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Marilynn Mendell - WinSpin CIC
Marilynn Mendell - WinSpin CIC

Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat: Business Advice that Sticks to Your Ribs! This book stirs up the perfect recipe to exceed your business expectations.

 

Marilynn Deane Mendell, once one of the best and largest off-premise caterers in western New York prior to founding WinSpin CIC, Inc. shares her business acumen along with a treasure-trove of master recipes. Her first-hand experience when it comes to putting great ideas into practice serves up a dish of inspiration. She knows that to accomplish anything in life some kind of action must occur and that usually takes good old fashioned hard work (Elbow Grease) or some kind of lubricant (Chicken Fat). Each chapter reveals solutions to business pitfalls; intriguing ways a creative mind can improvise, along with best practices from ethical conduct to showing appreciation. Mendell explains how to gain balance and to be in a perpetual state of life learning. 

Whether you’ve been aching to start your own business or become a better leader, this book provides easy-to-understand stories to help build a great business while staying balanced in all aspects of your life to succeed and achieve the American Dream.

 

This book inspires:  /  A taste of what’s to come


A well oiled kitchen runs the same way as a perfectly balanced business. Chefs need to measure ingredients properly or a cake will fail. Businesses have to set goals and track results. A company going forward without measurements and plans can become a recipe for disaster. Great chefs get support from fine sous-chefs. Picking the right team and learning the importance of delegating can make or break a sole proprietor. All food produced must be safe to eat and all enterprise depends on a foundation of ethics. Truth, care, and integrity are the bedrocks for anything we do, be it feeding 5,000 or sealing a deal with a handshake. There has to be a harmonic synergy to have a meal taste right. And so it is in business where family, community, and health all play essential and important parts. When a wedding cake falls over, it takes an innovator to save the day. An integrated thinker will change the course of a business striking out on an original visionary path. Anyone knows that the best homemade bread must incorporate a great deal of kneading and sometimes the yeast collapses so it can be discouraging; in business troubles flow like water and it takes perseverance and courage to get the job done well. Some brilliant cooks never get recognition or have their own television shows because they fail to understand the importance of marketing and public relations…

BOOK
Marilynn Mendell - WinSpin CIC

“Good story telling wins me over every time. Marilynn Mendell's book title, Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat, promised me a story, many stories in fact.

 

They're about life, food, business, family, and most of all finding one's self. Open the book, anywhere and find yourself in it.”   

- Susan S. Szenasy, Publisher/Editor in Chief, Metropolis

THE BOOK

Author

Marilynn Deane Mendell is founder and president of WinSpin CIC, Inc., a growth strategy firm. She has over thirty years of experience as a well-documented entrepreneur, writer, and publicist. Mendell speaks at national conferences, is often on television shows, and has been featured on ABC-TV Good Morning America. Named Washington Women in PR’s Woman of the Year in 2008, Mendell also claims numerous other national awards for her business achievements as well as for her original client marketing campaigns. She’s an adjunct professor at Georgetown and George Mason Universities, where she teaches marketing and business leadership to graduate students. 

Mendell lives in a historic 1870s house hard by the Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she fishes for Smallmouth bass. Although she claims a rich life filled with a variety of experiences, successes, and rewards; she considers raising her three sons as her greatest accomplishment.  

 

Marilynn Mendell - WinSpin CIC

      For My Three Sons - James, Christopher, Michael 

About the Author

PRAISE


Interview at Buffalo and Erie County Public Library
December 2014 

Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat: Business Advice That Sticks to Your Ribs 

“I get words of wisdom, philosophy, great stories, and an extra bonus of easy and delicious recipes all in one book. This book does not get put on a shelf but near me in the kitchen to be opened daily.”
    - Sylvia Weinstock, Sylvia Weinstock Cakes

 

“Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat is hard to put down. I love the recipes, and Marilynn Deane Mendell has included many that I'd like to try. The accompanying words of wisdom--on growing a business and much more-- are just as valuable. Kudos to Marilynn for implementing a great idea! It was extremely movtivational.”
    - Diana Mosher, Editor in Chief, Multi-Housing News

 

