Happy Primalista Birthday to Primalista Chicken!
Today is Chicken’s 1 year anniversary as a Primalista so I invited her to an interview to share a bit about her journey so far.
Chicken was the 5th Primalista to ever sign up!
Find out about Chicken’s life, what appealed to her about becoming a Primalista, what the best bits and worst bits of running the business are. Find out who Chicken stocks, her best memories of her first year and what she has planned for the coming year!
Chicken lists her best bits as being the sisterhood – how problems are discussed and solved with no headaches, the satisfaction of a job well done and getting amazing feedback from customers “wow you made this?!”. Chicken also appreciates the opportunities that becoming a Primalista has brought her including meeting Pete Evans, Jo Whitton & Fouad Kassab.
Well done on an awesome year Chicken and to your wonderful contribution to our sisterhood network of local producers. Looking forward to many more adventures with you!
Here is a transcribe of the interview for those of you who prefer to read – the transcibe isn’t 100% accurate buuuut I think it gives you a great idea!!!
Helen Marshall: Welcome, Chicken! I am so excited to be interviewing you today because I know that a lot of customers are looking forward to getting to know you more and Primalista sister girlfriends are looking forward to getting to know you more and obviously as well potential Primal Primalista are always asking me what’s it like to be Primalista and get more of an insight into the life of a real life full-time, working but, yet, Primalistering Primalista! So we’re here celebrating your one year anniversary as a Primalista. Congratulations.
Chicken: Thank you, today, I signed the contract a year ago.
Helen Marshall: You did. You did. What a great day that was.
Helen Marshall: And so I’ve got questions that I wanted to ask you. Just to find out more about you, Chicken. So, first of all, tell us why we call you Chicken.
Chicken: Oh, really? So my real name is Charmaine. And my brother-in-law, decided he would fancy that up a bit, and so calling me Chicken, because of Chicken Chow Mein. Chicken Chow Mein, the food that you eat. Chicken has stuck, it’s not a term of endearment or anything like that. It’s just Chicken. Chicken Chow Mein.
Helen Marshall: And it’s totally your name, like when you first said, “My name is Charmaine, but they call me Chicken.” I was like, “What? That’s really weird.” But you’re … So Chicken. When I go to search to send you a message, I always write in Chicken. And then I’m like, no, that’s not right. She’s not on Facebook as Chicken.
Chicken: It has stuck.
Helen Marshall: Yeah, you even got Chicken on your Primalista apron haven’t you?
Chicken: Yep. Yep. Yep.
Helen Marshall: Love it. Love it. Love it.
Chicken: Yeah, and half my clients call me chicken, and so, yeah. It doesn’t seem right if I hear Charmaine sometimes.
Helen Marshall: Love it.
Helen Marshall: So tell us a little bit about yourself, Chicken. A little bit about your home, and your work. What does your life look like?
Chicken: Okay. So I’m 47 years of age. I’m married but a full time partner of 25 years a few days ago, we were at 25 years together. He works on the farm and I work in the insurance industry here in Beverly, which is in Central Avon WA.
Chicken: My full time job keeps me fairly busy. And it’s demanding. We have no kids, we have one fur baby called Motta, the cat. I am a breast cancer survivor. I like to play lots of tennis and keep fit, and I also have a lot of fun cooking, hence why I’m here.
Helen Marshall: Which leads up nicely into our next question. What appealed to you about becoming a Primalista?
Chicken: So I became Paleo about three years ago. And obviously it started, as you know, as you start searching on the internet for more and more info. And obviously this is how I came across primal alternative. And so on Facebook, because it really great to know, ’cause I enjoy cooking. And also, a passion for clean eating and eating grain free.
Chicken: So yeah, I made the decision and then I thought this might be a good thing to do. Obviously, I do my full time job still and had to try to work it in around that. It took me a while to get a rhythm, but I did. And I think I’ve got it working quite well now without jeopardising my real job, sorry. I call this my hobby that pays.
