We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bryce Fluellen . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bryce below.
Bryce, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Over the last several decades, my journey has been deeply rooted in exploring the realms of food , health, and social justice with a focus on addressing inequalities in under resourced Black and Brown communities throughout the nation. My experience has been marked by both personal and systemic challenges. These include inequitable access to funding, constrained networking opportunities, and a scarcity of essential knowledge, all of which serve as significant obstacles to their long-term growth and development.
Take a moment to consider this – a report from Intuit Quickbooks dated January 31st, 2023, unveiled that 57% of Black business owners had at least one loan application denied when they were setting up their businesses. This figure starkly contrasts with the 37% rejection rate faced by non-Black business owners. Furthermore, while African-Americans constitute 14.2% of the US population, only 2% of small businesses are owned by them. These figures are not just numbers, but a reflection of a deep-seated systemic issue.
Among the various individuals who have inspired my journey, my late father, Arthur Lee Fluellen, stands out. He was not just my personal hero, but also the namesake of my company. His unwavering support and encouragement to challenge the status quo have been the wind beneath my wings.
Motivated by my passion for social justice and inspired by my father’s legacy, I began conceptualizing a social impact advisory company in late 2021 and early 2022. His passing on August 8th, 2022, was a turning point for me, accelerating my determination to launch the company. It was about honoring his memory and scaling up my influence on the world.
Every day, I am guided by the words of the late Dr. King, “Life’s most urgent and persistent question is what are you doing for others?” This quote fuels my mission, reminding me to keep pushing forward and making a tangible difference in the world
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.
Hi! I’m Bryce Fluellen, the President and Co-Founder of Arthur Lee Consulting & Advisory, a dynamic social-impact enterprise. We’re passionate about supporting social entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and businesses within the worlds of food, health, and social justice. We offer strategic support in areas such as low-cost growth capital, fundraising strategy, and building robust business networks.
For over two decades, I’ve been a tireless advocate for food justice and social equity. My journey has seen me develop strategic initiatives at notable institutions like Everytable, the American Heart Association, Starbucks, and Magic Johnson Enterprises.
Apart from being a business leader, I’m a classically trained chef who previously ran a successful full-service catering company in Los Angeles, Yams Catering. There, I forged partnerships with health-focused organizations to promote healthy eating and nutrition in Black and Brown communities.
In 2022, my efforts were recognized as I was named one of the 50 most influential restaurant leaders by the NRN Power List. I’ve also had the privilege of sharing my expertise at prestigious platforms like the Culinary Institute of America, Harvard University’s TH Chan Public School of Health Menus of Change Summit, Fast Casual Magazine’s Franchise Innovation Conference, and WK Kellogg Foundation’s Radical Social Enterprise Convening.
In addition to all this, I serve on the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council and authored my debut book, “Food A Vehicle for Healing (The Fruitful Journey) pt. 1,” in 2016. All in all, it’s been a fruitful journey of creating impact and effecting change, and I can’t wait to see where the road leads next!
My love story with the food industry began in an unexpected setting: a vibrant, soulful jazz restaurant in the heart of Washington D.C. This wasn’t just any restaurant, but Trumpets, a gem nestled in the city, run by the hard working Cavanaugh family.
The matriarch, Mrs. Cavanaugh, was the one who gave me a chance, hiring a college kid with zero experience. Her son managed the place, and her sister, a seasoned bartender, was my guiding light. My inaugural shift was chaotic, to say the least. Still, her sister took me under her wing, advising me to arrive an hour early for each shift and to study the menu as if it were my final college exam.
Four years flew by, and I had become an integral part of the Trumpets family, working my way up to the position of floor supervisor. The Cavanaughs saw potential in me, suggesting that I could turn this college job into a lifelong career. They admired my ability to stay cool under pressure, connect authentically with guests and staff, and my insatiable curiosity about restaurant operations and food.