“My kitchen, your kitchen, all kitchens will benefit from Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat being just a grab away! Every recipe I've tried is a knock-out and the accompanying stories have me spinning between laughter and empathy. I've either been there, done that, hope to do that, or will do that better, now that I've read Marilynn's take.”
    - Deborah Wilbrink, PerfectMemoirs.com

 

“Marilynn's book offers practical and inspiring recipes for success-in life, business, and your next dinner party. She weaves poignant, entertaining anecdotes with hard-earned entrepreneurial lessons and a treasure trove of dishes. A delicious, enriching read!”
    - Jennifer Oh, Digital Customer Experience, Capital One

 

“This is a book for anyone who likes good food and thoughtful advice. Marilynn's stories make you laugh, think and plan your next success and/or dinner party. I read it all the way through in two sittings and savored every page.”
    - Myrna Young, Executive Director, Everyone Opportunity Center

 

“A fantastic Chef, besides being one of the most inspiring women who ever walked this earth, I just love you so much. I want the book, where do I send my money and how much do I send and of course I want it autographed. How much do you charge to do a seminar for women to lift them up? This is what women need to hear, they need to know they can do anything.”

    - Joyce Patton

 

“Marilynn, Your book sounds right up my alley, I am a foodie! Looking forward to learning more about it.”
    - Ann A. Pierson,LEED AP, Senior A&D Market Manager, HAWORTH

 

“Marilynn!!! I can't wait to read the book - the sample stories alone, have created a little monster in me!”
    - Louise Boulton-Lear, CPSM, VP Marketing & Communications, Davis Construction

 

A Feast of Tips & Tales
“Delightful business management advice in the form of actual hard work success stories, combined with master recipes makes this a book I am keeping in the kitchen and in my home office! Keep it open to helpful pages and delicious recipes. If you're an entrepreneur building a business, combine the joy of cooking with steering towards success in life with tips from Marilynn Deane Mendell. I've made the Mushroom Strudel to raves; and applied her "4 Angles to Every Story" to help take my business to the pages of several publications.If you miss old fashioned work ethics and honesty, or wonder how to grow your business - well we all make mistakes and Mendell's tips and tales steer that elbow grease in the right direction. And all the while you can cook your way to success with all the friends and family in your life who love to eat. Mendell is brave and original to combine the two. You'll be entertained as well as inspired.”
    - Deborah Wilbrink

 

“Fabulous book, quite entertaining and delicious! I have had the honor of trying these recipes with the outrageously humorous and talented chef. Everything is wonderful (especially the baked brie) through to the Chocolate Flourless Cake. Chef El”
    - Elle A Barnhart

 

“As a mother and the owner of a small business, I found this book full of astute professional and personal advise. The author's ability to tell humanly honest stories about running and growing your own business, was very inspiring. Not to mention the amazing recipes(!) I recommend that people buy two copies of "Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat": One for their kitchen (which will become stained and tattered from over use) and one for their office”
    - Judy J. Sherman

 

Great advice through storytelling
“With humor and poignancy Ms Mendell's storytelling underscores a convincing message that success in business and life is not achieved through gimmicks or slight of hand. Rather, acting ethically, being genuine and working hard are the real ingredients in the recipe for success.”
    - David Neumann

 

Fabulous Secrets of a Successful Entrepreneur
“You know a book is fabulous when it interests you no matter what the subject/field/discipline. I am not a business woman, but Mendell's stories about life in the business world--while also a working mother, partner, and master chef--go beyond inspirational. You actually want to get up and BE HER: creative, hardworking, ethical and, ultimately, successful. She is what I call "a good egg" . . . no matter how you cook it!”- Lisa Couturier

 

Recipes for Business Success
“EG+CF is an enjoyable cookbook with terrific food recipes (yum!). EG+CF also contains a distillation of years of entrepreneurial success. Each food recipe is accompanied by tried and true lessons for all brave leaders: whether you are in youthful start-up or embarking on a later career or charged with achieving a great task. Having an idea and the guts to go for glory is not enough. Running a business is challenging. But why concoct a homespun answer to a business challenge when a tried and true recipe for success exists? Marilynn Mendell's book delivers exactly this. What I like most - other than the Chocolate Mousse recipe (double yum!) - is that EG+CF is structured so that when I go back to cook a food recipe that I like, there is a bit of solid business advice also there to review.”

