We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jenn Beach. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jenn below.
Jenn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
This may sound kind of sketchy- but my first few clients came from Craigslist! This was back in the early 2000s and I used it for everything! From selling things to finding apartments and jobs- so why not clients?
A few people had posted requests for a Personal Chef and I replied to all of them. Within that week, I had my first two clients! After that, I mostly found my clients through word-of-mouth and referrals. Every now and then I’d go back to Craigslist to throw up an advertisement to connect with more people.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
When I first set out as a little baby cookie, I only envisioned a future as a restaurant Chef. It didn’t really occur to me that there were other avenues available. I thought that the most prestigious Chefs have their own restaurants so it didn’t make sense to strive for anything else. I was aiming for the stars- Michelin stars.
Working my way up to that level was so conflicting because I thought that it was everything that I ever wanted. And then I got there and didn’t feel the excitement that I was anticipating. Now I realize that it just wasn’t the right fit, the right restaurant. There were some issues with management and division of work, but that didn’t occur to me at the time. The vibe was awful and I had zero love for the food that I was putting out. I stayed long enough to feel like I had learned all that I could from that Chef and that concept before I left.
It was a heavy hit- but I had heard people talk about Private Chefs like it’s this mystical, regal position. The idea of it had always intrigued me, but I had no idea how to break into that world. As I’d mentioned, I was able to wet my feet via Craiglist and then it was off to the races.
I really haven’t “niched down” with my business and I don’t plan to. I keep myself open to opportunities and collaborations and see what I can create and execute.
When I first moved out to Phoenix- I was primarily teaching private cooking classes. I still offer those- and public classes as well where anyone can join.
I cook for private parties- bachelor/bachelorette, family parties, birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, corporate events- we get a lot of people traveling out to the Phoenix Valley and there’s a wide variety of requests coming in. I love to put on a good party and create memorable experiences for these milestone events.
Lately, I have been focusing more on wellness-inspired events and services. Retreats are my favorite and I want that to eventually be my primary offering for my business.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Expanding visibility. Your ideal clients are never going to find you if they can’t search for you. I try to put myself out there as much as I can in places that I want to be found. That way I don’t waste my time on grafting and posting ads in hopes that the right people will see them.
Social Media has been very helpful in getting my name out there- primarily by the use of hashtags. Having a large following does look nice- but that’s not really your client base. But by using the right hashtags, my account will come up for people who are searching for someone who does what I do. I leverage social media mostly as a portfolio for prospective clients to see what I offer so that I stand out during their search.
Participating in local events: charity drives, auctions, and business grand openings are a great way to get noticed. Especially when teaming up with businesses and initiatives that align with your brand, you’re able to expose yourself to like-minded people with interest in your style. And it’s a great way to introduce yourself and your product or service without pressuring people to buy anything.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
No days off. If every moment wasn’t spent being productive, then I was being useless and lazy. Now I really feel the opposite. Rest is essential to performing efficiently and creatively. Work/life balance sounds like a myth to most food-service workers because the necessity for production never stops. And that “sleep when you’re dead” mentality gets so engrained in you that it feels illegal to even sit down and enjoy a meal for yourself. But it will also run you into the ground and is the reason that burn-out, substance abuse, and mental illness are so common in this line of work. Not to mention, the work becomes sloppy because you’re just trying to get it done before you collapse.
These days I always plan for downtime. Time for me, time for friends, time for family. Sometimes I need to buckle down and let work take over and quality time falls by the wayside. But it gets balanced out with a good block of time to recalibrate and pour energy back into myself. This cycle of rejuvenation keeps me sharp, creative, and personable because a big part of what I do is entertaining and engaging my guests.
Some days I have to force myself to unplug and unwind- because of the guilt of being stationary. And then I remind myself that toiling away for the sake of being busy is even less rewarding.
