Show Notes
This week on the Fell Into Food podcast, I’m doing something I’ve never done before—a solo episode. I realized that while I’ve shared bits and pieces of my background with guests, I’ve never actually told you the full story of how I got here. This episode is just as much for me as it is for my listeners. I was scared, nervous, anxious, and everything in between deciding to hit record. My goal was to step out of my comfort zone and tell the truth of my story.
I’m taking you back to the beginning, growing up in a tiny farm town in the middle of an Illinois cornfield where I learned the value of a hard day's work before I was old enough to drive. From my first "food" gig making pizzas at a local gas station to a "failed" stint as a geology major dreaming of digging up dinosaurs, my path has been anything but linear.
This is a raw look at the grit, the burnout, and the systems it takes to make it in this industry. Whether you're just starting out or looking for your next pivot, I hope my "truth" gives you the push you need. Listen to the full episode and more! It would mean the world to me if you could leave a 5 star review on your listening platform to help grow and expand the Podcast. YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gQM3S5mr Spotify - https://lnkd.in/g_5kFXie Apple Podcast - https://apple.co/41RoTm4 Pandora - https://lnkd.in/gS-wu_YJ
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Born into a poor family in Peru as the youngest of five children, Daniel Valverde’s path to winemaking began far from the vineyard. At nineteen, without a college degree, he followed his older siblings to the United States and took a job busing tables on weekends in New Jersey while juggling shifts at a local supermarket. Grinding his way across restaurant floors, he eventually made the leap to New York City to work at the historic steakhouse The Palm, rising through the ranks from server to floor manager, beverage manager, and eventually sales manager. It was there that he met fellow server Max, sparking a late-night pact to one day make wine together in Peru. Driven by an entrepreneurial streak forged in the US, Daniel later stepped away from the corporate dining world, survived a battle with thyroid cancer, and relocated to Puerto Rico on an impulse in 2021. There, he founded Green Rose Cleaners—scaling it from a solo hustle into the island’s highest-rated commercial and residential cleaning service. That venture provided the operational freedom to return home to Peru and finally fulfill his promise: founding Valtierro to prove that Peru’s heritage grapes belong on the world’s finest dining tables.
First time in New Orleans, and I nearly choked on powdered sugar within the first hour. Worth it. Down for three days, so I did what I do and ate everything. I have opinions on the turtle soup (I grew up in the sticks, it's turtle soup, guys). I found a boudin egg roll that was one of my favorite thing I ate all trip. I walked Bourbon Street after everyone told me it'd be a disaster, and it wasn't. Best meal of the trip? Lufu which is Indian food. In New Orleans. Go figure. Go watch this one on YouTube, because me describing a plate of food with audio only gets old fast. Everything I mentioned is listed below. Tell me what I missed, because I'm going back, and next time it's crawfish season. Catch you on the sunny side.
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