    - NY Entrepreneur

 

Highly recommended
“For me this was a brilliant display of powerfully insightful, and straight talking business counsel.The disarming juxtaposition of personal recipes with often profound wisdom learned from the life and times of an exceptionally creative woman is an inventive way to establish authenticity that a business book by itself might not have been able to do. That makes this really 2 great books in 1 -- which really is the whole idea. Struggling at first to survive the emotional and economic devastation of a brutal divorce leaving her with 3 young kids, no job, no resources, and no means of support, Mendell shows how through imagination, determination, and a fanatically positive attitude, almost anything is possible no matter how low on the ladder you have to start. There are wonderful life lessons, success tips, and just plain down to earth advice here for both the seasoned veteran as well as aspiring entrepreneur -- always paired with the counterpoint of an accomplished cook sharing her secrets from the kitchen, giving a touch of warmth and good feeling to the whole presentation and reader experience. This is a book you can read all the way through or read and then re-read in multiple short bursts -- it works either way.
It should be a best-seller; it has depth, meaning, valuable content, and the integrity of genuine humanity. Highly recommended!”

    - Mark R.

 

Very simply brilliant!
“There is so much valuable information included in these 200 pages and the way Ms. Mendell has broken it down into concise chapters makes it a pleasure to read and very hard to put down! Read this book to improve the quality of your life, achieve more in your life and have more successful relationships with all those that surround you - friends, co-workers, or mere acquaintances. Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat is a wealth of insight and will greatly influence many of the personal and business relationships in my life, as it will yours. This book will allow you to change the way you think and interact with everyone who touches your life, teach you how to live fully, achieve your goals and add a few pounds along the way. The way Ms. Mendell combines social skills and business advice with her special, secret recipes and creative cooking hints is ingenious. I absolutely love this book! With so many books being replaced with various forms of technology, there are some that will always remain on your bookshelf. So is the case with Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat. It, along with a few others may very well be one of those rare books that, one day, will be in the hands of my grandchildren, dog eared and well loved. The information it contains is that valuable.”

    - nnwwhh

 

Cook up a storm - and learn and laugh in the process, August 23, 2014
“ Mendell’s Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat is a new take (no mean feat) on two of the most popular genres today – business advice (that would be Elbow Grease) and cookbooks (that would be Chicken Fat). Don’t ask me which aspect of this dynamic genre matching I like best – I wouldn't want to hazard a guess. Mendell’s business advice is straight from the heart – and the experience and the gut. She can tell a wicked story – like the squirrel with the wedding frosting on him (in the section “Keep Your Sense of Humor”), or the employee/cook who “just couldn't think conceptually” – like preheating means, duh, you heat the oven before putting in the dish (in “Use Directions as Guidelines"). And she lays out just as wicked a recipe, from Old-Fashioned Potato Salad (from her grandmother) to Apple Cranberry Crisp to a “Master Recipe” Lemon Sauce. And don’t miss the introduction. You will laugh, shed a few tears, and cook up a storm.”

    - Dianne Bennett "Rome the Second Time”

 

Magical Blend of Food and Business--recipes for life, August 23, 2014
“I am a professional caterer with 35 years experience as an employer and and an entrepreneur This book is fantastic as it blends my two worlds, business and food!! This is a great book for parents to give their college graduate as they embark on life. Most of the information that this book is packed with what I learned the hard way. Mendell has created a winner.”

    - Jane Russell

 

Best of all it is autobiographical, August 19, 2014
“Marilynn's book is an interesting read. It's a marketing book that thinks its a cookbook. It's a cookbook that thinks its a marketing book. Best of all it is autobiographical. Marilynn takes the reader through her learned experiences and knowledge when she was developing her catering business. Each left hand page offers advice about working with people. Each right hand page holds a relevant recipe. Her recipe descriptions are down to earth and friendly, including descriptions such as "mushing" and "squishing." Her marketing advice is personal, reflecting her frustrations, fears and triumphs. Her story is human. This book can be read as a whole or in parts to be picked up and read in the moment.
P.S. Her recipes are simple like those of Ina Garten or Giada DeLaurentis. Try them!”

