We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Augustine Turner. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Augustine below.
Augustine, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Well I’m a college drop out due to me being a teen mom at the time so I had to self teach myself everything. At the time I came up with the idea it was right before the Pandemic stricked and I was getting food stamps at the time.
I had Just signed up for food stamps due to me being unemployed and I found out I had over $1200 on my card from a year prior to me signing up!!
That day I went to the store to make some salmon Alfredo and Asparagus. I had got on Facebook live showing the dinner & I got 8 people that had wanted a plate willing to pay right then and there.
That day I made $125 off that meal. I knew then what I was gonna do!!
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 back background and context?
I am an Aged out foster kid from East Cleveland, Ohio. I grew up in the foster care system for over 15 years . I was taken away from my biological mother at the age of 2 yrs old.
I aged out when I was 18. Before that I got pregnant at 17 and became a poverty struck teenage mom.
I experienced homelessness a year after ageing out the “system” . My foster parent that I stayed with for a short time was from Huntsville, Alabama and she cooked home cooked meals EVERYDAY.
From fried pork chops smothered in gravy over rice to neck bones and pinto beans lol.
I really started using cooking as a therapy as I got older. When I was young, I would sit and watched episodes of chopped!
I never actually thought I could have my own company or restaurant but I know I dreamed of having one.
Once the pandemic hit I had no choice but to sell dinners to make it income. Times became extremely hard for me and my daughter.
I remember sitting in my mom’s living room Complaining to my cousin about not have enough money to start my own business and my cousin kept trying to convince me to go ahead and get started so eventually I did.
I had no credit at the time so I couldn’t get any loans or credit cards. I started studying about business credit and how it’s used .
I did about 2 years of research. Every day day in and out reading different books, study guides, even groups that focused on building credit on Facebook.
Lastly, I knew I needed funding for RIGHT NOW some other way. So alongside of selling dinners. I started going DOOR TO DOOR.
Telling people the vision of my company & that I have a dream of owning my own restaurant. (Which I do) .
3 years later I’m still knocking!!!
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
So I went door to door 5 days a week 3-6 hours a day. I told people what I was working for and how much money I was working to raise .
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Absolutely. I am a woman of faith. I write down all my ideas. I may not share with everyone but it’s important to write down what u think and have a notebook hand at ALL TIMES.
Also, surround yourself around people that can pour into you in a positive and healthy way. They say you become who you hang around.
I wanted to make a bigger impact . To make a difference. So I started a mentoring program called “Mentors4minorities “ and we focus on teaching, training, and noticing young adult to acquire basic skills that they lack in a single parent household. Like, eye to eye contact, dressing professional, speaking without slang, and honest work ethic.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://mentors4minorities.com/