The restaurant bug had bitten me hard. After college, I found myself juggling teaching by day and immersing myself in the restaurant scene by night. I landed a job as a waiter, then as a manager at Dublins, a high-energy bar and restaurant in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, California. Navigating the breakneck pace of a popular bar like Dublins only further solidified my passion for the food industry.
In search of new opportunities, I moved to San Francisco, taking up managerial roles in various independent restaurants. Then, Starbucks came calling. At the time, they were a small fish in a big pond, but they were ambitious. It was at Starbucks that I truly blossomed as a leader, learning the crucial importance of people development and leadership.
Each chapter of my journey has been a stepping stone to the next, shaping me into the professional I am today.
At Arthur Lee Consulting & Advisory, we take immense pride in the profound influence we have on the lives and businesses of our clients. An outstanding example of our work involved securing a substantial financial boost for a client. This infusion of capital allowed them to fulfill a pivotal contract and reinvest in their business, fueling future growth.
Despite unsuccessful multiple-month attempts to secure funding from various banks, our intervention led to a connection with a lender that resulted in them obtaining the needed funding in just a few months. This exciting success story beautifully illustrates the value and impact our company delivers.
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Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
For nearly a decade, I was at the head of my own venture, a catering company called YAMS Catering. Like any startup, the initial years were filled with relentless hard work and long hours. But as we entered our third year, the fruits of our labor began to show. We were growing at a remarkable pace, especially during our third and fourth years. However, around the sixth year, we hit a growth plateau that left me puzzled and in need of further capital.
Around this time, a serendipitous encounter with one of my clients led to an introduction to the leadership team at the American Heart Association, and they soon became our clients. One day, they presented me with an intriguing opportunity: to organize and host a heart-healthy event for senior citizens, including a live cooking demonstration. I eagerly accepted the challenge, even though I had never done a cooking demo before.
Following the event, I was approached by a Vice President from the association who had been impressed by my demo. She offered me another opportunity, this time to conduct a cooking demonstration for their garden program, which targeted elementary kids across Los Angeles. She explained that while the kids and their families enjoyed harvesting the vegetables, they were seeking innovative and healthy ways to prepare them.
I began volunteering to do cooking demos at several schools and soon realized the potential for a program focused on healthy cooking. I proposed this idea to the association. A year later, they secured substantial funding from a donor and approached me to interview for a chef/instructor position to teach students how to cook fresh, healthy meals from scratch.
To my delight, I was chosen for the role. This new journey allowed me to work with over 10,000 kids and families across Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Santa Ana county. Through this experience, I gained a deeper understanding of the broader food system and the work needed to enhance the health of underserved communities. This was an eye-opening chapter in my life, and it filled me with a sense of purpose that continues to drive my passion for healthy, delicious food.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
“The Principles and Power of Vision” by the late Dr. Myles Munroe holds a special place in my heart. A cherished gift from my wife as I embarked on my journey into the culinary world, this book has been my guiding star. Each year, I find myself returning to its wisdom-filled pages, drawing invaluable insights about chasing my vision.
The worn-out pages of my copy speak volumes of its significance. Notably, Chapter 3, titled “Overcoming Obstacles to your Vision,” outlines three pivotal hurdles. First, the confusion about the nature of one’s vision. Second, the underestimation of the cost that accompanies it. And third, the ignorance of the governing principles of having a vision.
Munroe emphasized the importance of specificity in pursuing a vision. He believed that the root cause of failure is the inability to pinpoint one’s objective of success. It may seem elementary, but it’s a striking truth. People often falter, not due to lack of effort, but because they don’t know what they’re aiming for. The result? Frustration and depression stemming from the seemingly stagnant progress towards their vision.
Munroe’s words have significantly shaped my journey, and his book continues to be my daily source of inspiration.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.artleeconsulting.net/
- Instagram: artleeconsulting
- Linkedin: Bryce Fluellen
- Other: Tiktok – arthurleeconsulting