Background
Lady Shuckers is a mobile raw bar and event catering company based in Portland, sourcing world-class Maine oysters directly from its own farm and a network of women-owned farms for a wide variety of catering and educational events. In addition to running a successful business, Lady Shucker’s mission is to create more visibility for underrepresented groups on the water.
There are so many favorite things about what I do. Teaching people how to shuck oysters through hands-on learn to shuck classes and demonstrations is incredibly rewarding. Talking someone through trying their first oyster and loving it. Educating people through speaking events about the importance of sustainable aquaculture for Maine and for our planet. Empowering women, queer folx, and minorities to get involved in entrepreneurship and how to turn their passions into a career. Showing up authentically through social media marketing and meeting/collaborating with other creatives. The sensation of what it’s like to be seen AND be yourself is a very powerful feeling.
Challenges
Our biggest work-related challenges involve all the not-so-fun parts of running a business that have to get done on the back end like reconciling receipts in Quickbooks, paying bills, renewing licenses, invoicing, writing contracts, and filing quarterly sales tax. They’re time consuming and require you to be at a computer for hours, which can be isolating and overwhelming. I’ve tried to hold myself accountable for this by doing it two times, at the beginning and end of the month. A best practice has been to incorporate an element of self-care during / after it’s complete as a reward. Creativity blocks can also be tough. When the inspiration isn’t flowing internally that can be frustrating and stressful and in these times I draw upon external sources like conversations with friends, listening to podcasts, and being in nature, which help me greet tasks with renewed energy and focus.
What I love about my work
What I love most about this industry is the other aquaculture farmers. They’re my friends and they’ve been my friends for 5+ years – men and women alike. I’m a native Mainer and got into this industry in 2018 after returning from three years serving in the Peace Corps, where I experienced some really heartbreaking things. This working waterfront community accepted me and helped me discover a purpose for life again. I met people who were doers and who cared about the environment and about the impact our food systems and climate change had on our oceans. They weren’t afraid to show up exactly as themselves and were pioneers in their fields. It’s because of those mentors and the belief I had in myself to follow my dream that I’ve been able to get to where I’m at today.
