Glynis Albright

“ I love seeing the expressions of satisfaction on their faces when they eat what I have prepared. I really don’t have one favorite dish.

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do?

A. I am a Wife to my junior high school sweetheart; Mother of two adult children, Selina and Brandon; and Businesswoman owning Glynis’ Products, Inc. which holds beneath its wings five different gourmet food lines. I’m originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. I grew up there and also, in South Central Los Angeles. You’ll mostly find me to have a very upbeat, perky temperament. I love the Lord and am grateful for the gift of life, as my life has been touched and go a few times. I love to cook, bake, dance, and do word puzzles. By profession, I am a Nutritional Therapist. I have been creating foods for people with various health challenges for over 25 years. I also enjoy just blessing people (just because) by sending them home-cooked surprises through the mail. PRE-Covid, I was known for causing most of my friends and colleagues to rearrange their travel schedules just so they can visit my home to get a special blessing from my home kitchen.

Q. Who or what motivated you into the culinary field?

A. When I became ill back in the early ‘90’s, my diet and lifestyle had to change. I was practically bed-ridden but didn’t want to be. During my visits to the hospitals for various therapies, I met other men and women who were suffering like me. I’m a talker. Through conversations with strangers, I decided to start a food line that would assist with our healing processing. As I got stronger and stronger, I decided to try offering these treats to others who were health challenged as well as those people who were health conscious and wanted to guard their bodies against dis-ease. I found out that people were willing to pay me to do it for them. I opened two Just Sweet Enough® locations in Simi Valley, California and the rest is history. I’ve always enjoyed cooking and baking. With my heavy science background, creating a gourmet line that promotes healing was the next best thing!! Just Sweet Enough® was my first gourmet food line.

Q. Tell us about Glynis’ Kitchen Scratch Mix and the motivation behind it?

A. In January of 2020, Glynis’® Products dba Glynis’ Kitchen® was picked up by TJMaxx company stores: HomeGoods, TJMaxx, Marshall’s, and HomeSense. The product buyer who I was working with since November of 2018 asked me if I had any other products besides my waffle and all-purpose coating mixes. At that time, they were my only two products. She suggested that I add to my product line, some sort of basic mix that home bakers could use to make other comfort food items like cookies and cakes. I took her advice and created Glynis’ Kitchen® Scratch Mix. That mix comes in a huge 48oz box, which allows home bakers to prepare 2-3 recipes from one box. Like all of my other Glynis’® Products, there are no artificial sweeteners, additives, or dyes. In August, the buyer purchased ALL pallets of Glynis’ Kitchen® Scratch Mix to be distributed to 750 TJMaxx company stores; that covers three of their five regions (the Midwest, South, and East coast stores).

Q. Can you tell us how you earned the nickname “The Waffle Queen” and “The Sweet Potato Poundcake Lady” and the meanings behind them?

A. Yes, of course. I have been making my waffles since 1977 when I was a sophomore at UCLA. It became a meal that my friends have asked for when visiting my home ever since. Fast-forward to the ‘90’s, when most of my friends and I had started our

families, I was donned The Waffle Queen. I believe the name came about because there were three generations eating my waffles as all of my friends’ parents were asking for my waffles, too!! When I became ill in the early ‘90’s, sweet potatoes became a huge part of my daily life, as I needed to have beta-carotene in my diet. At the time, sweet potato pies were a very popular item on just about every Soul Food restaurant menu. I wanted to do something different. I created Sweet Potato Poundcake as one of the items offered through the Just Sweet Enough® gourmet line and it was my best seller!! Those who didn’t know my name would call me The Sweet Potato Poundcake Lady.

Q. What is your favorite dish to make?

A. My favorite dish is anything that my family members or close friends ask for me to prepare for them. I love seeing the expressions of satisfaction on their faces when they eat what I have prepared. I really don’t have one favorite dish. My palate changes with my mood. I will cook or bake just about anything that looks and tastes good.

