We recently connected with Christopher Jones and have shared our conversation below.

Christopher, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

Cooking has always been a form of art, fun and relaxation for me. Turn on some 90s RnB and just vibe out while cooking my favorite dishes has been an every weekend occasion for me. When covid hit and I was laid off by HP, I literally had to go back to the drawing board. I can remember being at home and just trying to figure out how to make it to the next month without any income. And then I got a call about a lady wanting me to sell her one of my pastas. (At the time I did meal preps on the side but nothing too serious). At that moment it sparked me, I had kitchen experience just never used it as a possible business model. So I started researching online culinary schools and classes. Finding out what insurances and licensing were need to start catering. I then purchased my LLC and was blessed with work throughout covid, catering small bday parties, intimate dinners, and events for families that just needed a small break from that pandemic madness. It was a humbling experience and beginning for my business but also a necessary first step in my evolution.

Christopher, 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?

My family and I are all from Washington DC originally. So of course we are huge seafood fans! I can remember my mom, dad, and uncles cooking up Sunday dinner! Throwing newspaper across the table and cooking up barrels of live Blue Crab. These moments made me the foodie I am today. My mother and uncle both chefs, are the very first culinary influencers I had in my life. They both own and run amazing restaurants now in the North Arkansas region. Taking their down home recipes and adding my flare of art to them has been a staple to many of my dishes.

The discipline I have in this industry comes solely from my military back ground. As a Army Combat Engineer Sergeant im trained to be able to lock in on a task until completion. Thus me trusting the process! No matter how many obstacles are thrown in my way I still stand strong and proud of my art, dedication, and craft.

I have pivoted my business into several different projects:
Dg Catering (weddings & banquets)
Egg Roll SmokeHouse (food Truck )
Noah Joes ( Seasonings & Sauces)
Humble Chef ( Chef application)

I am blessed to have had all my businesses blossom in the last year and I’m looking at elevating them to the next level. My seasonings and my “Humble Chef” app will launch in 2024.

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

My first big mistake as a still new business owner! GET AN ACCOUNTANT! I thought I could do it all myself and that’s no way to run a reputable business. I had an incident where I let my business license expire and attempted to cater a wedding under my other business license. This mistake cost me 1200$, bad publicity, a disgruntle client, a serious talk with the State Surgeon General, and a very much bruised ego. I considered it an expensive lesson. For you new business owners an accountant/ advisor is 100% worth the investment. With everything we already deal with the last thing we should be worried about is the legal consequences for not having our business together.

This was a make or break moment! It could have ruined me, but I’ve never been one to fold under a little pressure especially on the things I love. The God in my life will see me Win in every situation especially the way I love giving people an amazing culinary experience. So I sucked it up and went back to the drawing board. Created some new practices and SOPs for my business. I even tightened up my legal forms and made sure my professional side is flawless. I’ve always said “it’s never the fall, it’s the climb back up” that shows true strength and character. I’m still here and standing even stronger in my truth.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My social media influence was something I knew I had to have to market my business to the demographic that I wanted to reach. I have paid influencers to repost my food but that never really worked for me. The best thing I learned was to organically find your crowd. Collaborating with like minded individuals and creating a space for your clientele to enjoy and interact with you during your journey. I posted the lows and the highs of my process in school and home. Making fun recipe post and asking fun foodie questions like “ do eggs go in mac in cheese”? This kinda reverse marketing strategy prepared my social media to launch culinary content. Being that my crowd was already engaging into my food content.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/chefamor2u?fbclid=PAAaYoH90T_tDfscmuRqTeSTHLdYD_IVxCYB57AnCfVkcIiHyW0QJ1jrLZV-8_aem_th_AUbWDi1QmEoq_a6Up2_tTOGs_n9uL4RNK5FNCqttG_s2GYzMvCcrDVkaMuK38X9T3AE
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/chefamor2u?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100017900404591&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Karman Jones