Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Autumn Scott (Chef AC). We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Autumn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I believe success is a process, more like a process of life. There are different levels of success and it’s actually similar to a playing a game. Each time you achieve one level of success, you pursue the next level and work to achieve your next goal. Success does not have to pertain to monetary value or materialistic values. Success can be achieving your goals through your spiritual journey, in school, with your family, or simply what you value most.

Success starts within you. I did not realize this until I began my spiritual and healing journey. All of your life, you’ve probably heard, “no one can stop you but you” or “you’re blocking your own blessings,” and I believe those sayings are true. You have to build your self-confidence, fight against your fears and nerves, remove negativity from your life, motivate yourself, AND learn yourself. Not to mention while doing so, you may encounter belittlement from your peers, family members, and coworkers. You may not have supporters in the beginning. You must gain mental and emotional strength and endurance to persevere through those hard times, because they simply come with the territory.

Success starts with balancing yourself first, determining your direction, and envisioning your end goal. If you don’t know where you are right now, you are not going to know where you’re going. I live by my favorite quote that I created myself, “your vision is your path to your destiny.” By creating your own path, no one will be able to stop you except you. The journey will not always appear crystal clear and it may even seem violent at times, but it is up to you to obtain the mindset of persistence and determination. Once you achieve success within yourself, you will be able to tackle any obstacle that is placed along your path. Keep in mind, I did not say it would be an easy tackle, but you will move forward, gain experience, and elevate.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m Autumn Ciera Scott, also known as Chef AC. I am a traveling personal chef and caterer who loves to provide outstanding culinary experiences in style. I am the owner and operator of The Soul of American Cuisines, LLC, “Where cooking in style meets fashion!” My company provides traveling personal chef services, private dining services, private brunch services, meal preparations & plans, as well as catering services. Although my resumé maybe rather precise in comparison to others who’s gained years in the industry already, but within my first year I’ve collaborated with one of the biggest companies in the food seasoning industry, provided my services to some of your favorite professional athletes, traveled internationally, and I’m also featured in a few e-magazines and podcasts!

Many have questions of how old am I, what are my credentials, and simply who am I? However, I can only answer two of those questions for you today, (you never tell a woman’s age)! Sorry for the jokes, let’s get serious. I am Chef AC, a young chefpreneur from South Carolina, a self-taught personal chef and caterer. I am the chef who combines her Biological Sciences degree from Clemson University with the love of cooking into one masterpiece. Although I can consider myself as a self-taught chef, I have to give credit to my aunt and grandmothers who inspired, motivated, and laid the foundation for my success today. I am mostly known for my sense of style in the kitchen and in fashion, my youthful and fun personality, but also my mouth watering cuisines. Some of my clients’ favorite meals are my famous AC’s Hennessy Cream Shrimp & Grits, Jerk & Honey Deep Fried Salmon & 7 Cheese Mac, Chimichurri Lamb Chops & Butternut Squash Purée, Brown Sugar Crusted French Toast, Strawberry Banana Pudding Shortcake, and last but not least, my new Peaches & Crème Cobbler Cake. As you can see, I provided a sneak peek of my versatility within the kitchen just through those exquisite dishes!

The Soul of American Cuisines offers a luxurious experience in the comfort of your own home. I strive to create flavorful upscale food for the soul while providing exquisite customer service for all of my clients and guests. You will taste the flavor of succulent, fresh, and quality meals and leave with an unforgettable experience and everlasting memories.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I know living by a quote or an acronym can be very cliché BUT I promise it is essential to remain on track. At least for me, it is. My favorite social media platforms are Tik Tok and Instagram. I’ve grown my business tremendously using these two platforms through networking, marketing, and content creating. In the beginning of my personal chef and social media career, I did not have any mentors, any sense of direction, or any instructions. Throughout my journey, I have accumulated many lessons and skills to elevate my business through social media that increased my traffic flow to my social media pages as well as my company.

Social media presence is key to growth and development of your brand and company in this day and age, in my opinion. Through my experience, it has been a lot of trials and errors. In social media, I believe you have to have a C.A.P.E of armour to succeed because it can be a slow and steady process from some, an overnight process for others, or simply a roller coaster.

Social media builds endurance and tough skin. A C.A.P.E of armour for social media is simply a daily reminder to remain consistent with every social media platform you select to grow your business. Consistency is the primary factor for social media. Similar to animals, if you feed them something they like, they will always come back for more and bring others. Being consistent grows your social media audience and your business. You also have to be assertive with your content. Being assertive shows your audience, you are passionate and serious about your content and them as well. As I stated prior, social media can be a roller coaster and it is always evolving and very fast paced. Therefore, it can be difficult to get a grasp. Persistence is required to succeed in your goals for your social media. You must be persistent and adaptive while remaining true to yourself. You also need to be efficient! Give your audience a show, interact with them, teach them some things, but also learn from them. Measuring your efficiency is readily available now through all of your social media accounts. This is actually one of the most essential tools I use on my social media accounts. Research and analyze your data analytics and also don’t forget to BREATHE, RELAX, and DON”T OVERWORK YOURSELF. It is a process, not a race!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I believe I provide all of my clients with an exclusive and affluent experience of the heart and soul of Southern American cuisines in the comfort of their home. Each meal is designed to bring peace, comfort, luxury, and the feeling of being in your grandmother’s kitchen. I have always been a foodie, probably since the day I was born. I always loved traveling to new places, trying various foods, researching origins of different ingredients, and the history & science behind them. Though I am in the beginning stages of my personal chef career, I vowed to myself to utilize all of my experiences to the best of my ability and provide my clients with a soulful and everlasting experience each time they book with me. I desired my prominence in this industry to be associated with being a receptive chef (one who is able to take constructive criticism from clients as well as other chefs) but also bringing a little “Autumn Spice” to the industry. In addition to my passion for cooking, I have always enjoyed fashion and style. When you look good, you feel good, and you cook even better! So I wanted to bring a spice of my personality in the kitchen as well as to my clients tables. I believe I’ve earned my reputation through my quality of food and dishes, swift customer service, consistency, and my captivating and innovative style. Being a young chefpreneur, I knew my career would not be easy and I value my journey. I take pride in remaining humble but assertive, gaining wisdom but not being naive, and also providing quality over quantity.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tasteofthesoul.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesoulofac/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083014050538
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/autumnscott20
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCprr3n94vAuAWQkjhe7lVRA
• Other: www.tiktok.com/@chefac_

Image Credits
IG: teflonbehindthelens IG: thesoulofac