We were lucky to catch up with Corinne Vaughn recently and have shared our conversation below.
Corinne, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?
“If you don’t do nothing else in life, build your own fire.” This is one of many life lessons my late father raised my siblings and I to uphold. My hero has always been and even after his death, still is my father, Michael Dywayne Vaughn, Sr. My dad was a southern gentleman born and raised in Louisiana in the ‘60s. He held the door for the person behind him, visited the sick, fed the hungry, and helped his community. My dad was a dreamer. He was also a life long, gifted electrician, gathering wood for our wood heater in the winter, building a water well pump in our front yard so we could have clean, fresh water, and and when money was low, he’d fish to ensure there was food on the table. And he never, ever complained. In hindsight, I recognize how hard he worked to protect, provide, and preserve our family. He was a man of integrity, faith, perseverance and responsibility, and because of that, I have strong roots of the same character traits that lead me in life, friendship, and business. My dad, my hero.
Corinne, 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?
As a minority woman entering an industry heavily populated and controlled by men, one could be quite intimidated. Not me! Although I am new to my industry, I am confident in what I bring to the industry. My dad was known as the barbecue man in our historic city of Campti, Louisiana, and even our parish, Natchitoches. He dreamt of owning and operating his own food trailer. In 2010, my dad began to chip away at this dream. He bought a cargo trailer and over the next three years, he invested in his dream, transforming the cargo trailer into a fully functional barbecue food trailer. He left the trailer to me in 2020, as we both shared in his vision and believed in his dream. I am now the sole owner of Boss Hawg BBQ, LLC, formerly Open Mike’s BBQ & More. We are currently preparing to relaunch Boss Hawg BBQ in Dallas, TX offering fall off the bone baby back ribs, melt in your mouth brisket, southern pound cake and Nana Puddin, Luziana Sweet Tea and Lemonade, and many other smoked delights. We have diligently examined the market and we are confident that we will provide a twist in the barbecue industry for the area by melding the smokey wood flavors of Texas with the Cajun seasonings of Louisiana. At Boss Hawg BBQ, we are more than a plate of meat, sides, and dessert. You can get that anywhere. We are a story of perseverance, faith, belief, and hope for others. We seek to extend the same helping hands to our community and consumers as my father, the original builder and owner, extended. His service and heart for others lives on.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Resilience has always been a word that I’ve used to describe myself: the ability to bounce back. In January of 2020, my then fiancé and I got a call from my mother around 5AM advising that the ambulance was trying to resuscitate my father after she couldn’t wake him up for work. My father passed away that morning. I was four months pregnant at the time, enrolled in my Master’s program, engaged for marriage, and now, in possession of the food trailer. I completed my Master of Public Administration program on time in June of that year, completing my final assignment while in labor. I also encouraged my mother to complete her Bachelor’s degree at the same time from the same university as myself, allowing us to graduate together. I enrolled in doctoral studies for Organizational Management and Leadership. In December of 2020, I married my husband. Three months later, I found my husband deceased in our town home. Exactly one week after losing my husband, I discovered we were expecting our second child. My life seemed like a disaster that could not be undone. Over the next couple of years, I struggled with depression and grief. Thus, I recommitted my life to Christ and sought counseling and am finally in a much better space in life and hopeful for dreams that were on the back burner for years. I am ecstatic about this new chapter. I have obtained two years of gainful employment as a licensed property and casualty investigator and am nearing the opening date for Boss Hawg BBQ.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Initially, I wanted to dive right into operating Boss Hawg BBQ, but I also wanted to ensure that no stone was unturned concerning permits, licensing, and vehicle transfer before stepping into operation. Therefore, I had to pivot and decided to start selling our signature drinks and desserts before opening the trailer. Looping my children into the family business, we have utilized the last two summers building up our lemonade and dessert stand. After two summers of selling lemonade and desserts pop-up style, we are now planning for Fall 2024 as the opening for Boss Hawg BBQ.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @itsyummynade/ @bosshawg_bbq
- Facebook: It’s Yummynade
- Other: Instagram: @corinneshereeofficial