    - Rose James

 

Highly recommended!, August 18, 2014
“Great business advice, well written and entertaining. Including great recipes that in fact will "stick to your ribs". Growing up in a southern family that enjoys cooking and eating, the first recipe I was drawn to what the Corn Bread. Seeing that it required a cast iron skillet and shortening... I said to myself "this book means business"! Literally speaking. This is a good book for anyone interested in skills that can assist in life, not just in business.”

    - L. S. Eley

 

My new business reference, August 15, 2014
“By the time one starts seeking some business advice chances are you are also a bit down and discouraged. Marilynn Deane Mendell seems to understand this and brings a larger lesson, upbeat turn and timely tempo to her advice. For me the recipes are just a "hook". It is the first clever larger lesson right there in your hands in physical form I needed some business advice and inspiration. I heard Marilynn speak at an architectural event and wanted to know more. Another lesson. For me it is the creation of the book itself that is the good business example. Connect with people, bring comfort, assurance, familiarity, and satisfaction to your clients. At the same time, foster your creative self and look to energize not only you, your team but put a sparkle in the eyes of those you engage. Right now, her book is close at hand.”

    - Tim Witzig

 

Battle-tested and finger-lickin' good, August 13, 2014
“I met Marilynn Tunkey, a recently separated single mom of two boys, in 1982, she was anxious about how she was going to make end's meet. A few months later, she opened her own catering business and I occasionally worked for her, as did numerous other starving artists in Buffalo, NY. Thirty years later...Marilynn Deane Mendell, twice remarried and living in Virginia, runs her own growth strategy firm called WinSpin CIC. And she has published a memoir, of sorts, in the form of a combo cook book and business primer. It's called "Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat," and like its author, it's a delight! Marilynn's delicious food and business savvy -- along with a hefty dash of determination and creativity -- have been the secrets to her success. The tips and recipes she shares in "Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat" are battle-tested, timeless and finger-lickin' good.”

    - Stephen Gallagher (New York, NY United States)

 

Business and Food: My Two Favorite Topics, August 10, 2014
“I particularly appreciate how Marilynn creatively connected the business story with an adjoining recipe. The business stories are more than just business stories. They are modern parables for daily living and true to any good parable thought provoking and memorable. Oh, and the recipes, Marilynn has prepared many of them for me. DELICIOUS. I am not good in the kitchen but I am inspired to try many of these. The directions are complete and easy to follow.”

    - Bill Norton

 

I'm just a few recipes in but I plan to ..., August 6, 2014
“I'm just a few recipes in but I plan to cook, read and eat my way through this book! Mendell’s wit and wisdom about business is insightful. What other cookbook provides a brief on the creative mind while making Bourbon Balls!

    -Food Fan (Washington, DC, US)”

 

Highly recommended reading for practical insights and tips for both new ..., August 5, 2014
“Highly recommended reading for practical insights and tips for both new and established business owners. Plus the recipes are delicious! Definitely inspirational and motivating.”

    - Rosemary Wielgosz

 

Can I get you drink with that?, August 5, 2014
“Marilynn Mendell dishes out practical business advice the same way she probably cooked for her catering business: with wit, personality and common sense. In this book you not only benefit from her advice, gathered from many years as a management and marketing guru, but also from a well-tested culinary recipe for every situation. Sound advice with a delicious twist!”

    - Joao Ferreira

 

Feeling full from great ingredients for success, the kitchen, August 5, 2014
“Learn how to fry eggs and bad biz habits with this one-stop shop of a book. When I was living in DC as a reporter Marilynn stood out of the PR pack by sending out postcards with fun networking tips and always being on the forefront of technology (she was the first to tell me about QR codes). One timeless piece of advice Marilynn dishes out in EG+CF is don't pile too much on your plate and you'll avoid an egregious business error (or blunder in the kitchen--like accidentally using salt instead of sugar). She candidly talks about what many successful biz people probably already know but may be too afraid to say aloud (or in print). Sometimes it's advantageous to spill biz secrets, for example. Want to be taken really seriously in the real world? Ditch the mustache. She's spot on in calling herself a compulsive helper because she's probably going to save some readers both time and money (why pay for career coaches or cooking lessons when there's this read out there?).”

