We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sharon Canty Simms a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sharon thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

In 2009, my daughter, Sempathy and I started cooking and catering for family and friend’s events. At that time, it was not a business; it was something that we loved to do together, but after the death of my daughter Sempathy in 2012, I stopped catering. I no longer wanted to cook for others without Sempathy. My joy was gone. She was the reason why I was catering in the first place, and I felt no need to go further without her. It was a very difficult time in my life, and I was angry with God. I wanted nothing to do with catering because it reminded me too much of my daughter.

In 2017, God gave me the idea to start a catering business. God gave me the name: Seconds and Minutes Catering, to provide quick catering service in seconds and minutes. We were meant to provide our clients with excellent food and catering services as quickly as possible, but I was still too angry with God over the death of my daughter to execute it. In 2019, I realized that the pity party was over. I had to get up and shake myself off and execute the plan that God gave me. I became an official business owner and Seconds and Minutes Catering was ready for service. I was ready to provide people with the services that my hands were crafted by God to do. I thanked God for His idea and His patience with me, and I got to work.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born in Bronx, New York and raised by my grandmother, Rosa Lee, in a small town in South Carolina.
My grandmother (Rosa Lee) was the first one who taught me how to cook. She taught me simple techniques that I still use today. My grandmother’s techniques and the amazing cooking ideas that God has given me has established Seconds and Minutes Catering services as one of the world’s best.

I prepare food that makes you remember the things you have totally forgotten about growing up; the food that brought you comfort and enjoyment. I prepare food that makes you feel like a kid again. Every dish that is created is meant to be a blessing, and the Lord has anointed my hands to bring a memorable experience to everyone that enjoys my food.

If I can tell you what I am most proud of in business and in life, for the first time in my life, I am proud of being Sharon. I am proud of being the professional woman, the determined woman, the accomplished woman and the Godly woman that moves in excellence, in business and customer service.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

As I was going back and forth, deciding if I wanted to become a full-time chef and entrepreneur, I received an opportunity to be a chef on a live cooking show. While on that show, I realized that I have what it takes the be one of the best, and I found myself having a new joy for cooking. That experience alone catapulted my decision to take my business serious. I was determined to see Seconds and Minutes Catering Services become successful.

How did my business scale up to where it is today?

It started when JJ Fox Hatch came to our cooking show to consult the show on how to expand our brand. I took that consultation seriously and saw that I needed the information that she was providing. That consultation opened the door for my first large scale catering job, cooking for celebrities at a major women’s conference. Since then, my company has catered for people from all around the country.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Word of mouth is and has been one of the most powerful marketing tools that I have used. Because of our services, I can say that there are walking billboards for Seconds and Minutes Catering Services all around the country. People who have experienced our food have helped to advertise our business to their family, friends, co-workers, churches and communities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sandmservices.com

Image Credits

Photos shot by Patrick Mathis and Summer Raaine Fox