Q. How was your experience serving your foods on the Dave Koz and Friends Australia Cruise?

A. It was quite an experience. I have thanked Dave numerous times for the opportunity to share my products through the years with his cruisers. This was the first time that a pallet, wrapped and sealed with cases of my waffle mix was loaded onto the belly of the ship to be served in the Main Dining Room of the ship!! In 2007, after being recognized by The Food Network Channel, I started appearing on jazz cruises with my husband, Gerald Albright. It first started out with me doing demonstrations. I would talk for about 30 minutes, sharing my testimony as a cancer survivor and how I combined my knowledge and experience in the health and wellness field to the culinary field. During the Q & A, samples of my treats were being passed around to those who attended my cooking hour. My first class held 150 people. Each time I’d have a class, it would grow. By 2015, my audience had changed. They had outgrown the taste- testing stage. They wanted to whole thing, not just a nibble. The chefs began to use my recipes to serve my dishes for the late-night crowds. The Australian Cruise was for TWO runs. 7,000 people were present on the ship. 3,600 each week. To be given the opportunity to share my talents with that many people at one time was incredible!! I felt so blessed and I am honored to say that Dave Koz is one of my dearest musical friends.

Q. Can you give us a little detail on your journey of how you got to where you are today?

A. Whenever I pinch myself, I always say, “God certainly have a sense of humor!” I am elated at where He has taken me. I wouldn’t change a thing. Short version: I went from science student to a very sick person, to using what I have learned in science to create five different food lines to being recognized all over the world. God has been the driver in my life. I’ve had some tosses and turns along the way, but I see the reason for all of my pitfalls and obstacles. They have all made me stronger and have prepared me for the issues of today. I have no regrets and I am honored to be a vehicle to communicate through my talents to everyone I meet.

Q. You are working on a book. Can you tell us what the book will be about?

A. The working title of the book is “The Love of My Life”. The book will be filled with love stories. I will share my relationship with various members of my family and close friends who have helped me to love food. The stories will start from my Great-Grandmother and will take you through time, up to me being a Mother, cooking for my own kids. The recipe of the food that brought us together will be shared. The book is long overdue. When my Mother transitioned a few years ago, I lost my writing mojo. I am back!! I am currently working on the second draft (and proofing) with hopes that the next draft will be the final draft.

Q. What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a position in the culinary field?

A. This advice I give to just about everyone I meet who is starting a business, no matter which industry. I call it Glynis’ Business CPR. Create. Protect. Release. Step One: Create something that sets you apart from everyone else. Something unique. If it’s something that is popular, make sure that your creation is exceptional. Step Two: Protect your product. Protect its name. Protect its design. Protect your business logo. No short cuts. Do whatever is necessary the first time so that it is trademarked and safe from bad folks out there who can steal an idea from under you. Step Three: Release it. Release to the demographic that’s part of your plan, may it be just your family and friends, your neighborhood, nationwide, or globally. Release can also mean to sell it to another company. If so -- nothing wrong with that. Just repeat the steps all over again.

Q. What has been the biggest accomplishment you have had in your life?

A. On a personal level, my biggest accomplishment has been to say that I have given life to two beautiful human beings, Selina and Brandon. I’ve raised them with my husband, Gerald and they have turned out to be two wonderful adults with their own businesses. Couldn’t be prouder. On a business level, my biggest accomplishment has been landing HomeGoods, Zulily, and QVC accounts all during the pandemic!! Having all three has given me more exposure globally than ever. HomeGoods has my products on their shelves; Zulily.com has 5 distribution centers in Singapore, the UK, and Australia; QVC.com will be carrying my products on their website soon!!

Q. Where can the audience follow you?

A. My website is GlynisKitchen. com for ordering product. I can be followed on three different social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I also have a YouTube Channel. Just check under Glynis Albright, Glynis’ Kitchen or @InsideGlynisKitchen to find my products and me. If you want The Waffle Queen to send out a message to a family member or friend, I can be found on Cameo.com as well.