Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Collette Simko-Knauss. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Collette , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?
Vacations not only give me a break, they also give me the opportunity to do a bit of market research. Vacations allow me to talk to people to discover the latest food trends and discover and try new recipes I find at restaurants and specialty markets.
Collette , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Girl from California moved to Austin, Texas. She lived in Europe and South America before starting a family and loves to cook!
Collette speaks English and Spanish. Collette’s travels and food allergies helps Events by Collette create unique recipes and makes cooking, baking and eating a delicious activity. Chef Collette brings all gluten free, vegan, and allergy friendly recipes to life. Children appreciate she is a mother and eagerly listen to each lesson plan to create a yummy science class.
Collette’s donut recipes were a hit among friends, family and students. They all told her to sell them. She is glad she took the risk! There are few delicious gluten free, vegan, low sugar, high protein, natural ingredient desserts on the market. All clients say the high prices she charges are worth it. Mothers and children crave her mini donut cakes and buy in bulk weekly, Mothers would rather their child happily eat her treats that a sugary cereal.
Book your next culinary class or party with her today!
Read more here: http://voyageaustin.com/interview/community-highlights-meet-collette-simko-knauss-of-events-by-collette/
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
When I was 31, I am 40 now; my cousin, who is an orthopedic surgeon, helped me to discover why I was always feeling ill, the reason I had skin problems and why I was suffering from lethargy. I tested out a new diet with his suggestions and felt like a cloud had been lifted from my body. I went for allergy testing and it confirmed my cousin’s suggestions.
My next task: clean out my entire kitchen. There was nothing in the apartment I could eat without getting sick. Still to this day, when I talk to friends about my allergies, they all are so glad I discovered a remedy for my discomfort. My friends who lived or travelled with me agree I was suffering and were toward sympathy me.
My husband and my son have been a huge support system through my battle. My husband and I are constantly researching new foods worldwide. Therefore, we eat a wide variety of international foods in our home. Yes, my 5-year-old son eats like an adult with his palette. I must prepare most of my meals in the home due to lack of trust in the restaurant industry as most hospitality workers are not well educated in food allergies.
During this allergy discovery period of my life, I was running an event planning company under the same name as the current company, Events by Collette. Yes, I rebranded E by C two years after my son was born, and I worked from home. Being a stay-at-home mom and having a son who may as well be called Curious George, I had to figure out a way to get meals on the table yet keep my son out of trouble. I had to teach my son how to respect the kitchen and created a sous chef out of him!
I saw how different my son was compared to his friends and other children in the kitchen. He had better eating habits and was more willing try nutritious foods. Before I decided to rebrand the company, I was planning on closing E by C since being an event planner is not a good fit for a mother who needs to work 24 hours a day. Although I thought, wouldn’t it be fun to teach other people who have food allergies how to respect the kitchen and eat healthier while learning how to prepare their own meals.
Approximately two years ago, I began offering free classes to my son’s school and the children were curious and listened. Then the COVID-19 virus lockdown occurred in the year 2020. I asked my husband if he could film my son and I every Saturday while we prepare a recipe from my recipe blog or cookbook as a possible promotional tool for my culinary school when there is an opportunity to open for classes. He agreed to being the cameraman and editor. We had so much fun filming. We sent the videos to our friends and family for entertainment purposes, and everyone asked for more!
A few months after we began recording, I started getting homeschool students who signed up for virtual classes. Then when Texas opened more after the virus lockdown, I began teaching in-school extracurricular classes and homeschool in-person classes.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
See above and here for more info http://voyageaustin.com/interview/community-highlights-meet-collette-simko-knauss-of-events-by-collette/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eventsbycollette.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/events_by_collette/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/collettesdonuts/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS4kFUWRhDtkoY0tmo2HYCA/videos?reload=9
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/events-by-collette-austin-7
- Other: https://www.google.com/maps/place//data=!4m3!3m2!1s0x865b37da3c00ea43:0x714aa3e8527667b5!12e1?source=g.page.m.rc._&laa=merchant-web-dashboard-card
Image Credits
Collette Simko Knauss