Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Atalaya Hayes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Atalaya , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I am happier as a business owner as opposed to having regular jobs. Being a business owner it’s hard being hit with expenses and being over worked and underpaid because you have to reinvest constantly until you reach a certain level in business. This is the phase where it looks like you have it all from outside looking in. To everyone so people who are in need may start to pressure you sold solve their problems. At certain stages in business you don’t get to keep much for yourself and still see the business grow. So it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. This phase in business will show you if you are cut out for entrepreneurship because you don’t know how long the phase will last. The benefits to having a job are most of your problems and all of the expenses, whether you make a mistake or not, fall on the employer. As a business owner everything is your problem to solve and everything is your fault. It isn’t for everyone. But the benefit that makes it for me is the opportunity for creativity and growth. I have the opportunity to build it up and get past the uncertainty phase.

Atalaya , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got into cooking because I grew up in a family where everyone knows how to cook gourmet quality food. It was a way of bonding with friends and family. We would talk on the phone or group chat and see who all had what in their fridge and meet up at one of our homes. We would put on some R&B music and cook together. We would be brutally honest about how all the food turned out. We would binge watch shows while eating and catching up and congratulating each other on whatever we were working on currently. When I went vegan I noticed how little vegan options there were in the area. Anytime I wanted to go out to get food I always had to go home and adjust my meal that I just bought. Using my own seasonings and veggies and make it more flavorful. So I could never really escape cooking. I could hardly get a meal that was even close to what I could make on my own at home. I imagined that other vegans were experiencing the same thing, so I wanted to add more options to vegans in the area. I believe if more people enjoyed vegan food, they would stick with it and overall the health of the general public would improve over time. I believe what sets me apart from others is, my menu offers so many options and customizations that’s it’s not too easy to get bored. I am most proud of how many non-vegan customers try my food and come back consistently. I’m proud of how ppl are becoming more health conscious. It makes me know eventually people will be more happy because health is wealth. My business is just a small step in that direction for the community. I’m proud of myself for sticking with it this long. I can’t exactly see when things will be in business how I want it to be. I’m operating on faith and hard work alone with so much uncertainty and it’s not slowing me down. I’m getting better everyday.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source for new customers so far has been word of mouth. I have customers that’s want to see the business do well and they go out of their way to bring customers who aren’t even vegan to come and try the food. Word of mouth is very authentic and organic way of growing and knowing you have a product worth having.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I am currently experiencing a pivotal moment in business. Currently, I am implementing catering and developing some items to be a product available in local stores. I make my own sauces like, vegan garlic aioli, chipotle sauce, and burger sauce that I plan to have available soon. Sauces are another item in scarcity for vegans in local stores. This will allow me to grow the business and have the cash flow to improve daily operations.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Motorcityvegan.com
• Instagram: Motorcityvegancompany

Image Credits

Jasmine Graham