We were lucky to catch up with Chef Way recently and have shared our conversation below.
Chef , appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
What does it take to be successful? Well in my opinion it takes hard work, dedication, patience, thick skin, and a relentless attitude to be successful. There’s plenty more things I could list but we would be here all day. How can you grow if you remain in a box ? You can’t be scared to take risks, you can’t let other people doubt weight on you, and most importantly failure can never be an ending you are ok with. You have to discard inferior thoughts, and understand that everyday is an opportunity to learn more about your profession. Never stop learning!
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 background and context?
When you grow up poor you often feel like opportunities to become successful are very slim. Moving around frequently, living in shelters , moving in in and out of extended stay hotels, switching from school to school , I can say first hand it’s easy to lose site on the bigger picture rather than focusing on the current moment. My last 2 years of high school my living situation was stable enough to allow me the opportunity to play basketball. Fast forward I was blessed with the opportunity to play Division 1 College basketball and then go on to play professionally in Europe. Due to several repeat knee injuries I had to retire from professional basketball. My mission is to encourage others to never give up. Don’t be afraid to recreate yourself. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat” Thats a quote that can be applied to daily life. Everyone path will not be the same, but that does not mean they can’t both meet at the finish line. I am not a classically trained chef , meaning I did not go to culinary school, but I still have carved out a place for myself in the food industry, due to my work ethic and relentless attitude of not taking no for a answer. I am the private chef for several NFL,NBA and famous entertainers. From Starting Safety of the Dallas Cowboys Malik Hooker to 2022 BET Best New Artist winner Big Latto. COOKINWITWAY LLC, provides private chef services, reception service for weddings, large and small private events , intimate dinners for 2, as well as cooking class for 1-10 people. I provide traveling chef services to the whole US and abroad with proper notice. There are several things that set myself apart from other chefs I believe. From my welcoming personality/vibe, to my ability to adapt to any situation for my clients. I treat every client like a “celebrity” and believe in only providing quality 5 star service.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Funding my business was not as hard as many may think. I used a few pot and pans that I already had and focused on making the best food possible, and providing the best customer service. I feel like a lot of entrepreneurs prolong starting their dream business due to the feeling that everything has to be new or perfect. I have literally built my inventory of appliances, utensils, and cookware as my business has grown.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
I keep in touch with my clients for sure. When I provide service for my clients I do my best to make the experience one of a kind and forever rememberable. I’m always willing to provide my clients with a recipe or refer another business when I’m unavailable due to scheduling conflicts. I value each customer and I like them to know that each and every client, follower on social media has been apart of my growth.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: COOKINWITWAY
- Other: Tik Tok – Cookinwithway