{"id":10296,"date":"2026-10-16T16:55:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T20:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/?post_type=menu&#038;p=10296"},"modified":"2026-11-11T12:14:36","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T17:14:36","slug":"you-belong-anywhere-you-want-to-go","status":"publish","type":"menu","link":"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/fr\/menu\/you-belong-anywhere-you-want-to-go\/","title":{"rendered":"You Belong Anywhere You Want to Go"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Melanie Isaac-Taitt on Leadership, Identity, and Breaking Through in the Food Industry<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This article is part of a leadership spotlight series supported by the Re-seasoning Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to increasing representation and advancing Black Canadians at all levels of the foodservice industry through research, programming, and community engagement.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Melanie Isaac-Taitt didn\u2019t plan to build her career in foodservice. In fact, when she accepted her first full-time role while still finishing her business degree with a major in marketing, she was simply looking for \u201can entry-level marketing job at a recognizable brand.\u201d That brand turned out to be mmmuffins Canada Corp, the parent company of two iconic Canadian caf\u00e9 brands \u2013 mmmuffins and Michel\u2019s Baguette Caf\u00e9. The job marked the start of a six-year journey in quick service restaurants and caf\u00e9s, including roles with Timothy\u2019s World Coffee and Second Cup Coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI had some marketing experience from a multi-summer internship at a business-to-business electrical company,\u201d she says. \u201cBut my role at mmmuffins kicked off something bigger than I expected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Isaac-Taitt is currently a Senior Director of Marketing with Lactalis Canada.This follows a successful run as the vice-president of marketing for Roots Canada and other leadership roles at Tropicana Brands Group, Coca-Cola, Maple Leaf Foods and Twentieth Century Fox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the early momentum in her career was promising, the road ahead would test her persistence and belief in her own value. Like many young marketers, Isaac-Taitt had her sights set on the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector\u2014a traditional benchmark for marketing excellence. Yet despite her growing track record in foodservice, she acknowledges having encountered resistance. \u201cMost tier 1 CPG companies hire right out of university. Because I started out in foodservice, the transition to CPG was a hard one to make,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe doors to CPG opportunities constantly closed on me. But I knew my foodservice experience was valuable and transferable, so I didn\u2019t take no for an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That insistence\u2014on her own worth, and on her right to pursue opportunity\u2014became a recurring theme. \u201cTo this day, I don\u2019t let anyone tell me I can\u2019t get into roles or rooms that I want to go into.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Leadership Style Forged in Opportunity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Isaac-Taitt\u2019s leadership philosophy is shaped by her own unconventional path. \u201cI was given opportunities to try my hand at different things,\u201d she says. \u201cAs a result, I hire and lead knowing that people can be capable of more than what their past experiences say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She encourages her teams to lean into their natural strengths. \u201cWe certainly need to be proficient at our jobs,\u201d she says, \u201cbut we can\u2019t be excellent at every aspect. Instead of frustrating yourself trying to excel in areas you don\u2019t naturally, focus on propelling yourself through the ones you do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This insight extends beyond strategy\u2014it\u2019s deeply personal, particularly as a Black woman who has often been the only person of colour in the room. <strong>\u201cAs a woman of colour, especially a Black woman, you are discounted before you open your mouth. You\u2019re not expected to be smart; not expected to be eloquent; not expected to be successful. And when you are, you\u2019re considered a \u2018unicorn\u2019\u2014an anomaly. Both of those perspectives are damaging.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In her early years, she admits those narratives once fueled her personal drive. Now, they inspire something broader. \u201cI use it to open doors for the next generation of Black females, especially leaders, in any industry I find myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Representation as Normalcy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked what representation means to her, Isaac-Taitt doesn\u2019t hesitate. \u201cTo me, representation means normalizing. It shouldn\u2019t be shocking to see a Black woman in any industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although progress is being made, particularly through increased digital connectivity and visibility, she acknowledges gaps remain\u2014especially at senior levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI have spent most of my career as either the only Black person in my department or in the entire company. And as I\u2019ve moved up, that has been even more apparent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, she leads with authenticity. \u201cIt means not dimming the parts of me that make me uniquely me\u2014even when they\u2019re dramatically different from my colleagues. My life is coloured differently, both positively and negatively. But I own it. I control it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Advice for the Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To aspiring Black women leaders and entrepreneurs in the food industry, Isaac-Taitt offers this candid advice: \u201cYou must recognize that the game is different for you. You can\u2019t take the beaten path\u2014in many cases it\u2019s not even open to you. But that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t get to the destination. It just means you\u2019ll need to use different tools and a different level of confidence and perseverance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She wants the next generation to know something she wishes had been said to her earlier: <em>\u201cYou belong anywhere you want to go. You just may need to convince some naysayers and make some zigs and zags along the way.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Defining Success and Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Isaac-Taitt, success is deeply personal. \u201cSuccess for me is exceeding my own expectations. I\u2019ve set my sights on things and been fortunate enough to surpass them. That propels me to set a higher goal and feel confident in my ability to reach it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While her career has included stints in and out of foodservice, her passion for the industry\u2014and what it makes possible\u2014is clear. \u201cWhat excites me is the endless possibility of creating products or experiences that are accessible to the masses. It\u2019s always a joy to see the fruits of your labour on a shelf.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And though she has not had formal mentorship herself, she sees the value in shaping minds and modeling leadership for others. \u201cI\u2019ve had many informal mentors. I\u2019ve always sought out people of influence who could help shape my thinking\u2014about both the work and how to make the next move.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In doing so, she not only paves her own path but lights the way for others\u2014proving that while the road may not always be straight, it\u2019s worth walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Three Takeaways for Young Professionals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Take the Path That\u2019s Open to You\u2014Then Make It Your Own<\/strong><br>Traditional paths aren\u2019t always available, especially for Black professionals. That doesn\u2019t mean you don\u2019t belong. Use the opportunities you do have to build credibility, resilience, and direction\u2014and shape your own version of success.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focus on Your Strengths<\/strong><br>Trying to be excellent at everything is a recipe for frustration. Identify where you naturally excel and lean into it. Your strengths can set you apart far more than fixing every weakness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Your Identity Is an Asset, Not a Liability<\/strong><br>Don\u2019t shrink yourself to fit into spaces that weren\u2019t built for you. Your lived experience brings value, insight, and authenticity. Own your story. Let it inform your leadership, not limit it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10297,"template":"","menu_author":[512],"menu-category":[491],"menu-tag":[492,478,501,490],"class_list":["post-10296","menu","type-menu","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","menu_author-elle-asiedu","menu-category-leadership","menu-tag-interview","menu-tag-leadership","menu-tag-trail-blazers","menu-tag-women-in-leadership"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>You Belong Anywhere You Want to Go - Restaurants Canada<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/menu\/you-belong-anywhere-you-want-to-go\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"You Belong Anywhere You Want to Go - 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