Lena is an amazing human-being. Through one-on-one coaching, she has helped me become more self-aware, reframe my thoughts, and improve my life. I’ve struggled with emotional regulation and she has coached me with how to re-center myself and build resilience. Both skills that have been applicable in my professional and personal life. Thank you so much, Lena!
I’ve had the privilege of working with Lena as a colleague and later as my coach, experiences that have both been incredibly transformative. Lena has a unique ability to blend deep understanding of human behavior with practical coaching techniques that emphasize thoughtful decision-making and mutual benefit. She instilled in me the importance of responding thoughtfully to stimuli and always seeking outcomes that benefit all involved. In challenging situations, I often find myself asking, ‘What would Lena do?’ before taking any action. This reflective practice, inspired by her approach, guides me towards more effective resolutions. Additionally, her belief that all people are inherently good and doing their best has profoundly changed how I view the world and interact with others. Her approach has not only influenced my professional interactions but also fostered personal growth.
Lena has the ability to see through what feels really murky to a team and to identify the core of the issue and guide either a team or an individual towards clarity. She has been able to juggle some big personalities, and is able to prioritize short and long term goals while keeping the culture and values of the organization at the forefront. I have worked with her in a variety of capacities over the past ten plus years and have always been impressed at how quickly she acclimates to diverse cultures, earns trust, assesses needs and guides the team through implementation of solutions in a genuine and thoughtful way.
There are moments throughout the career of a Chef, or any hospitality professional for that matter, when you are afforded an opportunity, someone gives you a chance, or simply put you get lucky. Any successful entrepreneur knows it takes a whole lot of hard work and a little bit of luck sometimes to succeed in this business and that is how I feel when I look back at the opportunity I had when working for Lena DiGenti.
I look back at my starting day at Plan B Burger Bar and its funny how youth has a way of tainting reality. I was young, energetic, over confident, simultaneously frightened with a pinch of not wanting to admit when I was wrong…ever know any Chef’s like that? I was thrust into an environment inspired and lead by Miss DiGenti and the life skills I learned from those events I truly believe have played a large part in my growth not only as a Chef and professional but also as a person. Lena taught me how to accept my faults and work on them while also embracing my talents and not standing down to any obstacles in my way. I learned so much from my regular interactions with Lena no matter if I understood the methods at the time or not… try convincing an ADD Chef to meditate. Go ahead, I dare you, its not an easy task.
Long before we were born, the question of “What is a leader?” has been asked countless times. In my opinion, a leader is foremost a teacher. Without the passing of knowledge and wisdom from a great leader to their pupil, a leader is simply nothing more than a commander. In a time that seems almost exclusively selfish and self-centered we need our leaders to be teachers and not commanders now more than ever. A teacher, that is who I know Lena DiGenti to be.