An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Fill your cup first. It is imperative to pour from a filled cup. Designate time each day for YOU. It is an absolute must-do whether that is time invested at the gym, reading, writing, meditating, or some other activity that helps you feel refueled. I read for 15–20 minutes per day and make sure that I get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily — this helps me feel more productive and fulfilled and gives me the patience to sit still and be present when it’s time to pour into my kids.
As a part of my series about “How extremely busy executives make time to be great parents” I had the pleasure to interview Jason Burke.
Meet Jason Burke, the founder and CEO of The New Primal. In 2009 he swore off junk food, embraced a more active lifestyle and a healthy diet, and started a meat snacks company — in his very own kitchen to help provide protein-packed and on-the-go options for others. And with the introduction of better-for-you sauces, dressings, and seasonings, The New Primal aims to offer innovative ways to make healthy eating easy, convenient, and delicious. Today, they are distributed in over 5,000 stores nationwide!
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us your “childhood backstory”?
I grew up in Tampa, Florida, in Section 8 housing. Neither of my parents finished school, and both worked blue-collar jobs. My dad grew up poor in a small town in southwest Virginia, and my mom was one of eight children of a Cuban immigrant father. My mom dropped out of school as a teenager and went to work in an Italian restaurant in Tampa, FL, where she learned to cook. She took great pride in serving people through cooking. Growing up, my home was THE gathering place. This had nothing to do with the size of the house (it was tiny) and everything to do with its aroma. My mom cooked for the neighborhood — literally — and everyone always felt at home and welcome under our roof. She was the go-to when it came to cooking for milestone events: graduations, birthdays, weddings, and even funerals. It was customary to have extended family, and, at times, scores of neighbors drop by for dinner.
In the sixth grade, I was underperforming in school, and my mom secured a special assignment for me to attend a school in the most affluent part of the school district. Because of that, I lived a very polarizing childhood between my friends with wealthy parents and my friends who lived in my apartment complex. I believe this is where my entrepreneurial spirit was born — I wanted the things my rich friends had, and I began looking for creative ways to make money as early as 10–11 years old. I didn’t play sports or join social clubs in high school, but I started a lawn service where I learned the ropes of managing a small business. I took that business into my college experience but sold it as I was about to graduate and enter the corporate world.
Can you share the story about what brought you to this specific point in your career?
In 2008, I left that career for a software sales job in Charleston, South Carolina. Shortly after I moved, both of my parents were diagnosed with chronic illnesses directly related to unhealthy lifestyles and diet. Their diagnoses sparked a keen interest in food and its impact on our overall well-being. I discovered “Paleo” in 2009 as a dietary framework, which changed my life forever. While packing desk snacks for my software sales job, I began making homemade grass-fed beef jerky on my kitchen counter with an at-home dehydrator. People would steal the jerky from my desk drawer, so I finally started making people pay me for it. About six months later, I had six dehydrators in my kitchen, and my wife came home from a girl’s night out complaining that all her clothes smelled like a BBQ. At that moment, we realized we might be onto something, so I set up a website to sell jerky online and rented a small space to make the product and save my wife’s sanity. About 18 months later, I went full-time into the meat snacks business. Today, we make over 30 products and distribute them to retailers nationwide, like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Publix, and Kroger.
Can you tell us a bit more about what your day-to-day schedule looks like?
I usually leave enough variability to allow for some fluidity — many days are bound to serve up a surprise or two, and I never want to be so rigid I can’t adapt. I also now work from home, so I’ve eliminated the daily commute time. A general outline of the “normal” days looks something like this:
- 7–8 AM — Help get the kids ready for school — I typically manage drop offs.
- 8:15–8:45 AM Coffee/Connection with my wife — catch up on the day ahead before things get hectic.
- 8:45–9:00 AM — I designate for daily reading.
- 9:00–10:00 AM — Maker time — I usually reserve this time for personal projects and meeting preparation.
- 10:00–2:00 PM — Calls/Meetings — I touch all parts of the business — sales, marketing, ops, and finance. Lately, I’ve been taking fewer Zoom meetings and more phone calls so I can walk during those calls.
- 2:00–3:00 — Break to handle any household business (we bought an old house, so there’s always a project to manage).
- 3:00–5:00 PM — Reserved for miscellaneous calls and meetings.
- 5: — 6:00 PM — I like to reserve for workouts — even if only for 20 minutes.
- 6:00–8:00 PM — Dinner with my family, connect with the kids, and their bedtime routine.
- Around 11 PM — Bedtime for me.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the core of our discussion. This is probably intuitive to many, but it would be beneficial to spell it out. Based on your experience or research, can you flesh out why not spending time with your children can be detrimental to their development?
Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed by the many priorities I’m juggling, I remind myself of a great quote from John Trainer, which is, “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” It’s a good level-set for me in my thinking. I’m a firm believer in quality over quantity, and intentionality is the key. A small amount of undivided attention pays massive dividends, in my experience (and I don’t mean driving them to an activity or watching TV together). Numerous studies prove that recurring quality time (even in small increments) with kids leads to fewer behavioral issues, improved mental and emotional health, and improved physical health. Kids who spend quality time with their parents are also less likely to participate in risky behavior such as drug and alcohol usage.
References:
Anderson, S.E et al. “Quality of early maternal-child relationship and risk of adolescent obesity.”
Pediatrics, Jan 2012, 129(1): 132–40, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22201144.
According to this study cited in the Washington Post, the quality of time spent with children is more important than the quantity of time. Can you give a few stories or examples from your own life about what you do to spend quality time with your children?
In my world, I find that my daughters LOVE undivided attention, and it doesn’t take hours to fill their cups. For example, sometimes I watch them color or draw a picture, and they are beaming with light to be able to look up at me and say, “Look!” Sometimes we’re just telling riddles or jokes, and they are fully engaged. Other times, it’s pushing the swing or playing a board game. These 15–20 minute increments that force me to slow down suddenly create better listeners, fewer sibling arguments, and very clearly bring everyone a dose of joy.
We all live in a world with many deadlines and incessant demands for our time and attention. That inevitably makes us feel rushed and we may feel that we can’t spare the time to be “fully present” with our children. Can you share with our readers 5 strategies about how we can create more space in our lives in order to give our children more quality attention? Please include examples or stories for each, if you can.
- Fill your cup first. It is imperative to pour from a filled cup. Designate time each day for YOU. It is an absolute must-do whether that is time invested at the gym, reading, writing, meditating, or some other activity that helps you feel refueled. I read for 15–20 minutes per day and make sure that I get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily — this helps me feel more productive and fulfilled and gives me the patience to sit still and be present when it’s time to pour into my kids.
- Protect your time. Protecting your time might mean dropping a few plates. It could also mean you have hard stops for your daytime meetings, or that people can’t just pop into your office or send you direct messages interrupting your day. You must protect your time so that you can give it to the people and things that need you the most.
- Do the thing you dread most first. Your willpower tank gets depleted as the day progresses. Ensure you are doing the things that require the most mental energy, earliest in the day. For some of us, we have to work out in the morning. I block off the morning for reading, connecting with my wife, and working on personal projects before I jump into an afternoon of calls and meetings where everyone else needs something.
- Have a daily plan. Having a plan might seem somewhat repetitive from the above comments, but this takes it a step further. Block your day by task and make sure you have a block to give undivided attention to your family. I know — that seems very rigid, and it might be, but it pays massive dividends, in my experience.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself. Give yourself permission to drop the ball sometimes. You’re still human. You won’t execute perfectly. But don’t let perfect get in the way of good. As long as you plan ahead and begin working to protect your time so that the people who matter most get the best of you, your life will be more fulfilling across the board. Don’t feel guilty if you get stuck in a fire drill sometimes that throws you off your schedule for the day. Pick up the next day and start again.
How do you define a “good parent”? Can you give an example or story?
My disclaimer to this question is that my definition is wholly mine and may be very different for others. Most of us are doing the best we can with the information and resources available to us.
First, I aim to raise confident, compassionate, emotionally intelligent, and reliable adults. Part of the journey today is allowing them to make mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for their success. I believe in modeling those attributes in my own life so they are clearly on display. I also have to be intentional about affirming those qualities when I witness them in their lives and course-correct when they’re not. Second, I aim to help them learn their own values. Most people get stuck living someone else’s values and never realize they don’t really align with their inner beings. I want them to learn and define their own values without fear of judgment from me (or anyone else). I will always be a judgment-free, safe place for them to land. Finally, I endeavor to help them learn to directly express their needs, and to understand the needs of others. To me, this is a massively underrated skill given that the majority of issues later in life stem from a lack of communication.
How do you inspire your child to “dream big”? Can you give an example or story?
First, I never create or affirm any limiting beliefs. I reaffirm that they can be or do anything they desire if they work hard and aren’t harmful in the process.
Second, I don’t define “big.” My youngest has repeatedly said she wants to be a “pet rescuer” when she grows up. Her empathetic spirit wants to help all the animals that need rescuing. Whether or not that is considered a big dream isn’t for me to decide. It’s a big deal to her, which is ultimately all that matters. I believe it’s my job to applaud her caring nature, plant little seeds of daily encouragement, and support her in her dreams.
