Susan Cohen has worked
professionally in the wellness realm – as a natural foods chef, cooking
instructor, yoga teacher, foot reflexologist and massage therapist – for
several decades. She established her business, Savory Naturals, more than 15 years ago in Florida, where she had a
consistent following.
A relocation to Bucks County in
2019 sent her back to the drawing board in terms of rebuilding her business.
Soon after settling into her new digs, Cohen reached out to SCORE Bucks County
for assistance.
“I just knew they were supportive,”
said Cohen, who watches the chapter’s business-related webinars and meets
regularly with her mentor, Carl Rubin.
Rubin helped Cohen move out of her
comfort zone to transition her cooking instruction business to a virtual format
during the peak of the pandemic. He also assigned her homework and kept her
accountable, which Cohen said was helpful in keeping her motivated.
“He’s my cheerleader. He listens to
me,” she said. “He understands when I talk about where I am in this stage of my
life in my business of how I want to create and expand. He doesn’t force me to
do something that’s not really me.”
Rubin, who continues to mentor
Cohen, said her drive will continue to lead her on a successful path.
“Her ability as a business owner
shows a determination to succeed in a professional manner,” Rubin said. “Susan
utilizes all assets that are available to help grow the business.”
Cohen currently teaches in-person and
virtual cooking classes for adults and children. She offers in-persons sessions
through Newtown Parks and Recreation, Upper Southampton Community Center, New
Hope-Solebury School and Princeton Adult School. She also teaches yoga at
Airmid Wellness and Counseling Center in Warminster.
Virtual cooking classes allow her
and her students to cook – and eat – from the convenience of home.
“You’re able to really connect with
people and then sit and eat a meal together,” she said.
It took a bit for Cohen to get used
to virtual instruction, but now she’s looking to add more of it to her plate,
along with teambuilding events, private cooking events as well as her
workshops, including Sleep Eaze, and Strong Bones & Sugar Cravings.
“This has been a dream and a
purpose for me,” she said.
Cohen took her first yoga and
cooking classes 40 years ago but realized her love of cooking long before.
“I started loving cooking from the
time I was a little girl,” Cohen said, adding that she would help shell the
peas or stir the cake batter. “I sat with my mother in the kitchen, and she was
a great cook and a baker.”
She began cooking for herself and
her family more than 20 years ago, enjoying the benefits of a healthy, organic
food plan. She studied with award-winning chef Christina Pirello at Drexel
University and attended the Natural Kitchen Cooking School in New Jersey. She
worked for seven years in wellness centers as well.
Cohen has seen firsthand the
benefits that eating can play in a person’s life. One of her clients has
rheumatoid arthritis, which prevented her from walking more than 15 feet.
“I just tweaked her food,” she
said. “Within two weeks she was able to walk.”
She also helps clients create
personalized menus to suit their dietary needs.
“It’s a lot of learning new and
different foods that we’ve never tried,” she said. “Just understanding what our
body needs and of course eating according to the season and eating organic.”
About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more
than 11 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE
provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000
new and growing small businesses.?With 50 members across the
county, SCORE Bucks?County?provides over 1,500 free
mentoring services annually to local small business owners
through one-on-one counseling and small business seminars. To stay up to
date on news and happenings, join SCORE Bucks County’s email list. Text
SCOREBUCKS to 22828.
