Tim McDiarmid prepares the appetizer course for the James Beard Foundation Celebrity Chef Dinner on October 28, 2018, at Hotel Emma.

Chef Tim Gets Advice from the Best on Scaling Up Her Business

For Tim McDiarmid, chef/owner of Tim the Girl Catering and The Good Kind, 2019 has already been a bit crazy. Since taking over the Ivy Hall Event space last November, and opening the second location of The Good Kind in February, her business has doubled – and that means staffing, logistics, branding, training, corporate culture, funding and sustainability challenges have doubled as well.

Luckily, she reached out for some expert help and got it. Tim has just been named one of only 20 Fellows for the 2019 Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program by the James Beard Foundation.

Tim had to go through a lengthy application and interview process to be chosen, and is one of only two fellows from Texas. According to the James Beard Foundation, WEL is “targeted to women chefs/owners of one restaurant or food business looking to expand and grow, the WEL curriculum will address advanced business and finance concerns related to entrepreneurship and expansion, as well as provide gender-specific training and leadership development. An emphasis on work/life balance and other cultural issues will also be part of the program.”

The WEL Fellowship kicks off with a five-day entrepreneurship and leadership training program in October, developed with Babson College, a private business school that has focused on entrepreneurship since its 1919 founding. Events, meetings, and webinars are then held throughout the year in order to grow the network of women leaders across the country.

Congratulations Tim!

Want to know more? visit: jamesbeard.org/women-leadership-programs


Tim's Favorite Events

Join our friends Madly and Love Blooms, No. 9 Florals and Chocolates, and many other fabulous vendors at the Hello, Darling Holiday Market on Sunday December 23 form 1 to 5pm at the newest coolest spot , East Crossing. Proceeds benefit our lovely neighbors Say-Si – a FREE nonprofit year round multidisciplinary arts program.

Tim the Girl Catering and Ivy Hall will be at the San Antonio Wedding Show at the JW Marriot San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa on Sunday, January 6! Save the date because this is the biggest wedding fair of the year! Join Tim the Girl, Ivy Hall, and 160 other top area vendors to help plan the wedding of your dreams.


A Second Location of the Good Kind os Opening February 2019

We’re psyched! Th Good Kind, our fresh healthy cafe, will open at Ivy Hall in the former Monterey restaurant space on February. We can’t wait to serve delicious wholesome comfort food to our King William and Southtown neighborhood. We’ll have an expanded breakfast menu, a bar program, and new hours. Follow us at the Good Kind for the latest! Craving our award winning paleo breakfast taco, or our lusciously hearty chicken and rice stew, and can’t wait until February?Enjoy our original location at the Bottling Department at the Pearl!


What's your dream for the new year?

A few spots have opened up on Tim’s once in a lifetime spring to of Cinque Terre, Italy! From June 18-25, follow Tim and bilingual guides through small villages along the Riviera, cooking class at a 17th century villa, calm beaches and romantic side streets, and a trip to Tuscany to shop one of the best clothing, shoe, and homeware markets in Italy. Trip includes seven nights hotel, ground transportation, all breakfasts, most meals, plus guides, driver, and tailored events. Limited to 16 women – make sure you’re one of them! Click here for the itinerary, rates, and registration.