About the Chef

Hey there. I’m Tea (pronounced Tay’ah)   

I’m not really a chef. (At least, I don’t cook food for a living.) I’m a marketing connoisseur, WordPress gourmet and story-telling gastronaut. (And yes, I love to cook –and eat — great food.)

I’ve always known that my perfect job would be one that involved words, pictures (preferably of food) and passionate, world-changing conversations. And when I turned 40 (almost 7 years ago), I finally went for it.

If you’re like me, you’ve found your true calling as an entrepreneur, too

And you’re ready to get this party started. (Note: when I say party, I mean your business.)

You’re looking for someone who knows the technical terrain of the online world; someone who gets your desire to share your gifts with those who need them; and someone who can teach you how to make it happen in the quickest, most cost-effective way possible.

I help new biz owners connect the dots between technology and marketing so they can hit the ground running

I’ve spent the last 20+ years of my career up to my eyebrows in getting the various pieces of marketing done. Getting things shipped. Figuring out not just the big picture WHY but the little picture HOW.

I started as a graphic designer, taught myself how to use the software (yes, I’m a little geeky that way) and then over two decades worked my way into the upper management levels of several organizations.

I accomplished some great things in that time, but it wasn’t enough. There was so much more that I knew I could contribute.

And that’s when the Universe stepped in to help me.

In late 2005, a family issue came up that I needed to deal with. I had to move. And I had to figure out how to make a living in a way that would allow me some flexibility with my time and energy.

I looked at my options. And I was underwhelmed.

I was at the pinnacle of my so-called career. The only places that might offer me a way forward were outside my comfort zone for commuting time.

It was time to step out and do my own thing.

The first iteration of my business was called Social Good Marketing. I envisioned building an agency that would serve the local nonprofit and mission-driven business community.

Things went really well for the first couple of years. And then they didn’t.

When I emerged on the other side, a year and a half later, my original biz goals had changed. I had changed.

Not only was I was in a new place, with a new man — I also had the gift of space and time to figure out what it all meant.

So I went back to my first loves: writing and cooking.

I reveled in the pleasures of exploring an idea or a new ingredient. I poured my heart and soul into it with full abandon.

And that’s when it hit me: there was a new path — a new brand and purpose — that I could walk.

I’m sure it comes as no surprise that what emerged for me was The Word Chef. (After all, you are reading this on my website.)

Clarity came quickly: I could help my clients find the ingredients to their Secret Sauce (branding), teach them how to create a Signature Dish (or product/program) and coach them in the processes of telling their stories to the world (marketing online)

The thing that’s great about that for you is that you don’t just get to work with a solid writer — you get someone who’s got a deep knowledge of marketing strategy and psychology, as well as story structure, character analysis and poetry.  And you get to work with someone who loves to teach. 

In other words, I can teach you how to find your fascinating Secret Sauce ingredients, how to play around with them to create YOUR best and most authentic branding story, and how to put all of that together in a way that brings you more clients, more prosperity and more joy.

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Just for Fun: Five Random Facts about The Word Chef

1. At 9, I started a neighborhood newspaper and delivered hand-copied issues of local news to all the houses on the block. (It lasted for two whole weeks). And while other kids were out riding their bikes, I preferred making up and implementing new businesses. (My family remembers with pride: “The Ooh-La-La Restaurant,” “The Chinese Laundry,” “Two Sisters Landscaping,” and “Two Sisters Cleaning Crew” — of course, these were all just ways for me to make my chore duties a little more fun and palatable.)
2. I was an extra in the made-for-TV movie Amos and my screen time is opposite the one-and-only Kirk Douglas as a hospital orderly (mopping the floor). This spurred a short pursuit of an acting career (but I never appeared on screen again, unless you count my interview on the public access channel back in ’06).
3. I’m just over 6′ tall and feel silly wearing dresses (but love to wear them at home when I don’t have to worry about finding the right pair of shoes to go with ‘em).
4. My big book weakness is supernatural romance novels. The sexy ones. These usually involve vampires, werewolves and other kinds of fantasy beings typically found on the Syfy channel. Don’t judge.
5. Besides writing, I also love to create visual stuff. Paintings, drawings, multi-media…you name it, I’ve tried it. And while I haven’t painted anything in almost two years, this one’s my fav.

Oh, and I wrote this Entrepreneur’s Manifesto. Would love to know if it resonates with you. 

There’s more about the Word Chef company here.

Need more traditional stuff? Alrighty, then…here’s the fancy pants version of who I am:

Tea Silvestre is widely regarded as one of the top marketers in the world of small business. She’s the author of “Attract and Feed a Hungry Crowd: How Thinking Like a Chef Can Help You Build a Solid Business,” as well as the founding producer of the ground-breaking web series, “Prosperity’s Kitchen.”

Her marketing career began 20+ years ago when she took a job as a copy editor/administrative assistant/graphic designer/coffee-getter for a national bank that no longer exists. Over the last two decades, she’s honed her skills and served in high level positions, directing the marketing efforts of city governments and national organizations.

In 2005, she launched her first company, Social Good Marketing, and has been walking the entrepreneurial path — helping mission-driven business owners reach their goals — ever since.

Tea’s writing is often seen on some of the biggest blogs on the Internet, including Copyblogger, Problogger and MarketingProfs. She’s also a frequent speaker at entrepreneurial events across the globe.

Tea currently lives in Silicon Valley where she spends much of her free time tasting wine, seeing the latest movies and enjoying meals with friends and family.

If that wasn’t enough, here’s my linkedin profile.

But Let’s talk about YOU  

If you own a small business and you’re still trying to figure out your branding, your message or how to get it out there to the world, I may be the right person to help you rock your online marketing strategies. But we won’t know until we sit down and chat. I offer a free 20 minute consultation just for that purpose. Here’s where you get started.