Chicken: Yeah, I thought also, you know, all these amazing products, thought I would love together often then to the community and make this way of living easier, doable and stain able for everyone.
Chicken: I just thought, also. Out of the opportunities it’ll present me as in going forward down the track, many years to come, who knows. I would meet some wonderful new people, enjoy some new adventures. I’ve sort of given up most of my other little things on the side and just thought that this would be just something that would fit me. So here I am!
Helen Marshall: So here you are! So slight, free wheeling question, that wasn’t in the list to prepare, but it’s an easy one, hopefully. You never planned to, you always wanted to keep you full time job, hadn’t you? That’s your business, and that’s your full time job. This is just something on the side, so, where do you fit that baking time in and do you do it every week?
Chicken: No, so, we have a house in Mandurah where we can, like on weekends, we work here full time during the week, definitely both of us. So I thought I would get a kitchen licence in Beverly and Mandurah, because I thought I would to and fro my goodies a lot and I had done that, but it’s probably more fitting for me to cook in Mandurah, supply my stock while I’m down there. And then obviously bring back the bake here and supply the family and friends here in Beverly. ‘Cause I’ve got a couple of offices with my real job, so I’m touring around the country side. So it’s quite easy to make deliveries with that.
Chicken: I have a routine where I bake once a fort night. They’ll be other times that things happen outside of that, but as a general, once a fort night. Usually Friday night after work into early Saturday morning, and then deliver to the stockist Saturday morning so that’s once a fort night usually.
Helen Marshall: And do you want to give a little shout out to your stockists?
Chicken: So I have some wonderful stockists. I have a little café in the Marina in Mandurah called Frisky Deer. They buy the Fruit toast and that in their café and interior, like a house interior shop. So that’s a bit there, and then Dynamic Organics which is a beautiful wellness health centre in Mandurah. And just amazing, that place. It’s just got everything you need or want or … That’s from healing to like a mini market of all the … Full of the goodies. There’s a café there. They eat my breads in that.
Chicken: So every now and then I supply to Narrogin markets. When we can, we both work at that together. When the logistics of actually getting the product there, so they’ve been great too. And all my family and friends too! They support me amazingly.
Helen Marshall: That’s really good.
Chicken: Thanks to my orders I still have family and friends so.
Helen Marshall: Which is kind of like doing a market, really, isn’t it? Because you’re selling … You know you don’t have to sell to family and friends …
Chicken: Yeah.
Helen Marshall: That’s good.
Chicken: And there’s more friends who have added to it, three friends who hook up with me and ask all of that.
Helen Marshall: So what would you say the best things about being a Primalista are?
Chicken: I have a whole new family. Which is lovely. The sisterhood is amazing. You’re amazing, the support. Just amazing. So when one of us sisters has an issue, we usually hop online and have a chat amongst everyone and then sort it. Its not drama or a headache.
Chicken: One of the best bits, I love the satisfaction after I finish a bake and just see all those beautiful products there all packaged and ready to go off and make someone a very happy customer. ‘Cause they are yummy. Just like I mentioned before, I’ve met some wonderful people, but amongst those wonderful people I met Pete Evans, and Jo Whitton & Fouad Kassab, and so that’s been a real highlight. But yeah, so everything’s good about it.
Helen Marshall: Good. And what would you say the worst bits are about being a Primalista are?
Chicken: So, not too many of these, I find it hard to find something, to be honest. Probably the worst thing is when a product doesn’t quite come out of the oven as it should do and you go, “Oh my God.” Other than that, I honestly I’m quite used to running a business as in doing the mundane invoicing and all that, I know a lot might find that the worst part, but it’s just part of it. I don’t really classify it as that bad. And it means you get paid.
Helen Marshall: I like the invoicing part. That’s the good part.
Chicken: Yeah.
Helen Marshall: Cool, so share with us one of your best Primalista memories of the last 12 months.
