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

Christine, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Something that brings me so much joy is really enjoying a meal. Some of my favorite memories are around a dinner table, filled with laughter and delicious food. So when I’m a private chef or offering Daley Delivery to clients to stock their fridge, I’m trying to create that feeling. I want to offer clients a delicious meal and opportunity that encourages people to slow down and enjoy the meal in front of them.

Christine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I had just finished a job as a tv host and had some time off. A friend was pregnant and nauseous around food. Growing up I was always in the kitchen with my Italian mother or watching Ina Garten and Giada DeLaurentis on the food network to relax. Cooking and eating brought me so much joy so it was always part of my life. When my friend wasn’t feeling well, I stocked her fridge with food to reheat and eat. And that was the start of Daley Delivery; a fully-prepared meal delivery service with different menus every week in Los Angeles CA and Fairfield County CT. I also am a celebrity private chef and cater events, dinner parties and weddings.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Word of mouth. There’s nothing more powerful than someone’s firsthand experience sharing and supporting your business. I have clients who have shared on social media or told friends, family and teachers, etc and immediately I have new business and more followers. It’s incredibly important with a small business like mine, that people spread the word because my reach can only go so far. I’m so grateful for my clients and their understanding of that unique power.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had been running the business in LA when my mom got sick. When I moved home, I had a friend who sometimes worked with me, take over while I was gone. That was scary because it was my baby but I trusted her and knew I was doing the right thing. After my mom passed, I wasn’t ready to move back to LA and wanted to remain on the east coast near my family. So I thought I should try and see if there would be success in a Daley Delivery in Fairfield County, CT, where I’m from. And it ended up being incredibly successful in CT. During the beginning of Covid I was able to feed so many who were looking for healthy options in the fridge but did not have to cook or go to the store. AND we opened two other locations with female chefs who were hoping to spend more time outside of the restaurant world. I also was able to donate food to nurses from the area which felt so rewarding during a scary time. Eventually it was time to move back to LA. I hired a chef to run the CT branch and it’s still going today. So heading home to be with my mom not only gave me that special time with my mom but challenged me to continue to grow as a person and a small business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.daleydelivery.com
• Instagram: @daley_delivery

Image Credits
Kate Danson