Postcards from Paris – How to Run a Successful Workshop While Deflecting A Thousand Monkey Wrenches

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By Patti Londre of Worth The Whisk

If you ever want to learn how to present like a pro, watch one closely.  From its inception, Denise’s workshop at the Paris Cookbook Expo was looking like a recipe for disaster (not by any hand of Denise’s).  Yet in the end, it was an overwhelming success, so how did that happen? Here is what I saw:

Divas Not Allowed

The session title in the program was not accurate.  It never mentioned “food styling.” There was no signage. No name card on the table. The room was a cave with cement walls and floors so the sound from two sessions next door flooded her space.  No microphone. Not even a glass of water for the speaker. Yet, she never let any of that get in the way of presenting an engaging session.

Have the Attitude of a Winner

Any amateur would have crumbled. But an experienced pro perseveres. Denise gave herself a four-hour lead time, “just in case,” and it came in handy.  The metro car stopped mid-tunnel (no one was panicking, least of all Denise.) Once rolling and at our station, discovered the grocery store she scouted thoroughly three days earlier was closed – Sunday! No fresh groceries for props?!  A quick look up and down the Rue, she spies Le McDonalds and the session instantly shifted from “How to Build a Better Burger” to “How to Make A Really Bad Burger A Hundred Times Better.” 10 Euros worth of fast food later, she settled down at the Fair to process her plan.  No problems!  All good!  She produced her demo layout, poured through her Gourmand Award-Winning tome, The Food Stylist’s Handbook to mark photos with post-its for show and tell.

Know Your Content Inside-Out

A subject Denise clearly teaches in her sleep, now she had to deliver an hours worth of content in 30 minutes because, we realized on the spot, she was to be translated. Every two minutes, stop to be repeated in French. Her jokes took two beats before the laughs (“using Vaseline to fill holes in the meat is like Botox for the burger!”  Beat, beat… CHUCKLES from the crowd). That was satisfying.


If You Have Low Expectations, Everything is Up From There

We had NO expectations. Given all the monkey wrenches, by the time 4 PM Sunday was to roll around, we figured what person would want to hear, “How to Build a Better Burger” in France? At 3:50 PM, two people had sat down.  YEA!  We had an audience!!  I assured Denise, “Don’t worry, I can make two people look like 100 in a photo.” She laughed, took a big breath and geared up to present.  And then… the dam seemed to burst, and attendees POURED in.  If you could see the looks Denise and I exchanged for ten minutes, chairs ran out, standing room only, a quick intro in French and GO!

Bring A Friend To Be Your Photographer and Then Market, Market, Market!

The session may have been 60 minutes in one room far far away from home, but the photos last forever.  I was a wild woman shooting the crowd and uploading to Facebook for Denise’s friends to share in her success around the globe. Once done, more marketing can happen with great shots. Time to unplug, toast your good work (it’s now 5 PM) and spend a few extra days appreciating the surroundings.  We are in Paris!