Eden Hertzog is the President of New Moon Kitchen, baking up delicious all natural, organic, dairy-free, nut-free kosher vegan cookies.
What does a typical Thursday look like for you, starting from when you wake up – to heading to bed?
Well, there’s the old me (who crammed a million things into one day) and the new me (who is pregnant and can handle about three things a day – one of those things being eating ice cream). For the sake of this article, I’ll give you a peek into the old me.
Typical Thursday:
Wake up, make espresso on the stovetop, eat a bowl of granola and fruit, check email, head to work. At work: take a peek at the day’s baked goods and make sure all the bakers and staff are doing fine and that everything in baking-land is looking good. Write a list of what I need to do that day – I always write a list before I start in on my day because my mind will always lead me to strange and unknown places unless I have an anchor to keep me focused. Plus, it’s better for me to get all the little tasks done first so that I can make space for doing my real job, which is being a creative force for my business.
Depending on what project I have on the go, I may spend a couple of hours in my office answering emails and working on something like a sales deal, or it could be that I am heading out to meet with a client or research a new potential retailer.
When work is done, it’s time for yoga, and then it’s time to cook a nice meal at home for me and my husband and then crash out watching an episode of something on my laptop. And sometimes I walk to Roncesvalles Ave for ice cream…
What was your first job out of school?
I started my company fresh out of high school. That’s as far as I went with “formal education”.
What are the 3 skills you require most to do your job well?
1) Creativity and innovation
2) Multi-tasking (without losing my mind – it has happened)
3) Not waiting for something to come to me. I think they call this being a go-getter, and it is the cloth most entrepreneurs are cut from.
What do you love most about your career?
I love being the choreographer of my business, and having both the freedom and responsibility of taking it where it needs to go. I love all the amazing and zany people I meet along the way, and all the serendipitous moments that confirm that I’m doing the right thing with my life. I also think making cookies for a living is a pretty sweet profession.
Do you have any warnings?
Don’t go in over your head. Why would anyone take on more than they could humanly manage? Life is too short to work for a living.
If you could try a different career on for a year, what would it be?
Easy: travel writer. For Conde Nast. All expenses paid…