KAYLA Silver
28 | Salt & Bubbles Wine Bar | Owner
Residence: Essex Junction
Career highlight(s): Opening day of Salt & Bubbles - without a doubt. So much hard work went into each and every facet of the business from painting the walls, choosing the wines, curating the menu, marketing, connecting and networking, all of the "paving the pavement" led to this 
one massive moment. It was exhausting, exhilarating, but it was and is important to me to see this dream realized.
Community Involvement: Salt & Bubbles has offered me and this business a unique opportunity to be a platform for change and impact in our community.
We donate a portion of proceeds to various organizations regularly with the organization benefiting changing every two months. We as a staff are all involved in volunteer projects together and we are all active members of our community.
I also believe I am a part of a movement within the hospitality industry looking to pay our employees fairly and look to the future of our industry.
What motivated you to live and work in Vermont? I received my undergraduate degree at UVM back when I still thought I'd end up being a veterinarian. After I graduated and realized the veterinarian track wasn't truly my path, I decided to explore hospitality more seriously and stayed in Vermont in my community I'd already established.
After enough years working my way up through various hospitality groups in Vermont this place truly began to feel like my home. My husband and I found our charming old farmhouse in Essex where we now live and I realized how underserved this community is. Filling the "quality wine" void as well as offering another kind of dining option I decided - Essex was going to be the home of Salt & Bubbles.
Favorite part of your job: Creating relationships and creating community. Wine and food are just the vessel - the true goal is more connection, more fun, more joy. For centuries humans have gathered together outside at restaurants and cafes or at home with their loved ones. Helping them make an occasion more special, we've done our jobs well. I also love getting to know our regulars, asking them about their day, their kids, their dogs, and telling them what is new with the business.
Most inspiring mentor and why: Thats tough - the real answer is my mother. Shes my biggest cheerleader and my harshest critic at the same time, but she has made me into the person I am and I'd be nowhere without her.
Other mentors more specific to the hospitality industry include Allison Gibson and Cara Chigaolza - Tobin of the infamous Honey Road Restaurant where I really grew into myself as a hospitality pro and somm.
What is the best career advice you have received? Its okay - no - encouraged to ask for help.
Asking for help and delegating is still to this day one of the things I struggle with most. However, each time I delegate a task and make more time for myself, to explore my own ideas within the business, it works out better than imagined.
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: I absolutely LOVE Celine Dion and Cher!
What three words best describe you: Passionate, thorough, and driven.
Favorite Vermont escape: My favorite Vermont escape is the horse barn. My horse lives in Charlotte and its my escape.
Favorite downtime activity: Same answer - the barn. Or cooking a meal with my husband and our two dogs and cat.
Favorite Super Hero and why: Not sure I have a favorite but I love deadpool - just hilarious!
Favorite Social Media and why: My favorite social media is instagram, the visuals come first and as a foodie - well instagram is where it's at.
Person you would most like to share a Vermont beverage with: The person I'd most like to share a Vermont beverage with is my husband, Trenton.
If you had unlimited access to funds, which cause(s) would you support: The Humane Societies of the world, food scarcity organizations like Vermont Foodbank, women empowerment organizations like Vermont Works for Women, mental health organizations like the Howard Center, supporting BIPOC members of our community through programs with the Peace and Justice Center of Vermont, and LGBTQ rights groups like Outright VT. A lot of causes need our support now more than ever so I can't just pick one.
What is the one song on your playlist that are you embarrassed to tell your best friend? To be honest - all of my best friends know how embarrassing I can already be. I'm a horse girl so at the very least the song I know I know all the words to but shouldn't is the theme/opening song to "The Saddle Club".
Where do you see yourself professionally in the next 5-10 years? In the next 5-10 years I'd like to start a family, continue to grow Salt & Bubbles and TRAVEL! Darn this pandemic for so many reasons but I hope in the future I have more opportunities to travel with my husband.
What career goal(s) would you like to accomplish in the next 5-10 years? The career goals I'd like to accomplish in the next 5-10 years are....
- Begin getting our foot in the door with wedding and events
- Be able to step away from working the floor but still have a careful eye on the business.
- Find a healthy balance of work and personal life
- Again, be able to travel at least once to twice a year
How has your community service changed since the pandemic? My community service during the pandemic has changed significantly. Much of the in - person volunteering has stopped but more than the pandemic preventing me from doing that, owning a business that is open 6 days a week and having employees has prevented me from having enough time outside of existing duties to have time to volunteer.
How has your job changed since this pandemic? My job was and is defined by the pandemic, what life is like during and hopefully in the very near future - post pandemic life.
People love to gather, they love to share together, celebrate together, and we want to host you. We hope to until everyone feels totally safe to offer as safe and spaced out an environment to do just that whether you are dining with us indoors or picking up wines and snacks to enjoy at home.