We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jasmine Woods. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jasmine below.

Alright, Jasmine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I am extremely happy as a business owner. I have always known that I wanted to be my own boss and becoming a chef was always one of my top three career choices. My very first job was in hospitality and I loved it. I worked as a hostess for about four years and eventually moved on to other opportunities. I was a loan officer, medical biller, even an accountant but nothing felt fulfilling. I worked a ton of different jobs before I finally decided to take the leap and go back to school. During my years in culinary school I only worked positions in the culinary field in order to learn as much as I could and gain experience.

After graduating I became a sous chef at a really popular catering company in Des Moines. It was a great opportunity and I definitely learned a lot but even then it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I knew it. was time to start my own business. and do. my own thing. Theres just something special about having your own business, having complete creative control, and working with whoever you want whenever you want. I am even happier now that I am a mother. it is really important to me to be able to create my own schedule. I don’t think I will ever want to go back to a regular job.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Jasmine Woods, I am a 33 y/o Iowa native who loves to bring others happiness and comfort through the enjoyment of food.

I have always known that I wanted to be a chef even from the age of three. I remember cooking with my great grandmother in her kitchen, not even tall enough to reach the stove, but I knew from then cooking was something that I enjoyed. She taught me so much about cooking and put so much love into everything she made. She was the person that really made me fall in love with cooking and I’ve been doing it ever since.

It wasn’t until 2015 that I decided to go to culinary school and turn my dream of cooking for others into my career. That was the best decision I have made.

In 2018 I became the owner of Jazz It Up Personal Chef Services. I provide my clients with an all inclusive in-home dining experience. From food to table decor, I make sure my clients are fed, happy and comfortable. All I ask is that they provide me with a workspace. Each client receives a completely customized menu after a short consultation. This is where I get to be creative and come up with various menu options for my clients to choose from. My business allows my clients to have intimate dining experiences in a place where they feel most comfortable. Jazz It up became really popular at the end of the Pandemic because people just didn’t want to eat out and this was a way for them to feel like they were still able to celebrate those special birthday/engagement/anniversary moments without ever leaving home. Once business took off I’ve never looked back. I am now able to not only provide in-home dining, I also cater weddings and larger events, provide cooking demonstrations, and even did some freelance food stylist work for foodandwine.com.

I am extremely proud of how far my business has come and that I get to make others happy through food. I want potential clients to know that my goal is to provide them with extraordinary service, creative and delicious meals, and the comfort of being in their own space.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I cannot stress this enough. Networking will always be a huge way to grow your clientele. Get out there and talk to people. Hand out cards, go to different events in your industry and just talk to people. By networking I have gained so many different opportunities and met so many people. I was at an art event selling some of my items and I was talking to a lady whom I found out was from France. when I told her who I was and the name of my business she said she had actually heard of me! I was so stunned because she wasn’t even from small Des Moines Iowa and I didn’t realize my business was getting talked about as much as it was. it was just amazing to hear that someone I had never even met or tasted my food yet had heard good things about me just by word of mouth. So Networking is the number one strategy for myself.

How’d you meet your business partner?

My business partner is actually my husband. We met in elementary, went to middle and high school together, then married after I graduated culinary school. He has always been my number one supporter and he helps me in any and every way possible. We are currently a team of two.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/chefjazzitup
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JazzItUpDSM