Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to DevinAnn Griffin . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
DevinAnn , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
What does it take to be successful! I would say have to honestly and boldly A LOT! In order to be successful you have to be disciplined, an expert in your respected industry! You have to have an abundance of hustle and heart! You have to be able to adapt to change. In order to be successful you have to have an astronomical level of high standards when it comes to customer service and integrity! In order to be successful you will have to continually educate yourself in your industry as far as trends, what’s in and what’s out, who are your competitors and who are your collaborators. There are many more things that it takes when being successful however the one I hold nearest to my heart is something my daddy (Steven Campbell ) told me years ago, He said ” Baby you will have a long hard road to success lots of highs and just as many lows, however success is not just about the financial gain it is more so about people and connections, the right connections can take you place money can’t and baby you will be truly successful when you are able to place people in position to whin that never thought they had a chance of winning!”
I can say over my twenty years of being a business owner I have have an abundance of highs but good Lord! the lows…lol… Ive made the money, material possessions, most the accolades and more than I sought out to obtain. However I will say I truly feel the most success and fulfilment when I can assist someone with the desire to win and or do not know where to start or even have the confidence to say “I CAN and I WILL”
DevinAnn Blu
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
All Things Blu encompasses all things culinary, event/hospitality, food services, and culinary/event planning business marketing and management. All Things Blu is the parent company to DevinAnn Thats’s Me which is the business, marketing, and management division., Chef BluPhire & Co. which is a total culinary experience!, Blu Couture Event Planning & Design who so effortlessly turn your event décor and management visions into reality!, Change the Culinary Narrative is the division that assist businesses small to large on culinary customer service, training, and excellence, we want to change the narrative of culinary love!
Even though I am an expert in all thing culinary/hospitality, I am more known for being a Chef that creates culinary experiences for people of all cultures. Food has always been my first love. I attended Le Cordon Bleu, where they taught the French technique, then me being from the South, I have perfected the marriage of both! I have been candidly known as The K Michelle of the Kitchen, The Brown Skinned Martha Stewart, The Kitchen Sawse Bawse, or The Kitchen Trap Queen.
I am most proud that ATB has survived the test of time in the industry for over 20 years, that we have always operated with a servant’s heart to satisfy our needs and desires, and more than anything we have kept God as the glue and the center of it all knowing we can do all things through Christ Jesus that strengthens us!
I would like for the readers to know that we are here to assist individuals and businesses! Whether you want to book ATB to plan and host your special event or hire us to teach you how to open your own food and beverage service company or event-planning business we are here and would love to assist you! We offer an array of services on both sides of the spectrum. For individuals we offer private chef/catering services, event management and design, and event space and equipment rentals. For start-up and or established culinary/hospitality forward businesses we offer an array of services from creating a business plan for your start-up to the research, marketing, and funding, all the way to opening your doors.
God takes you where he wants you! Always knowing that my purpose to help in some capacity, April 2023, My fiancée (Eric D. White (Mack) founder of Forever Young Unlimited, decided to come together to partner up and form Forever Young Reentry and Rehabilitation Services to assist males that are released from prison to successful renter into society. We are working with TDCJC Prisons and TDCJC Pardon and Parole to implement a program the will required and or an attribute for parole. The program can be anywhere from 6 months to a year that will cover financial literacy, cognitive skills, resisting temptation, substance and alcohol abuse, mental health, employment services, job readiness, domestic violence, holistic healing, meditation, anger management, furthering education, business ownership and more.
If you need more information about Forever Young Reentry and Rehabilitation Service or know someone who will need the assistance please give us a call at 2148158743 or email [email protected]
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele, I would have to say researching my competitors. I take one day out the week that I dedicate four hours to research current, past, and potential competitors. Why! you may ask. I do this because during your research you can go their social media pages and see the question that their customer are asking or issues that they may be facing and solve those issues or answer those questions when you are creating content and or your marketing campaigns.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Funding your business , funding today is way different from when I started years ago. Today, it is easier to get funding do to different platforms for giving, grants, loans, and other viable sources, However back in 2000 it was very different.
Before, I go into detail on how I gained the capital I needed to start my business, I must say this. It is okay to have a 9-5 job, please do not believe hype of not working or being a start up company isn’t all that hard. That is the biggest misconception that a lot new entrepreneurs have. It is actually smart to have a 9 to 5 until your business is making at least 3 to 4 times what your 9 to 5 is paying you.
When I stepped out and started the process of being a business owner I was an employee at Verizon Superpages, (now IdeaArc) I was an advertisement account executives, that’s the fancy term, what I did was sold ad space in the Verizon Super Pages Telephone book. I actually got paid doing what I love to do and use the monies made and education, knowledge, and training gained at my place of employment to open my own business doors and be successful at it. I eventually was offered a VSP when Verzion sold to another company (IdeaArc) and funded my business. So not only did I get the seed money to open my business, I also gained an already willing to support clientele and the knowledge of effective marketing and advertisement for a business. This is actually the only job I had but I did take a few short term gigs either doing events and catering to gain more knowledge in the industry I had embarked into before and during my formal training from LeCorden Bleu in culinary science and The Institute of Wedding and Event Design .
Think about it if you want to be a chef, go get employment being a chef, sous chef, prep cook or in whatever capacity that you can get into that industry, while you are getting paid to do what you love , you are also gaining industry knowledge and hands-on experience needed to be successful as an entrepreneur.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.allthingsblu.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/allthingsblunation
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/allthingsblunation
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allthingsblu/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/allthingsblutx
- Other: UPDATED CONTACT INFORMATION Contact Number – 214.815.8743 Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Sirtified Photography Trill Photography