Finally, my kids have the right to change their minds. I’m generally not okay with quitting in the middle of something, but I am okay with trying out a new skill and letting them determine if it’s for them or not. My oldest loves gymnastics. So she thought. We enrolled her and made sure she honored her commitment to be there each week to work on the craft. After a year, she decided she wasn’t inspired by it anymore and wanted to try a new activity. No problem — she gave it a fair shot, showed up and practiced consistently, and decided she wasn’t that into it. She’s free to pivot into a new direction.
How do you, a person who masterfully straddles the worlds of career and family, define “success”?
I’m stealing this from a quote I heard recently (I can’t remember where) and I think of it constantly. I’ll consider myself a success if my kids want to spend time with me when they’re adults. That’s it.
What are your favorite books, podcasts, or resources that inspire you to be a better parent? Can you explain why you like them?
I don’t spend much time on podcasts in this season of my life but as I mentioned above, I’m committed to daily reading. Some of my favorite books on this topic are: “The Male Brain” and “The Female Brain” by Dr. Louann Brizendine. Both books describe the nature and experience of the brain as we pass through various lifecycles. This book helps me better understand myself and my daughters and keeps me much more empathetic to their experience. “How to do the work” by Dr. Nicole Lepara dives into recognizing our patterns, healing from the past, and creating our new selves. It’s a groundbreaking view of human psychology, and it’s helped me heal from my past, to be a better human, and to show up authentically in the world. Finally, “How to Raise an Adult” by Julie Lythcott-Haims is a bit more provocative. It exposes the harms of helicopter parenting and lays out an alternate philosophy for raising kids. The lack of helicoptering for me as a child led to me developing my own resourcefulness and self-confidence and I aim to pass that to my kids.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Don’t let perfect get in the way of good. As I described earlier, many of us feel like we have to be perfect at everything, all the time. I don’t know if it’s social media’s influence in our lives or the natural parent-guilt of comparing to how we perceive other parents around us or what. In my personal life, just as I have in business, airing on the side of taking action and making progress even when the circumstances aren’t perfect is the key to moving the needle. Perfection is a carrot we chase but you’ll never catch it, so I release myself of the guilt of imperfection and focus on taking the next good step forward.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Easy.
As I mentioned, I lost my mom to cancer in January 2018 after a seven-year battle. One of the things I learned about this terrible disease is that it does not discriminate. You all know this; every person reading here has been affected somehow by this ubiquitous plague. But to sit in those (around-the-clock) radiation and chemotherapy clinics, you witness peers of humans having a hard time. No one much notices your background, your sexual orientation, or the color of your skin. Instead, a common empathy flows through the halls and treatment rooms, creating an unexpected, but comforting little community that reaches across races, generations, and belief systems.
And this brings me to the inspiration of “return to the table.”
As I said before, my childhood home was THE gathering place all due to my mother’s unbeatable home cooking, welcoming attitude, and generosity. When I found myself delivering the eulogy to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of the kind community pillar at the center of these meals, I asked anyone for whom my mother had ever cooked a meal to stand. Unsurprised but with my knees trembling, I watched as every single one of the more than 300 guests rose to their feet. At that profound and undeniable moment, I recommitted myself to honor and carry on the impact she had on so many lives.
Now that I’m older, I realize this impact extended well beyond the plate and the palate. At my house, everyone felt at home. Amid the chaos of a full house and the revolving door of guests, there was an overarching peace in that little home. Now I know why. My mom always cooked, and people would show up for her fantastic food. But once there, they’d also share their experiences, opinions, ideas, and sorrows. They’d laugh together and cry together. They would debate (okay, argue), and then they would clasp hands and pray together. My mother had created a space for people to find connection and community. And simply put, the dinner table facilitated that relationship. I believe communion among humans is necessary and critical for our mental health and authentic happiness. A table is a place where we can break down barriers. It’s where life’s most valuable lessons are learned. So it doesn’t hurt if these conversations are fostered by the passing of delicious dishes.
Share a meal with your neighbor. Don’t rush dinner with your family. Eat the dessert sometimes and lean into each other’s company. My journey at The New Primal began with healthy snacking rooted in animal welfare and clean ingredients. It has now expanded into bringing people back together around the table. Honestly, I never saw it coming. But it makes perfect sense…just as I believed creating ways to make healthy eating easy and delicious would inspire healthier snacking, so can it inspire a return to the table. It’s a noble calling and one my mom would be proud of. I invite you to join me.
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
Jason Burke of The New Primal On How Extremely Busy Leaders Make Time To Be Great Parents was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.