We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chef Cheez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Chef , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Successful requires a multitude of variables that may or may not be in a persons control. Sometimes people see as results driven or minimizing failures. The main reason or top attribute of being successful is understanding SACRIFICE. It looks different in many ways but if you not willing to give up something to get more then you will always be behind.
In my position owning and operating a food business, there are times when I’m up for 24-48 hours making sure I’m prepared for an event or miss all types of celebrations.

Chef , 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?

Chef Cheez Cuisine is a food service business that focuses on catering and private food events as well as bartending and meal prep services.
My catering business is different from others because the customer plays a significant roll in making their event special by being able to express their expectations and allow me to serve them. To many times caterers either don’t care or don’t know how to listen to customers expectations and then execute. We do by having phone consultations, questionnaires, and range of menu items all while providing the best price for them. Anybody can get in the kitchen and create great food but it takes more to turn customers into clients. It take more that just good cooking skills to make customer comfortable of consistently choosing you.

My brand is from a business point of view that always expect greatness and comfort when you ask for our services. Teri crews did an interview on Club Shay Shay and he said when he started acting that he would be in service to the actors and in life he would be in service for people”. I took that understanding to heart and always want to be in service of the customer needs first.

I’m really proud of how far we have came and the constant request for our services. I’m mostly proud of being able to provide opportunities for others. It’s nothing for me to be successful but greatness comes from being able to make others around you just as great. I’m also proud that we have placed this business in situations to elevate turning customers into clients and some into family. It’s just invigorating that people know how good you and your business is and want it without hesitation.

I’ve been around the food industry since my parents business started operating concessions stands and restaurants since I was 8 years old When I was younger is either baseball practice or hanging/ working at one of parents concessions stands. Seeing them put in the time and effort taught me a level of appreciation for what I want to accomplish but also developed a mental toughness, adaptability , understanding sacrifice and resilience even through failure. There journey prepared me for running my own business and understanding that’s there not a challenge or problem I can’t face.

The toughest challenge in the business for me is a work life balance and making sure I don’t miss out. I credit my wife for the help because she is always there to let me know when I need to either slow down or grind towards the opportunity. It took her a minute to understand what I was trying to accomplish which comes with growth between both of us but lately over the last 5 years she has stood by my side and helped when I asked or needed without saying.

On a personal level, 1st- YOU MUST PUT GOD. 2nd, I want people to know is that nobody gives you an opportunity you either earn it or create it. 3rd love and being in service to others

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Everyday, week, month you have moments when you question whether or not you should be doing this. Yet everyday, week and month you keep your FAITH IN GODS PLAN, work towards your goal, make necessary sacrifices and enjoy the results are the reminders to keep going. When I first started I didn’t make a profit for 7 months, I was having trouble booking events, and on top of that I was spending money out of my pocket to cover expenses. Then I finally book 2 major events to get the business in track and my work truck breaks down I basically lost a wheel strut. With all that I didn’t look at as I was being defeated but a test from God to see if I was willing to push passed it. I called as many people as I knew to get cars and equipment transferred and both events went off without a hiccup outside look in. It was just a moment to show me that only you can stop you.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the lessons I had to unlearn is you don’t have to diminish your value just to get business. Your worth is everything to your business because it helps define your place in the industry and expectations moving forward. One of my first events, customer needed a catering at the last minute in which I was available to do I didn’t charge what I should have charge because I was afraid that I wouldn’t get the event. It shocked the customer and her friends to the point during the event they gave me a business consultation about value and that I should never devalue what I do out of fear. Obviously they did that for me because my food was amazing but also to point me in the right direction which has been the best advice and very useful for my business growth

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chefcheez.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wd_smalls/ https://www.instagram.com/chefcheezc/