Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Candi Daniels. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Candi, thanks for joining us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.
My first client was a Christmas Party for the Department of Social Services in South Carolina. This lady who I didn’t know at church one Sunday just randomly started talking to sharing her career stories and I’m sitting here looking like “Umm ok thank you for the story” lol! She then ask me what do i do for a living. I told her I’m currently unemployed but I’m starting a catering business. She then ask what made me want to start a catering business? I said I’m good at cooking and I wanna sell it to lots of people! Lol! We laughed and she said how’d you like to cater my jobs Christmas gathering. I said forreal?! She said yes I see how excited you get talking about it and I want to invest in you. I said well alright now! Lol! She connected me with the right person that was planning/ paying for everything and I started crying! I knew I had to bring my A game because this lady who didn’t know me or never tasted my food took a change on me fulfilling my dream! Long story short they were highly impressed that I knocked it out the park on my first catering job! I got new clients from that one party and built amazing business relationships too!
Candi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Well I’m from a small town in South Carolina named Bamberg and food was my family’s love language. Whatever we did there was lots of food. I watched my Mom, Grandmothers, Aunts, Uncles and Grandfather create some of the best food. I saw how much pride they took into their creations and how they’d watch people enjoy it. Well I took notes from each of them and added my own twist to it. So when I cook for a client I put that southern soul feel to it with a little bit of bougie! Lol! People eat with their eyes first! So if it taste just as good as it looks I’m batting 1000! Lol! My goal is to always leave my clients with an enjoyable experience they will remember for a long time!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I moved to Atlanta I had a plan! A plan to work this job to fund my business, get new clientele and blow up! God said “nah that’s not how this is gonna work! You have to be humbled down a lot and be willing to learn more! I gotta give you some life lessons to show you who you are and who you can be” Listen I’ve learned and learned the hard way but im thankful for it all! I had a severely dry season and did absolutely no catering. I was like God is this not what im supposed to do? Am i supposed to be an employee forever? I moved here to grow my business! But He reminded me that I had to grow first because I was not ready for what He had for me! With that being said Ive made some amazing business connections I’ve networked with some of Atlantas finest and I’m expanding!
How’d you meet your business partner?
Nope! It’s just me!! Lol!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Candicooks4u