028: “The day that I was let go, I literally felt a weight lifted off of my shoulders.” Operating a mobile restaurant business with Kathy Hardy

Losing her job in 2011 turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Chef Kathy Hardy. By mid-2012, Kathy joined the OG crew of the new food truck industry in Denver, CO. Her vision for the food cart was to introduce Filipino culture through Filipino cuisine. Since opening, her food cart had been featured in 5280 Magazine, Zagat Denver, and Asian Avenue Magazine (named Best of Filipino Food 2015). She's also been featured on the Food Network's hit show Cutthroat Kitchen and CHOPPED. She shares what her transition has been like since moving to Chicago, and encourages listeners to try anything that scares you.Connect with Kathy on Instagram @tasteofthephilippines, visit her website https://www.atasteofthephilippines.com/ or check out her recent feature in the Chicago Tribune at https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-food-chefs-go-mobile-1016-20191014-ahat6d2zbnhv3dnzwpvbx3l3ja-story.htmlNote: This episode was recorded on September 19, 2019 and will mention data and events that are now outdated.--For our latest updates and FINAL community events, check out our newsletter, published Friday, May 23rd, 2025: https://mailchi.mp/e9ab60aa7aeb/tfaw-project--NEWSLETTER: Receive the latest stories, updates, and media coverage by subscribing to our FREE newsletter: TFAWPROJECT.COMABOUT US: From 2019 to 2024, The Filipino American Woman (TFAW) Project was a podcast that strengthened Filipino voices one conversation at a time through all things life, culture, and personal development. Learn about the latest happenings of the show, which'll be announced SUMMER 2025: TFAWPROJECT.COMACADEMIC PAPER: Special thanks to the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at UC Davis for the opportunity to present our academic paper, Pinay Podcasters: Building a Self-Sustaining Community Through Storytelling, Collective Healing & Learning, and Collaboration. The initial draft is now available! Read more at http://pinaypodcasters.com/RECOGNITION: In December 2020 and December 2021, we received an Honorable Mention at the Asian American Podcaster's Golden Crane Podcast Awards. August 2020, Jen Amos participated as a speaker on behalf of TFAW Project for PodFest Global, which now holds the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Largest Attendance for a Virtual Podcasting Conference in One Week. May 2020, we were recognized as “Amplifying Asian Women Voices” on Spotify during AAPI Heritage Month.We've also been featured in Realtime Community Oakland, Mochi Magazine, Ossa Collective, SUPERBANDS, Chopsticks Alley, FoundHer by Entrepinayship, Spotify, PodFest Expo, Philippine American Foundation for Charities, When In Manila, You Are Collect;ve, San Diego Union Tribune, NBC 7 San Diego, and much more! Read more at: https://linktr.ee/tfawproject.featured CONNECT WITH US: Instagram @thefilipinoamericanwoman, Facebook @thefilipinoamericanwoman, Twitter @thefilamwoman, YouTube @thefilipinoamericanwoman, LinkedIn @tfawproject, Pinterest @tfawproject, or TikTok @tfawprojectLearn more about your host, Jen Amos, at This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.tfawletters.com/subscribe