Chicken: Getting those stockists, that was a real highlight. And then just went from there. Also when I do deliver my products into Dynamic Organics. On the Saturday mornings I usually come across a customer that just starts raving about my product. And just going, “Oh my God. I can’t believe you even made that!” And yeah that’s always a bit of a … Yeah, picks you up and makes you feel good! That’s probably my highlight and obviously meeting everyone. I just, yeah. It’s just been great.
Helen Marshall: That’s awesome. What does the next 12 months hold in store for you? Have you got anything exciting planned?
Chicken: Like I said, I’m very mindful of my real job. Took me a while to find the rhythm. Initially, every Primalista finds this, I’m sure. You just want to say yes to everything. Like, “Yes, I can do that. Yes I can do that.” But it comes down what you can fit into your life too. It’s got to be doable. And Sustainable. I’ve had some big bakes where I just think, “If I had to do this every time, you’re not gonna be able to keep going.”
Chicken: So it’s that when I’m finding out the rhythm, I know what I can do. I wouldn’t mind expanding at least a little bit. Like in my winter months I can do more than maybe in summer. But yeah, it’s just a matter of trying to find something that’ll fit in that.
Chicken: I might, I mean, like I said, I’ve got my friends and family here in Beverly, and that’s got the inner circle, but I could approach the York IGA’s or something like that still in my radar.
Chicken: A new pub is opening up in York in a couple of months, and I approached them yesterday actually, to see if they wanted to arrange in there for when they have to cater for the grain free Paleo gluten people. So, that meeting happened last night, so, we’ll see where that goes.
Helen Marshall: That is exciting.
Chicken: Yeah.
Helen Marshall: That is exciting!
Chicken: Yeah, going forward. I’d just like to really, I’m happy the way it is, so if I pick up a few extras, that would be great, but.
Helen Marshall: Awesome. Well, Chicken, you were Primalista sign up number five, a year ago. Now we’ve got 35 I think, I don’t know the exact number, and you’ve been an incredible big sister to all of the newbies coming in and just a real pillar of strength and inspiration. And you’re a really showing a really good example of boundaries and healthy boundaries and how you can have this hobby that pays, as you call it, which I love. Alongside a full time business, as that’s what you wanted to do. So long as you keep it doable and sustainable. And I love the amazing stockists that you brought on board. And yeah, just love what you’re doing, love the feedback that you get, ’cause I know that when you share, I love when you share the feedback you’ve had as a customer, and you’ve shared that in the Primalista group, it’s like we all get a little hit of dopamine and endorphins, you know? It’s like, “Oh, yay! We’re all sort of in this collectively together, making it easy for people to be grain free with that delicious product.
Helen Marshall: So, love you Chicken, So glad you’re on board. And we’re looking forward to what adventures, you know, even though you’ve been working full time and baking just once a fort night, we’ve been to the Magic Pill movie together, we’ve done the Good Food & Wine show there together, we’ve done the Quirky Cooking seminar together. Even though we live, like what? Eight hours apart from each other, we’ve still managed to cram in a few cool adventures. Hope we’re gonna do that again.
Chicken: And Melbourne!
Helen Marshall: Yes! We’re gonna be having a Primalista annual conference, but we’re calling it a Primalista party, ’cause that annual conference is too corporate for us.
Helen Marshall: Yeah, at the Wellness Summit in August, 24th and 25th in Melbourne. So if you want to join us and hang out with Primalista come party with us! So that will be really cool.
Helen Marshall: So thank you so much Chicken. I’ll let you get back to your real job. And congratulations to you!
Chicken: Thanks H.
Helen Marshall: And congratulations to you and Stictch as well! 25 years of not marriage is very cool.
Chicken: Togetherness.
Helen Marshall: Love it. Alright. Have a great day.
Chicken: Thanks
Helen Marshall: Bye!
Chicken: See ya! Bye.
You can get in touch with Primalista Chicken here.
If you would like to become a Primalista please check out this page and then book a Primalista Discovery Call with me, H, the founder to see how this could work for you and if you are a good fit for our brand.
Thanks for being here
Love,
