Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney West.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Courtney. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Houston, Texas and after a 6-year stint up in East Texas (Longview to be exact), I’m back in my hometown. Thanks to my deep Scandinavian roots, I have an affinity for cardamom, baked goods, and spending time in the kitchen getting my hands dirty. I set aside my culinary interests to pursue an archaeology degree instead because it seemed more practical at the time. Go figure.
While working in archaeology, I started a food blog and a small vegan/gluten-free baking business called Sweet Miscellany. I sold baked goods and other miscellaneous treats at my local farmer’s market in Longview. Running Sweet Miscellany allowed me to see that I was destined for far greater things than digging holes and writing reports. I wanted to connect to what I was doing on a much deeper level than archaeology allowed.
I decided to leave archaeology and move back to Houston in 2014 in order to rethink and redesign my path. In that time, I’ve been able to build my own career based on what I love doing and sharing with the world. Everything I do is heavily inspired by the idea of nourishment, whether it’s from the yoga classes I teach, the recipes I develop, or the words and photos I share.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road has been as bumpy and non-linear as possible. I actually had no real plan set in place once I left archaeology. The goal was to move back to Houston and that’s pretty much where it ended. But, I knew I needed a really big change and the move was the perfect kick-in-the-pants.
I’d say the main struggle was actually deciding what I wanted my career to look like. There were a lot of moments spent journaling, sketching, and staring off blankly into the distance wondering what the heck I had done. It all came down to a list I eventually made outlining what I enjoyed doing every day. And from that incredibly simple list, I began outlining how I could potentially turn that into a career.
My advice to anyone at the start of a journey would be to keep moving forward! There are so many times I wanted to throw in the towel and go the well-traveled route. Thanks to my incessant list making, journaling, and the encouragement of family and friends, I was able to keep moving forward even though there were times when I wasn’t quite sure where the path would lead.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about your business – what should we know?
I used to love the ease with which I could answer the question of “what do you do?” when I was in archaeology. The answer was simple and straightforward. But ultimately it was that easy answer that gave me pause and pushed me into what I’ll lovingly call my homegrown career path. I am currently a yoga instructor, photographer, writer, plant based chef, and the co-creator of a brand new company called Herb & Stone.
As a yoga instructor, I have the honor of providing a space for students to cultivate mindfulness. It seems like a simple concept, but one that is severely lacking in the sensory overload that is our current culture. I teach based on my interests in anatomy and from my own experience with a chronic back issue. I’ve been able to turn what I once saw as a problem as a way to relate to and help others. I teach both Hatha and Yin-based classes.
As a photographer, writer, and chef, I specialize in farm-to-table and seasonally inspired dishes. For the past 7 years, I’ve written a food blog that has grown and evolved along with my food preferences and dietary needs. It is an outlet for delicious, plant-based recipes as well as a visual compendium of what I find inspiring.
Aside from my own food blog, I’ve had the privilege to work with local farm Loam Agronomics the past year developing recipes for their CSA members. Every week I let their seasonal assortment of veggies inspire what I make in the kitchen. I choose my favorite recipes, draft them out, then style and photograph them. The goal is to make seasonal eating more approachable. From that partnership, I was able to start working with their sister farm at Harvest Green. I’m the photographer and blogger for the Village Farm, an on-site amenity provided for the residents of Harvest Green. I get to visually tell the story of the day-to-day operations on the farm in addition to providing weekly updates. The updates range in subject from what was planted that week to the origin of the humble tomato.
In addition to the two farms, I’ve been able to work with Edible Houston on a few occasions to create “what’s in season” recipe and photography spreads. And, when I’m not behind the camera, I offer my chef services to yoga retreats. The cuisine I create very much aligns with the seasons and is entirely plant-based. The goal is to produce healthy, plant-based food that is simple yet flavorful, inventive, and aesthetically pleasing.
Recently, my career has evolved to include a new venture called Herb & Stone. In this partnership, I’ve been able to go even deeper with the theme of nourishment and support. This woman-owned small business will focus on making medicinal herbs and healing crystals more approachable and available.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
For some reason, there is still this antiquated notion that women are not as capable as men. I’d say the biggest barrier would be listening to and believing in those claims. If I may put on my archaeology hat for a moment and recall our position from an evolutionary standpoint, women have always been the multi-taskers. It was our role as the gatherers that ingrained this in our DNA. We had to bear and raise our children while being able to simultaneously identify, gather, and prepare food. Without this going too far and becoming a history lesson, I think it’s safe to say that women have always had the ability to be leaders. The barrier resides in stereotypes and antiquated ideas regarding our abilities.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.sweetmiscellany.com/
- Email: courtlynnewest@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtlynnewest/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetmiscellany/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/herbandstonehtx/
Image Credit:
Courtney West
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