Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Daumit.
Hi Robin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
Creative people push boundaries and make the world more interesting, but they often don’t know how they’ll get to where they want to go, if they even know where that is! From the time I was 12 years of age, I knew I would be one of these unusual people, which often made me feel like an oddball. Back in the 50s, there was no such term as DIY, but it quickly became my middle name, and throughout my life, I have built on that quirky talent. I was a licensed hairdresser by 18, making fabulous money while all my friends were off to college, locked into being students. I had a talent for making people and things look better than when I encountered them. I made all my clothes out of natural fibers (while polyester had made its debut), modeling them after European Vogue magazines. I taught myself how to upholster furniture, worked with power tools, gardened, and made my surroundings House and Garden magazine photo-worthy. Yep, I was an oddball, and by my 20s, I loved being different but me! By my 30s, I had become a single mom, an unbelievable story fit for a Hollywood production, though I was warned that I would mysteriously disappear if I ever went public with the story, and being the foreign billionaire that he was/is; I knew he meant it. The arrival of my 40s put its stamp on me as a single mom of 4, something not cool in those days. But being that oddball, I gave the finger to the world and embraced it with all the panache that had brought me to that point in my life. I was an entrepreneur with an at-home business while raising 4 equally creative kids, and yes, there was one more oddity in our home; I made all of our food from scratch and taught my kids to do the same while society around us had fully embraced the microwave. I was a ‘Martha Stewart’ in the making long before her name brushed the lips of every housewife.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life is a funny thing. When we’re living it, it seems normal and smooth, even if others see it differently. I realized that the fairytale love and happily-ever-after life depicted by Disney was just a fantasy. I decided to create my reality. I learned that life gets bumpy when you try to live it someone else’s way. From then on, my life became a smooth road, at least in my eyes.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Once I turned 50, kids grown and off living their lives, I changed lanes. Inspired by the words of my oldest, who said, “Mom, you’ve always made fabulous worldly food, so why not share that talent with the world?” After putting away my haircutting shears and disappearing to Brazil for a few years (mid-life adventure), I did just that once back home! Now, after having been featured in several television cooking programs, published a few cookbooks alongside my food and lifestyle blog Whisk and Dine, I knew that my ‘oddball’ DIY talents had begun to inspire many onlookers. At the feisty age of 70, with a lifetime of making the world around me a gorgeous, if not delicious, place to be, I’m after my own food and lifestyle television series! An important character element I’ve acquired along life’s journey, is a sense of humor in all that life places in front of me. Life without laughter is like champagne without sparkle!
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Be an oddball, quirky, a nerd, if that means you are true to yourself. Don’t look to the world to set a standard for your life; half the time, everyone else is looking, too. You have an internal voice, even if it seems quiet. Quiet yourself, and learn to listen to it. If you dream big, then follow those dreams. If you dream small by other people’s standards, then with your finger held high, let the world know your dreams are significant to you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://whiskanddine.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whiskndine/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rdaumit
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-daumit-85184a155/
- Twitter: https://x.com/WhiskandDine
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskandDine/
