event planning, and currently runs a B&B on a working ranch in Wyoming with her husband Scott. Courtney shares her journey thus far and how letting go of the traditional path led her to finding herself and the ability to consciously pivot, seek good therapy (as we all should), and then create space to let the universe show her that it is indeed working in her favor. This is an awesome convo for anyone learning to let go and keep the faith, we have all been there- and will likely be there again at some point. We have to remember that if we follow our hearts and show as best we can, the plans ahead will be better than anything we could have planned ourselves. This breakdown and breakthrough will be a continuous process our whole lives – keep this podcast and some tequila handy:)
This one is a video, so be sure to check us out on You Tube!
Highlights:
Life’s journey…and some technical difficulties on this podcast, but we stayed in it! Holding on vs. letting go. Hard learned lessons are the best worst. Don’t date someone in a band. Big choices, even when they are not our own. Trusting your gut and giving yourself grace. Fertility after 40 and grow up conversations. Breakdowns, breakthroughs and the continued process of “always learning”.
. . .
Courtney Mcrae:
Hello! I’m Courtney, but you can call me “Court.” HoldingCourt.com is a place where I can share what I have learned through my experience as a pastry chef, caterer and event planner… it’s the place where “holding court” with Courtney comes to life. I started noticing that friends and family were coming to me when they had cooking and entertaining questions. I love being able to help, so here we are, “holding court” together to simplify life with easy recipes, tips for entertaining and other things to come.
I’ve been in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. As a kid, my mom needed to find ways to keep me occupied while she was making dinner: she would fill a pot in the sink with soap and water and put a stool in front so I could climb up there and make my famous “Pea Pie Soup.”
Cut to a few years later, you could still find me helping my mom in the kitchen, but I added entertaining into the mix. Anytime we hosted a holiday gathering, I was at-the-ready to help.
Throughout my childhood and beyond, I spent lots of time around food and in the kitchen. I cooked for friends in college every Thursday night and fell more and more in love with cooking every day.
In 2002, I moved to Sydney Australia for 6 months. I got a job in a fancy French restaurant where I spent most days peeling shallots, chopping herbs, making sauces and prepping salads. I also had the honor of learning from a very talented chef who taught me the importance of being organized in the kitchen.
With my new skills in tow, I was back in the US and ready to work in another restaurant. I moved to Boulder and got a job as a pastry chef at The Med. I learned a lot about breads and pastries and spent my days baking up a storm.
After graduation, I started a catering company and took on personal chef gigs at the same time…not the brightest idea! It was brutal work and I was a one-woman-show. My boyfriend (now husband), Scott, eventually became my dishwasher, which helped a ton, but it was just too much and I found myself starting to dread the round-the-clock hours.
Around this same time, I started working in event planning and hospitality, which tied my love of food to my love of entertaining. I continued down this path, which brings us to today… Scott and I run a seasonal B&B on a ranch in Wyoming. All of my entertaining, hospitality, and cooking experiences are put to use everyday! Getting our B&B up-and-running also fueled my burgeoning interests in decorating & interior design: it’s safe to say I will always be ready to learn and try new things… and I’ll be ready to share them with you. Thanks for being here to support me: celebrating food, entertaining, and life after 40… with Courtney!
@courtneymcrae
. . .
Get In Touch With T&T:
IG: @TurmericTequila
Facebook: @TurmericAndTequila
Website: www.TurmericAndTequila.com
Host: Kristen Olson
IG: @Madonnashero
Tik Tok: @Madonnashero
Website: www.KOAlliance.com