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

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

In the realm of food and beverage, the demand for gluten-free options has surged in recent years. As a business owner, I recognized the growing need within my community and embarked on a fulfilling venture to establish a gluten-free establishment. Beyond the business aspects, this venture has a deeply personal meaning to me. I myself struggles with celiac disease. Witnessing my daily challenges inspired me to create a space where myself and others, could feel understood and accommodated. This business is a testament to my belief that everyone deserves to enjoy delicious and safe food.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I was a kid I was always in the kitchen, whether it be with my mom or one of my grandmothers. I felt a sense of belonging. It’s almost as though the kitchen called to me. I began cooking, baking and decorating cakes at a young age, maybe 8 or 9. From there I took FCS classes in high school every week. I was constantly baking for classmates’ birthdays, I think at one point we were eating chocolate cake with peanut butter icing once a week. This eventually led me to pastry school. During pastry school I found out I had celiac disease and felt myself spiral. Back in 2010 celiac disease isn’t what it was now, there were full aisles dedicated to gluten free, desserts, breads, frozen sections. In my small town I was lucky enough to find a small 4×4 section with bread products that tasted like sand. Gluten free has come a long way since then, thank goodness. From the time of my diagnosis, I worked in several bakeries/pastry shops creating delicious gluten full products, but never leaving me with that fulfilled feeling. I currently work as a pastry chef for an Inn, fine dining restaurant and brewery pub restaurant. My day to day can be anywhere from homemade ice creams to sauces, to cakes, cheesecake and breakfast pastries. Still not feeling that fulfilled meaningfulness in my life I started my side business, Kitch by ck. Kitch, short for kitchen is supposed to put the meaning that people can leave their kitchens and let me do the cooking and baking for them. It will eventually be a gluten free meal prep business as well. Starting out last spring at the local farmers market I had a crowd and a turnout like you wouldn’t believe. People lined up before 9 am start time, selling out by 1030 some mornings, happy moms overjoyed to be able to not have to buy gluten free processed cookies because they could finally get homemade. That was a-ha moment. I saw the light; this was where I needed to be and what I needed to be doing. Making people happy, enjoying a sense of normalcy again, you don’t realize how much you miss certain things when you have to completely change your lifestyle.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When I first started on social media it was just to converse with ex classmates from high school or college, post silly pictures from going out, basically show off my life. I realized that I had a gift, and that I needed to share it with the world or at least whomever wanted to pay attention to it. What Courtney Cooks started off as a foodie passion project, really diving into what dietary needs I was dealing with at the time, and somehow evolved into this page I’m able to monetize and work with amazing companies on. I still take social media day by day, remember that everyone has their own opinions and not everyone is going to be nice and supportive. If you/re new to social media always remember that there are positives and negatives, not everyone will like your style, but always be you, genuine and unapologetically you.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Satisfied customers are the best advocates for any business. By providing exceptional service and demonstrating genuine interest in their success, I have cultivated a network of loyal clients who are eager to refer their friends and colleagues. Through word-of-mouth marketing, I have witnessed how the power of conversation can extend my reach far beyond my immediate interactions. By building trust and rapport with existing customers, I have unlocked a valuable source of new leads and nurtured a thriving clientele base.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatcourtneycooks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatcourtneycooks/?viewas=100000686899395
• Other: kitchbyck@gmail.com courtneyjokeyser@gmail.com https://bakesy.shop/b/kitch-by-ck