    - Tierney Plumb

 

Both the good tastes and good advice lingers, August 3, 2014
“Straight ahead recipes for business and cooking! What a great book, a must read and not only for my cameo (read about me on pg56.) And yes, Marilynn Mendell tells it like it is (and was) and how she did it - and as she said, how anyone can do it. She taught herself to cook and she taught herself how to run a business and this book shows the work and the fun it took. And as you'll read, it takes fun too. It's an especially enjoyable read for me as I recall some of the anecdotes. I learned a lot from her then and I'm learning a lot from her book now - practical, real advice that I am following as I open my business today. Thanks Marilynn for writing it all down. And some of those recipes that I've been trying to remember for years... now I got ‘em!”

    - RJ Baker

 

“Wonderful! Recommend to anyone who wants to have a ..., July 31, 2014
Wonderful! Recommend to anyone who wants to have a successful career. Great advice from someone who walks her talk! Advice is broken down into one page, easy to access reads. Perfect as a spark to start your day. Not what I would call a "self help" book! This is great advice for living a full, successful life.. It reminds me of Dale Carnegie advice but easier to swallow. The recipes are a perfect pairing. Two books in one! Delicious.”

    - Donna Mccullough “rhea"

 

“Concise Business and Cooking Wisdom, July 31, 2014
I think Mendell makes all other "business and management advice books" I have read look thin and shabby by comparison. She offers concise words of distilled wisdom for anyone trying to figure out how to make it in the business world. Other authors often take chapters to say what she says succinctly on one page. It is a very accessible offering. I am giving a copy of the book to my MBA-ed, foodie daughter so that she can benefit from Mendell's wisdom and will hopefully also feel compelled to make some of the tantalizing recipes and share the results with me!”

    - Daniel J.

 

“"Elbow Grease and Chicken Fat"- Spring training for the business professional and aspiring cooks, July 30, 2014
Marilynn Deane Mendell has created the ultimate business self improvement book! Combining astute advice on how to successfully present yourself and your enterprise with a cookbook filled with absolutely delicious recipes that Marilynn has created is a brilliant idea. "Elbow Grease and Chicken Fat" is spring training for any business that has allowed itself to become stagnant and sloppy. What most companies want is to work with other businesses that are honest, skilled and know how to succeed in a highly cluttered landscape. Marilynn Mendell has developed easily attainable platforms that can set your business or yourself apart from the pack. Marilynn is an incredible chef who is a joy to watch create food masterpieces with ingredients on hand. Simple concepts in food preparation. Simple ideas to become a better business person. What a winning combination!”

    - Sonny

 

“It presents vignettes that are filling and easily digested. As a business owner I often do ..., July 29, 2014
This book is just what I needed. It presents vignettes that are filling and easily digested. As a business owner I often do not have time to read a chapter or an entire book to find the answer to a question. "Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat" provides clear responses to many of the challenges facing business owners. I also like the connection with eating because I like to cook and often it provides me with an escape from the day to day grind. The book is great.”

    - David Kirk

 

“Five Stars, July 28, 2014
Awesome book. Reminds me of the book Chicken Soup for the Soul. Great read and recipes!”

    - Sherri C.

 

“A great cookbook! Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat gives practical ..., July 21, 2014
Witty, insightful and most of all... A great cookbook! Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat gives practical business and living advice for every type of women -- young entrepreneur, new mom, middle-aged working woman/mom, etc. However, I found that the added bonus was the easy-to-follow and delicious recipes. I am so excited to add a bunch of new recipes to my repertoire!”

    - Cathy C.

 

“Marilynn is beyond 'can do'!, July 21, 2014
She's a tour de force! If only Marilynn could bottle her insight, energy, and talent we could all take one a day! This book is a wonderful collection of recipes that inspire and are cleverly delicious without being intimidating. Along with her business insight as 'trial by fire' she not only survives but does it with such grace and etiquette. Marilynn is beyond 'can do' because she loves to help and share that the heat in the kitchen/life is all in how you use it.”

   - Jessica M.

 

“Imaginative Pairings, July 18, 2014
An unexpected, but logical, and fun pairing of two life basics: food and business advice. Ms. Mendell offers personal anecdotal life lessons learned while on the road to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Through shared time tested recipes honed while growing her former catering company and three children, she makes numerous business and life analogies, resulting in a humorous insightful and delicious read!”

