We were lucky to catch up with Jennifer Otis recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jennifer, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later
I believe I started my business at the correct time because God’s timing is never wrong. I have been blessed to be able to have experience in a few different career fields that are aiding in the success of my business. I’ve had years of experience in customer service where I worked for an airline as a counter and gate agent, retail sales, clothing stylist, marketing, and office administration.
I started my catering company as a side job when I first moved to Cincinnati in 2015. Recently divorced and single mother to an infant, I had taken a significant pay cut as I started working as a teacher. I needed something to supplement my income because the cost of childcare was very expensive for me to afford on my own with no assistance. I took on a part-time job at my son’s daycare down the street from the school I worked as a school age teacher for afterschool care, a couple days out of the week to get a discount on childcare. I was still struggling to make ends meet.
While I began a new career in the education field, I had no prior experience in education and decided to attend Mount St. Joseph University to obtain my Master’s Degree where my field of study was business and communication. Once I graduated, I took a job with Hamilton County, where I served as a GED Coordinator at River City Correctional for “high-risk” males. That was both a challenging and rewarding job that I was able to work until Covid hit. By August of 2020, my position had been dissolved, so now I was looking for employment once again. All the while, I still catered on the weekends.
I decided to return back to Corporate America after my layoff because I was growing tired of living paycheck to paycheck. I was blessed with a position at Proctor & Gamble where I worked in Tide Services as a Franchise Support Specialist. I had no prior experience in franchising either, but after 5 rounds of interviews, the last including the CEO of Tide Services, they decided that I was worth teaching the role to. While serving in that position, I was able to learn how to run a business from a multi-billion dollar International company. Operational support, obtaining my notary, creating contracts, expense/revenue reports, were just a few of many things that I gained from this position.
I still had the catering company on the side, but this job was starting to take me further and further away from what I truly loved. I had a discussion with my husband that I felt like I was stuck in this job and that I didn’t get to focus on my business like I truly wanted to allow it to grow. I prayed about it as well, that if it’s your will Lord, please show me a sign. About two weeks later, I was unexpectantly laid off from my job and the very next day I received an email to come on Channel 9’s, Cincy Lifestyle, to showcase my business and Thanksgiving menu. That was all the confirmation I needed to go all in and I have been a full-time entrepreneur since that day.
Every last job or experience that I had over the years, I utilize all of those skills on a daily basis. I can say that the life lessons were better than anything that I could’ve learned just by reading a book or sitting in a classroom. Because of this, I wouldn’t change anything about my story because everything has made me into the strong woman that I am today and is a part of my story of why it’s so meaningful to me. I’m a living testimony that you can lose everything and start life completely over from the bottom with nothing and God will fully restore you better than you could’ve ever imagined by trusting and allowing him to guide your path.
Jennifer, 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?
I am the culinary creative force behind ‘I Got the Vittles’, a personal chef and catering company rooted in love, flavor, culture, and heartfelt hospitality. What began as a passion for bringing people together through food naturally evolved into a thriving business dedicated to crafting memorable dining experiences.
Through ‘I Got the Vittles’, I offer elevated personal chef services, private dining experiences, and full-service catering designed to transform everyday meals and special occasions into unforgettable moments. My brand extends beyond the kitchen through my social media presence, *JennioVittles*, where I share free recipes, cooking inspiration, and approachable culinary education with a growing community of food lovers. I also am the proud author of two cookbooks, further expanding my mission to make bold, comforting, and delicious food accessible to every home cook.
I solve a common problem for my clients: the stress of planning, preparing, and perfecting meals. Whether serving busy professionals, families, or event hosts, I provide convenience without compromising quality, flavor, or presentation. My services allow clients to enjoy restaurant-quality cuisine in the comfort of their own spaces—without the overwhelm.
What sets me apart is my authenticity and flavor-forward approach. I don’t just cook meals—I create experiences rooted in warmth, creativity, and genuine connection. My recipes reflect both skill and soul, blending elevated technique with comforting familiarity.
I am most proud of building a brand that represents who I am—passionate, resilient, and dedicated to excellence. I want potential clients, followers, and fans to know that when they support ‘I Got the Vittles’ or follow ‘JennioVittles’ on my social media pages, they are experiencing more than food—they’re experiencing my heart, heritage, and hospitality in every bite. We have heat over here!
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The biggest lesson that I had to learn was the façade and how far off base I was of actually living as an Entrepreneur. I used to think once you become an entrepreneur, you would have all of this free time, it’s easy to get a business loan just starting, and money would come flowing in because you would have all of these customers all the time. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
I remember when I first formed my LLC and got my EIN for my business, I got a bank account for my business. I had all of these elaborate plans for buying fancy equipment and things I thought I needed right away. I applied for the loan thru my bank and was immediately denied. lol I had just started this business with no sales yet, so no proof of income coming in to prove that this was a legit business, so I was ineligible to get approved. This was my first eye opener because now, I didn’t have a backup plan and I needed to pivot with my plans. I started off small with using materials and equipment that I already had and bought used items at first because everything was self-funded. The upside of being rejected for the loan, was I wasn’t starting from a place of being in debt. If I would’ve received the large sum of money that I had applied for at the very beginning, I probably would’ve misused majority of it because it was all trial and error and many mistakes were made of where I should’ve and shouldn’t have applied funds.
Another façade that I had to unlearn, was that I would have plenty of leisure time. As an entrepreneur, there is always something that needs to be done. I’m still a small operation at the moment, so I wear every hat. I do the marketing, customer service, bookkeeping/payroll, social media, administration, contracts, and more! This is all before I even get to the actual catering services. Some nights I lay awake thinking about what needs to be done or new ideas I could implement, etc. I always give advice for anyone that wants to become a full time entrepreneur, to be prepared that you’re trading in your 9-5 for a 24/7.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Word-of-mouth has definitely helped me build my reputation with my business! I take pride in my customer service, affordable pricing, and quality food. Like I mentioned before, I haven’t spent a dime on marketing yet, and I’ve been in business for years and continue to grow my brand. God brings the right clients across my path and has given me the gift of discernment when to reject a client.
One major lesson that every business owner should live by is, “all money isn’t good money.” If you have a negative feeling about a client during initial conversation before you even service them, you have the freedom to chose not to provide services to them. More than likely, those are the type of clients that you can’t please and will be the ones that will be the most detrimental to your business with bad word of mouth which money sometimes can’t repair, even if you pull out all efforts to try to satisfy them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jenniovittles.my.canva.site/i-got-the-vittles
- Instagram: igotthevittles
- Facebook: I Got the Vittles
- Youtube: Jennio.Vittles
- Other: Tiktok: Jennio.VittlesLemon8: Jennio.Vittles
