My Recipe for Success
Steve Owen, CDM, CFPP
Lander, WY
ANFP Member Since: 2012
Steve Owen, CDM, CFPP has been a CDM, CFPP since 2012. He was Director of Food Services at the Showboat Retirement Center in Lander, WY. for 10 years. He served as President of the Wyoming ANFP Chapter for two years. Owen organized the first Wyoming ANFP Day at the Capitol and led this effort for three years. He also served as a member of the Edge magazine Editorial Advisory Board for two years. He retired and moved to the Boise, ID area to be close to family. Owen was called upon to reactivate the Idaho ANFP Chapter after three and a half years of inactivity and has served as President for the last four years. He organized and led a group of 12 nutrition groups in establishing a Nutrition Day at the Idaho Capitol for the past two years. Owen has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in human resource management.
Steve's Recipe for Success
- Set goals. Dream big and dare to soar to new heights. Have specific goals for every day, every week, and every month. Also set goals for one year and five years ahead. You accomplish more and gain self-confidence as you reach and achieve goals. Get out of your comfort zone.
- Understand your power. Be bold. Be fearless. Be you. You are valuable as the leader of your dietary team. Celebrate who you are. Coach John Wooden said his father gave him a card when he was a child and on the card it said “Make Every Day a Masterpiece.” I challenge you to make every day a masterpiece – be a star and shine bright. Do good and great things every day and every week. Be the very best version of yourself.
- Communicate. Communication is very important for your team and facility. We need to be good listeners… learn to be deep and intentional listeners. God gave us two ears and just one mouth for a reason. Listen well – and then speak.
- Care for people. People are what is most important to us as dietary managers. Yes, we work with budgets, equipment, menus, recipes, and sanitation… but people are the most important part of our job. We must care for people with compassion, respect, and concern – including our dietary team, fellow workers, vendors, residents/clients – and yes, even our bosses.
- Empower people. You are a member of a team as well as a team leader. Be someone who encourages and empowers others to do their best and be their best.
- Be a servant leader. Be a giver, not a taker. Serve others with humility. Treat others as you want to be treated.
- Practice self-care. Take care of yourself. If your cup is empty, it is hard to fill the cup of others. If you do not take care of your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, no one else will.
- Have fun! Enjoy your life and your work. Life is too short to be overburdened by work alone. We do not live to work; we work so we can truly live out our lives fully.
- Utilize your network. Spend time with the right people – those who care about you and want to help you in your life journey. You have much to learn from those you network with, and they have much to learn from you.
- Learning never ends. There is always so much to learn – read books, take classes, attend seminars, listen to tapes. Discover new ideas, new recipes, new approaches, new ways of thinking, new relationship ideas, new mentors for your life. Never stop learning. Keep growing.
View the archive of My Recipe for Success articles at www.ANFPonline.org/myrecipeforsuccess.
Nominate Yourself or a Fellow ANFP Member
Have you spent a career in foodservice? Share your wisdom and advice in a new feature from ANFP. My Recipe for Success is aimed at retired members or those who have spent a long career in foodservice. Share the biggest lessons you’ve learned to a lengthy, fruitful, and successful career in the non-commercial foodservice industry.
My Recipe for Success Archive
January 2021 - Dorothy Radermacher, CDM, CFPP
March 2021 - Wanda Dickson, CDM, CFPP
May 2021 - Tom Thaman, CDM, CFPP
July 2021 - Chef Richard "Nick" Nickless, CEC, CCA, AAC, CDM, CFPP
September 2021 - Karen Swift, CDM, CFPP
November 2021 - Paula Bradley, CDM, CFPP
January 2022 - Deborah McDonald, CDM, CFPP
March 2022 - Trish De Leo, CDM, CFPP
May 2022 - Deb Dawson, CDM, CFPP
July 2022 - Rosalind Davis, CDM, CFPP
September 2022 - Ken Owens, CDM, CFPP
November 2022 - Janice Hemel, CDM, CFPP
January 2023 - Bonna Brown, CDM, CFPP
March 2023 - Becky Massey, CDM, CFPP
May 2023 - Colleen Zenk, CDM, CFPP
July 2023 - Joey Rost, CDM, CFPP
September 2023 - Milton McGowian, DBA, FMP, CDM, CFPP
November 2023 - Robert McKeon, CDM, CFPP
January 2024 - Hunter Hying, CDM, CFPP
March 2024 - Kim Kyle, CDM, CFPP
May 2024 - Sharon Vermeer, CDM, CFPP
July 2024 - Regina St. Clair, CDM, CFPP
September 2024 - Ken Hanson, CPM, CDM, CFPP
November 2024 - Barbara Thomsen, CDM, CFPP, RAC, QCP
January 2025 - Michael Kopec, CDM, CFPP
March 2025 - Preeti Padmanabhan, CDM, CFPP
May 2025 - Chef Louie Prantil
July 2025 - Rosemary Aho, CDM, CFPP
September - Mark Budd, CDM, CFPP