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The Kitchen Table Chat: Making Meal Service into a Career of Service

Led by: Robert Egger May 14, 2 p.m. EST *M =Moderator *RE = Robert Egger

Transcript

• M: Welcome to the first ever Kitchen Table Chat: Making Meal Service into a Career of Service… we will begin momentarily.
• M: Ok… let’s get started and others can join in. The transcript of the chat will be posted here after. I believe you’re all familiar with Robert Egger, founder of D.C. Central Kitchen, the Campus Kitchens Project, and the V3 Campaign.
• RE: he’s cool
• M: Robert will be leading today’s chat. Many graduating seniors from CKP couldn’t be on the chat this afternoon, but submitted questions in advance.
• RE: bring em ON
• RE: Hey Andy–pretty cool about the election down in Williamsburg. Congrats to the students for getting one of their own elected
• M: What’s your post-college advice for a Campus Kitchen student who does not have much intern/work experience beyond the Campus Kitchen?
• RE: OK…first of all, recognize that, thru Campus kitchens, you all learned community organizing, nutrition education, senior and homeless issues. FAR from being “interns” you all have major street cred.
• Lauren: Hey Robert and Jasmine – congrats on setting this up!
• M: Thanks Lauren – it’s a good test run
• M: During a recent conversation about the state of our country with all of its problems, I found myself doubting that I alone can make the needed changes our world so desperately needs. Do you ever feel like this and if so, how do you move forward?
• RE: ALL the time…but I never stop trying–never. I’m 110% psyched to be giving the commencement address @ GBurg this Sunday, and that’s a HUGE part of my talk–we MUST grab ahold of that can-do, why not spirit that helped build this country–and CKP
• M: Along the same lines… As a college student, I have so many passions that don’t seem to connect yet… Do you have any advice as to how I can merge my love of the creative with my desire to make a difference?
• RE: Back to that last thought…the cool thing about life is the cumulative effect of all those passions. Its not easy finding the common thread–just keep thinking, connecting, imagining things and sometimes, connections come/or are revealed.
• Chelsea: Will you post your speech @ Gburg here after it’s over, Robert?
• RE: I don’t write speeches down (although I just may for this one)…but CSpan is filming it, so it’ll be available later in May
• M: YouTube channel all the way
• Chelsea: You don’t write them down?!
• Lauren: Did you used to write them down when you were just starting out?
• RE: No…I speak from the heart. I plan, think, study and consider before I open my yap…but after that, it’s just me and the microphone
• Chelsea: Wow – that’s a pretty impressive talent
• RE: I did…once, but I hated the bobbing head thing–looking up then down, up then down. Plus…I study life, and notcied how audiences shut down when folks read from a paper. They tend to watch when they think you’re speaking from the heart.
• Chelsea: That’s good advice
• Chelsea: How does one study life?
• RE: It’s not so much a talent as a learned thing. I work hard at making it look easy. ALSO–people LOVE passion. They want to listen to somebody who really, obviously cares/believes what they are saying
• RE: Study life. I walk, I listen and look. I’ve said before–unplug the Ipod and dance to the music of community. You’ll NEVER change a town unless you KNOW the town. I always have my eyes, ears, heart open
• RE: Back to the speaking convo–I’m amazed how, if you go with an open mind and you snoop, you find amazing angles that allow you to let an audience know that you understand them. It might be local news, or a famous citizen, etc…but it shows you care
• RE: I was just in TX, and commented on how much we owen Lady Bird Johnson for planting flowers along America’s roadways. THAT statement alone won them over M: Next question: What graduate programs do you recommend for people interested in making social change through working in the nonprofit sector?
• RE: I spoke up at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. That’s a GREAT school and a very cool doorway career. it’s seniors, nutrition, schools, food, social e. I hadn’t thought about it b4
