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

Hi Ellie, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Think of the last time you went to a standard fast food restaurant. What was the food like? Was it soggy, oily, overly salty? Was it dry, cold, unflavored?

Now imagine going to a restaurant, where there is clean, fresh food. The food is homemade, hot, delicious, healthy and flavorful!

That is my entire mission when it comes to ElliesCajunKitchen. I wanted to bring a different perspective and take when it comes to the fast food industry. In America, we are so riddled with fried, processed and overall unsatisfying meals. It feels that every fast food establishment you visit just has the same old overpriced and unhealthy menu items. I am on a mission to change that.

I’ve always had a love for cooking. I was born in Louisiana and with that I have a passion for making Cajun and Soul food cuisine. I aim to create something that not only tastes delicious, but is good for you as well. Nurturing your body is one of the most important aspects of one’s life, and I want to encourage better eating habits with Ellie’sCajunKitchen. To cater my meals, spread better eating awareness and eventually open fast food restaurants all across the country is my goal. I am excited for what the future holds.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a 22 year old college student who attends the University of Oklahoma!

I was born in Louisiana and have always kept that part of my culture with me. So I decided to create ” ElliesCajunKitchen”.

It originally started as a Blog page for me to share meals, and I would eventually upload a few videos to a cooking channel! After becoming more involved in the community at OU, people let me know that they really wanted to try my food. So I decided to sell my food at a business event on campus and it was uphill from there! Everyone loved the meals!!

Ellie’sCajunKitchen is a Small Black & Woman Owned Business, specializing in Cajun, Soul & Louisiana Style Cooking.

We Featuring Pop-Up shops & Catering Services through Norman & OKC areas!

What set’s Ellie’sCajunKitchen apart from the rest is that we are different and strive to be better than the rest. To give our customers quality, fast, and affordable services and meals are our goal.

I am extremely proud of the route and path the company has. To go from being a college student’s dream, to reality in less than a year is miraculous.

I want our customers to know forever and always their best interest is our best interest.

This is Ellie’sCajunKitchen, Soul and Cajun Comfort food done right.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

It’s a funny story.

So, turns out, like many startup businesses, I had no magic resource of funds, no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; just my teeny tiny bit of savings.

The very first time I sold food as a popup-kitchen, I actually used my last bit of savings to buy ingredients and I fully expected to not make a single penny from the sale. This is because it was new! Uncharted territory. I never thought that having a business, doing what I loved, would actually provide me monetary rewards.

I took the little bit I had, prayed it would be enough, and I took a risk. It was scary, it was risky, but it was exciting! I had taken a leap of faith and not only had courage in myself, but had faith in what I could accomplish. You truly can do anything you put your mind to.

If someone were to tell me I’d be a business owner, even a year ago, I’d call them a bold face liar!

I am so grateful for this new opportunity and will continue to build Ellie’sCajunKitchen into a future successful fast food chain restaurant.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Yes! So I am continuing to build my following on social media, but your two biggest resources for growth will be the people you know and networking.

Shameless plug:
Instagram : @elliescajunkitchen

The people you know will be your first biggest resource. Your family, friends, partner, colleagues, classmates, friends of family, etc. they are your support system! They know you personally, can speak on your character as well as your skills. Keeping good connections with your community is important for your business.

Networking will be your second biggest resource. Making connections within your industry, outside your industry, and collaborations are all great ways of building those bonds. Establishing strong business relationships so that you have lasting connections is important because it can make or break your company.

Nurturing these two kinds of relationships will allow you to grow your business and expand your audience beyond your direct influence.

Posting often, curating engaging content and staying active in the community will ensure to drive your brand and provide growth in your business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://elliescajunkitchen.com/?fbclid=PAAab5y5exHMPJu7n2wZQ8rSqb5ahp_9Iy0P_bGmyRh3L-2Nmudh7SdaX6vfo_aem_AdRmoq1ofbGagBmMdf1hvZqHKjCiimYoAuOex2c3_KHfrP-CyxFEmZNNGaz9tFPuY2A
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliescajunkitchen?igsh=amFpNm1jeXd6MHVy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090354372968&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ElliesCajunKitchen?si=7YqeQYk-J0KerZ-o

Image Credits
Instagram: @flameframephotography