When I first started exploring how trauma impacts entrepreneurs, I had no idea how deeply personal this work would become—not just for the people I interviewed, but also for me. The journey of looking back at our childhood experiences, especially the difficult ones, isn’t easy. But I’ve learned through my work, and from the stories of others like Ina Garten, that our past holds vital clues about how we show up in our businesses today.

For those who ask, “Why should I revisit painful experiences to improve my business?” I get it. It’s an uncomfortable question. But whether or not we consciously acknowledge it, those experiences shape the way we think, feel, and act. They influence how we handle stress, make decisions, and build relationships with clients, employees, and partners. Ignoring them doesn’t make their impact go away—it only keeps us stuck in patterns we might not even realize exist.

Ina Garten’s story is a powerful example of how our early lives can shape our professional journeys, often in ways we don’t expect.Which in turn can help us learn how to run a Trauma Conscious Business®. 

Ina Garten’s Journey: Turning Pain Into Passion

When I read about Ina Garten’s childhood, I was struck by how familiar parts of her story felt. Like many of the entrepreneurs I work with, Garten’s early years were marked by a lack of nurturing support. She describes her mother as emotionally detached and uninterested in food, while her father had a volatile temper that often resulted in harsh discipline. She wasn’t even allowed in the kitchen as a child, a place that would later become the heart of her career.

Despite—or perhaps because of—her difficult upbringing, Garten went on to build an extraordinary culinary empire. Her memoir reveals that her drive to create warm, inviting spaces through food came not from fond childhood memories, but from the absence of them. “I think a lot of what I do is creating what I always wanted rather than a memory of something,” she wrote.

That resonated with me deeply. So many of us build businesses as a way of creating something we needed but didn’t have. For Garten, that meant crafting a life of comfort and connection. But it wasn’t an easy road. Like many entrepreneurs, she struggled with self-doubt and an internal critical voice she later realized was the echo of her parents’ harsh judgments. Her breakthrough came when she began to recognize those voices for what they were—remnants of her past—and started trusting her own instincts instead.

Why Revisiting the Past Matters

One of the most common questions I hear from entrepreneurs is, “What’s the point of looking back? Won’t it just make things worse?” It’s a fair concern. Revisiting old wounds can feel overwhelming, especially if those wounds were deep. But here’s the truth: those experiences are already influencing your business, whether you acknowledge them or not.

Trauma creates stories—about who we are, what we’re capable of, and what’s possible for us. It shapes how we respond to stress, how we interpret feedback, and how we build relationships. For example, if you grew up in an environment where you were constantly criticized, you might second-guess your decisions or shy away from risks in your business. Alternatively, you might overcompensate, pushing yourself to the brink of burnout to prove your worth.

Ina Garten’s story shows how powerful it can be to recognize and challenge those patterns. She wrote that the critical voice in her head wasn’t her own—it was her parents’. That awareness allowed her to separate their judgments from her reality, a shift that was instrumental in her success.

In my work with entrepreneurs, I’ve seen this time and again: when people take the time to uncover the roots of their behaviors and beliefs, they gain a sense of freedom. They stop operating from a place of reaction and start building their businesses with intention.

How to Begin the Process

If the idea of looking back feels daunting, know that you don’t have to do it alone. Here are some steps to start the process safely and effectively:

1. Acknowledge Without Judgment: It’s easy to fall into the trap of blaming ourselves or our parents for our struggles. But healing starts with acknowledging what happened without judgment. Ina Garten once said, “What goes in early goes in deep.” That doesn’t mean we’re broken—it means we need to take a compassionate approach to untangle those early influences.
2. Identify Patterns: Notice how your past might be influencing your business today. Are you overly critical of yourself? Do you avoid conflict or take on too much? These patterns often have roots in our early experiences.
3. Challenge the Narrative: Once you recognize those patterns, ask yourself whose voice you’re hearing. Is it yours, or someone else’s? Like Ina, you might find that the harshest critic in your head isn’t your own voice at all.
4. Seek Support: This work isn’t meant to be done in isolation. Whether it’s therapy, coaching, or connecting with trusted peers, find someone who can help you navigate these waters with care.

Transforming Pain Into Power

What I admire most about Ina Garten’s story is how she turned her pain into passion. She didn’t let her past define her—instead, she used it as fuel to create the life and career she wanted. That’s the beauty of this work: when we face our past with courage and compassion, we open the door to possibilities we might never have imagined.

For me, this work is personal. I’ve seen how my own experiences have shaped the way I approach my business, my relationships, and my sense of self. And I’ve seen the same in the entrepreneurs I’ve worked with. The journey isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it.

We can’t change what happened to us, but we can change how we respond to it. By looking back with curiosity and kindness, we can create businesses—and lives—that are not only successful but deeply fulfilling.