Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Henry Abuto. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Henry, thanks for joining us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
One thing that I credit both my parents for is my work ethic. I spent the first half of my childhood on a farm in Kenya so I saw how hard they worked to keep everything running. When we moved to America, we didn’t have much. My parents held 3-4 jobs each sometimes while pursuing graduate degrees. By the time I was in 8th grade, I was going along to clean warehouses before school, often as early as 4;30am. This continued during my high school years. I would go work with my Dad and siblings in the morning, go to cross country practice, school, and then work at a sushi bar in the evenings.
My parents modeled for us what it meant to overcome obstacles through a hard work ethic. They modeled resilience for me. As I entered the work force post college, I drew from the examples they had set and gave ByWasonga my all. Whenever I am working late into the night, I often think of my Mom. When I have more things to do than the energy to do them, I think of my Father and all that he managed to do. Those things continue to propel me and my business forward.
Henry, 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?
My name is Henry Wasonga Abuto and I am an Event Planner/Caterer based out of Fort Worth, Texas. The name of my company is ByWasonga, taken from my middle name. My story starts in Kenya. I was born there and spent half of my childhood there before we moved to Texas in 1998 when I was nine. I grew up in a very big and communal family, so events were constantly happening around me. I would watch my Mom plan and execute all types of events. As I got older, I became fascinated with taking a simple idea and creating something meaningful out of it. Through that, I developed a passion for details. I learned how to cook by watching my Mom. I would plan birthday parties and celebrations for friends and loved ones. In college, I would take over the common area/kitchen in my dorm and host dinner parties. I realized I had a passion for hospitality and an eye for quality things.
After college, I jumped into Corporate America for work. I did the 9-5 thing, but a part of me always knew it wasn’t going to be forever. In 2015, I decided to start ByWasonga as a side hobby. It was something I did when I had time. In the Fall of 2018, I made the decision to scale back from the corporate lifestyle and invest a little more time in ByWasonga. So I tried to split those two things 50/50. It worked fine for a while but by mid 2019, I knew it was something I wanted to give my all and go full time. I started getting myself out there more as an event planner and a caterer for small to mid size events. I also began consulting for small businesses in the areas of marketing and design.
Then 2020 happened. Like everyone else in the service industry, I had to pivot my work life drastically. I put the event planning on hold (there was nothing to plan) and leaned full time into catering. That picked up speed and I spent 52 weeks making an average of 75 individual meals a week. 2021 saw the unexpected introduction of the ByWasonga food truck and there are upcoming developments in that area. I also have monthly brunch residencies in town a few times a month and I am in the process of expanding that.
As it exists today, ByWasonga’s simple mission statement is this: “Meeting everyday needs with meaningful works from the heart.” Whether it is planning a proposal or an engagement party, I pour my heart into each project. When I’m coordinating a wedding as a day of, I make sure every detail is executed to perfection. And when I cater, I prepare dishes that not only nourish the body, they feed the soul.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Social media is actually what I say is the worst part of my job. That might not be a popular answer for an interview, but it’s the truth. But we live in a time where it is absolutely necessary for any service oriented business to have a social media presence. My approach was just to be myself and connect authentically. Fortunately for me, my business depends on people connecting with me in a way that is authentic. I could cook the best food or plan the most fabulous event, but if people don’t connect with, they will likely not feel great about the end result. So while it can be draining at times, I truly just get to be myself online. And when I feel like work is taking up too much of my social media presence, I take a break.
My advice is cliche but it’s to simply be yourself. People respond to that.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Knowing what i’m doing and talking about. and being willing to learn from others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bywasonga.com
- Instagram: bywasonga
- Twitter: @henryabuto
- Other: writing website www.henryabuto.com
Image Credits
Joseph Johnson Bow Tie Media