• RE: DON’T get an MBA…that’s just my opinion, but the culture of the business schools is really d-u-m
• Chelsea: What about law?
• RE: There’s a butt load of lawyers out there now. Funny…in the paper today was an article that said “drop out”. I really dig learning, but I’m not sure about what’s being taught right now
• RE: I think (honestly) too many folks go back to school because the real world seems sucky. School is safe. I think we need folks to jump in and push the envelope of real life…NOW
• RE: although I could easily benefit from a typing class
• M: Here’s a fun one: I desperately need to know what Oprah is like and if you’ll ever take me to see her!
• Emily: I want to know about being on Oprah too!
• RE: She’s hot. Loves shoes. Is actually very nice and I surrounded by smart, good people. It’s you and me next time I’m on her show
• Chelsea: YOU BETTER BELIEVE THAT ROBERT
• Chelsea: On the ground level, how do we get locations to take us on as partners?
• Chelsea: When is enough … enough?
• Chelsea: Before I appear pushy?
• RE: As Conan O’Brien said when he signed off..”show up on time, work hard and be nice”. Being nice goes a long way to mitigate pushy.
• RE: But pushy people move the dime!!!
• RE: Now that I think about it…Oprah and Jordan have a lot in common
• Chelsea: WHAT?!
• RE: Honey versus vinegar, C
• Chelsea: Right
• Jordan: haha…i must say
• Jordan: i aspire to be like oprah Chelsea: jordan do you have a secret love of shoes?
• Ariel: no just the other people in the office
• M: Why do you have so much faith in our generation to lead social enterprise initiatives?
• Robert: Fair trade coffee, Tom’s Shoes, local food in schools, good wages for university employees, CAMPUS KITCHENS–you all are out front on this issue–own it
• RE: Besides…you all can’t afford my gen’s charity. You philanthopy MUST be how you spend your money or how you make it–not how much you give at the end of the year
• Chelsea: Do you know Tom?
• RE: No…not yet
• M: How can I use my Leadership Team status in the “real” world? How I do I translate what we do to a resume?
• RE: most employers want a team player, a motivator, a decision maker, a leader…and a friend of Jordan. Each of you is each of those.
• RE: serious…like making meals, you’ve just got to learn to squeeeeze every ounce of love out of what you’ve each been part of-helped create–driven. You are each bad ass leaders
• Jordan: robert, you make a lot of speeches, but you’ve been able to back up what you’ve done with real life output that you generated and you are ultimately solely repsonsible for. How does that feel? And how do we some day get to that point?
• RE: you know…that’s what I’ve tried so hard to NOT be the super visible “leader” of DCCK. Sure…people see me, but I’ve worked hard to give all of you some action you can own.
• Jordan: but that’s what so great about what you’ve done, not only have you created change for you but you’ve made change for others 2
• M: alright let’s wrap things up – and do this again soon! Any final questions u r dying to ask?
• Jordan: i guess if i could squeeze one question in, how do i get from the point i’m at now, to the point that you’re at
• Chelsea: Me too me too
• Emily: Me too!!!
• RE: wake up EVERY day ready to rock, roar, kick ass, listen, laugh, observe, think, build, slay, fight, forgive….then do it again
• Lauren: AMEN!
• RE: really…I was talking to somebody who was amazed that I’ve given 14 gallons of blood. But its a culmination of LOTS of small efforts. Think of life that way
• Chelsea: Where does your energy come from?!
• RE: drugs
• Chelsea: HAHAHA
• RE: KIDDING
• RE: I get my energy from the force…I am the apprenctice of Obi Jordan Kenobi
• Chelsea: Aren’t we all?
• RE: I’m actually half serious (about the force). I just love life and try to see the wonder of every breath, every thought, every heartbeat. DUDES…this shit ends one day. i want to live till i die
• Jordan: i am honored for you to even consider me in that way at all robert! thanks.
• M: wow. Ok, on that note we will conclude the chat. This transcript will be posted On the Menu later today. Please share with your LTs. And send me any feedback on the chat directly. I’m happy to hear it.

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