    - Debra Gilmore

 

“Wonderful! I recommend to anyone who wants to have ..., July 18, 2014
Wonderful! I recommend to anyone who wants to have a successful business or anyone who wants to have a successful career. It takes more than competency to be a success. The advice and recipes are concise, are not intimidating, and are easy to follow. It is refreshing that they are written with openness and a dash of humor. Ms Mendell describes fundamental character traits, personal habits and marketing techniques which will turn a business or individual from competent to successful. The recipes are the best written that I have read. they are also concise and not intimidating. I look forward to trying all of them.”

    - John

 

“Fantastic Book That Memorializes Lessons Learned As A Student At Georgetown University, July 17, 2014
I had the pleasure of learning from Marilynn Mendell as a student at Georgetown University in their Masters in Real Estate Program. If you ever get the chance to work with or listen to Professor Mendell, you are guaranteed to walk away having learned something new and being better informed. These lessons learned continue to be used, not only throughout my career but also in day-to-day life. This book did an excellent job memorializing a lot of the lessons taught in her class, however the book also provides some excellent recipes! Thank you for publishing this book and also providing excellent guidance.”

    - John Kelley

 

“Helpful business tips and life lessons served with tasty recipes on the side, July 16, 2014
Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat is a must read for everyone. This book will inspire the chef along with the business person within you. Marilynn feeds the mind body and soul with this book. After reading this book all of my “can’t do” thoughts turned into “I CAN DO THIS” thoughts.”

    - Debra

 

“BUY...READ...PROSPER!, July 16, 2014
This is a must read for anyone in business and wants to succeed, especially in the design profession. I am not much of a "self help" reader but this book drew me in...I plan on using it for inspiration to my staff . I enthusiastically endorse this book - BUY IT and you will READ and PROSPER!”

    - Eric Groft

 

“I ate the whole book in one sitting!, July 15, 2014
It's business time! Start ups and entrepreneurs who are building a business will truly enjoy these master recipes. Women & men raising children while working who understand true hard work will love this book! From ethics to trust and honor this fabulous book serves up everything for true success in life!!!”

    - GoTime "gd" (dc)

 

“Master recipes (and they really are good) are paired together with easy to read advice on the importance of family, July 15, 2014
Sage business advice and tasty recipes bound together with inspiring stories from a long, varied and successful career. A must read for entrepreneur's, startups, and anyone thinking about building a business. Master recipes (and they really are good) are paired together with easy to read advice on the importance of family, hard work, ethics and honor. Bravo Marilynn!”

    - R Piacentini

 

“This book serves up a mean batch of onion soup ..., July 15, 2014
This book serves up a mean batch of onion soup and combines it with first hand business experience. I must give this an A++ for creativity, innovation and for honest guidance.”

    - Trevor

 

“This book is different..., July 14, 2014
Having run my own business for 40 years without ever owning a single business advice book I was somewhat skeptical when a friend gave me this. The recipes drew me in but it wasn't long before I got to the page "People are Different". The wisdom on that one page is worth many time the price of this book. Buy this book. Your mind and your taste buds will both benefit.”

    - William M. Beck (virginia)

 

“Business and cooking together? Brilliant!, July 14, 2014
(President, Green Room Speakers)Marilynn is my marketing coach - and I couldn't wait to read her book. I was intrigued, cooking and business together? As soon as I read the pair of entries, "Making Clients Happy" and " Baked Brie a la Chef El," I got it. The recipes don't simply complement the savvy business advice - they make the business advice literally "stick" so that you actually use it! The book reminds me of "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath. The authors talk about how we remember concrete details more than abstract terms. The unique and brilliant format of this book helps you truly understand, remember and execute Marilynn's wisdom. What's more, it's fun! You can't read this book in one seating. You read it a little at a time to savor each piece of business advice - and each yummy recipe that follows. I love it!”

    - DC reader

 

“A fun, riveting, inspiring book that will change your life, July 13, 2014
This book is a triple threat: an enjoyable read that's an inspiring autobiography, business advice book, and cookbook--all rolled into one. Mendell's life and career are quintessentially American; her can-do spirit and resourcefulness in times of great uncertainty shine through in her poignant, straightforward storytelling. Meanwhile, too many business books out there are big on conceptual theories but don't provide concrete takeaways. Mendell's book is quite the opposite: it's chock full of entrepreneurial and actionable insights about hiring, negotiating, marketing, and much more that anyone can apply to his/her own life. Lastly, you'll find a collection of Mendell's tried-and-true master recipes that alone are worth the price of admission.”

    - Bko123

 

“If Emily Post & Julia Child......, July 11, 2014
Mendell is a force. THE venerable “Emily Post” on how to operate in business (and in the kitchen!). Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat is sure to not disappoint. The stories are truly as rich and entertaining as the delicious (and classic) recipes. A highly recommended read that I will continue to reference for years to come!”

    - Fisher42

 

“it is a wonderful mix (no pun intended), July 11, 2014
I am not completely finished reading this book yet because it is the kind you need to take in bite sized pieces. But so far it is inspiring. It is inspiring for for my home business and for my kitchen. In an unusual twist the author covers two fronts at the same time: business development or advice and delicious recipes. These two areas seem far apart at first glance, but when you think about, it it is a wonderful mix( no pun intended). While we are cooking there is always a great deal of standing and stirring involved. What better way to use this time than to think about some of the business advice the author gives in just the right measurements? 
Marilynn Mendell bares her soul and her life as a multi career business woman. She started out running her own successful catering business out of her home, while at the same time raising 3 young boys alone. Then she switched gears completely and built another marketing business development consultant business. Her heart is in the book and you soon realize what struggles she had to overcome and how she managed. This information alone is a God send to anyone starting their own business or just trying to deal with their boss. After many years of experience, she offers sage advice. For example, you explains the simple art of saying thank you by either a card or a thoughtful gift or both. She suggests you stand out from the crowd and gives examples how anyone can do this even on a limited budget. 
I have only tried one recipe so far. This was for the Moist Chocolate cake made with, of all things, zucchini. Have an overload of zucchini from the garden? Try this great recipe. It was easy to do and the cake tasted yummy. There are many other recipes I can't wait to try.”

    - GardeningGranny

 

“Good Sense and Good Food - a great recipe for a life!, July 10, 2014
You do not have to be a businessperson or a cook to appreciate this funny, heartwarming and fabulous collection of good sense and good recipes. If you are simply a human being navigating the challenges of everyday life you will find much in here to make you think or rethink your approach to a wide range of circumstances. As plain and simple as her advice, this book is a treasure and I love it!”

    - HRH

 

“Follow the recipe, July 10, 2014
Rarely does a book cover two topics that are so different yet underscores a common thread....that is, that preparation and following a recipe will render a successful outcome. Marilynn has illustrated that concept in a very enjoyable yet sailient manner. Just as a new homemaker needs to follow taught recipes in her career which may include full time employment, new business start ups and entrepreneurs need to follow recipes that have worked in the enterprise of business. Marilynn identifies business traits that foster success in a most enjoyable and practical manner. I shared the book with a fellow who had retired from the computing world several years ago and he was enthralled at the insight to what works in business if one only follows basic principles..that is true hard work, ethics, honesty, and trust. He thoroughly enjoyed the text not to mention finding new recipes that we need to try. Thanks Marilynn, Great book.......”

    - Connie D

 

“Fabulous Secrets of a Successful Entrepreneur, July 10, 2014
You know a book is fabulous when it interests you no matter what the subject/field/discipline. I am not a business woman, but Mendell's stories about life in the business world--while also a working mother, partner, and master chef--go beyond inspirational. You actually want to get up and BE HER: creative, hardworking, ethical and, ultimately, successful. She is what I call "a good egg" . . . no matter how you cook it!”

    - Lisa Couturier (Dickerson, MD, US)

 

“A breath of fresh air, July 10, 2014
The concept behind this book is sheer genius - mixing metaphors for success in business practice paired with recipes for the kitchen - such as the paired article on branding with the recipe on the opposite page for BBQ sauce. The secret of course is in Marilynn's ability to weave a tapestry of storytelling that creates a big picture of success - whether in the kitchen or in the office. This book is a breath of fresh air for those who hunger for creativity, sage advice and savory temptations. Don't just buy two, buy three - and send one as a gift.”

    - Ernest Burden

Praise

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