We recently connected with Dwanna Roberts and have shared our conversation below.

Dwanna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

My passion has always been cooking and the beauty of food, how it makes me feel to cook and share it with others. As a child cooking became my safe space and my desire to keep cooking grew stronger and stronger. While on the journey I developed a skill of designing food. I was given the opportunity to cater my first event 10 years ago. The effort it took was nothing I had imagined it to be. It was stressful and demanding during the process. When the dust settled I was exhausted and completely fulfilled all at the same time. I knew there was something special about that feeling and I wasn’t sure when I would get my next opportunity. I have never been good a promoting my talent vocally so I promised myself that next catering chance I got. it would be an experience. My opportunities came few and far in between. I made each one count. I always had the desire to go to culinary school but felt that childhood dream had been fulfilled differently. I chose to go to school for business & entrepreneurship 4 years ago. My plan was to get a foundation for what I was walking into. Little did I know, that wouldn’t prepare me for all the ups, downs and pivots. When the pandemic hit I could no longer cater. My back was against the wall and in my mind failing was not an option. I had to use my skill to provide for my family. I started a Meal Prep business, became a Private Chef and as soon as the world opened up I decided I would use my catering to market myself through food design and decor. I became known for not just the taste of my food but visually I set myself apart from others. That strategy changed my life. While I love what I do, the demand became extremely overwhelming. I was receiving calls from different cities and states. I was finally being recognized for what I love but learning how to balance it all was the new challenge. I decided to rebrand and get a marketing team. I am now The Prep’D Chef and I have outsourced as many task as possible. Realistically I had to make some business decisions and add services that never originally crossed my mind but brought me back to my original goal. I learned to keep moving even if the path isn’t clear.

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

My business was previously known as Taste Of Elegance Keto and is now The Prep’D Chef. I am a self taught Chef. I provide Catering Service for small to large events. Plated or Buffet style. I provide Meal Prep that is healthy and always consists of fresh ingredients. The Meal Prep service is unique because I have partnered with Velo Fitness Studio to provide healthy meals that directly help my community on there fitness journey. I provide Private Chef Services for intimate dinners where I transform your dining area into a restaurant with 3 to 5 courses and I create one of kind Fruit & Charcuterie Displays. I have always been dedicated to perfecting my craft. I help my clients customize menus based on their personal needs and desires. My clients are an extension of what I value in my business. Their experience is my main focus. Getting to know special things about my clients allows me to provide them with an extraordinary experience that includes an element of surprise. I go the extra mile for my clients down to the smallest details. I cook with love and I understand the importance of my clients trusting me with some of the most important and memorable moments in their lives. I am extremely passionate, innovative and I am willing to take on challenges that implement growth. I am most proud of my innovation with food and the wow factor I strive to provide my clients rather it be visual or flavorful. What I provide is delicious food made beautifully. Trusting me with your event means you have someone dedicated that cares about you and is extremely meticulous.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Simply. Presentation is what has built my reputation.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn the thoughts and practices of doing everything on my own. While I bring the uniqueness to what I do, there are always task you can allow others to take charge in. I learned that just because I can, it doesn’t mean that I should. I recall having my friend Justin Cureton volunteer to help me on a 3 day Private Chef event. I reluctantly accepted but chose to trust the process along with my ability to lead. I spent the entire 3 days being told “I got it”, ” Take a moment and take some deep breaths”. I listened and followed the advice. Even though he learned that my profession was a lot more challenging than he could have ever imagined, I learned that having the right partner by your side is key in business. Going from “I can do this on my own” to building a great team has been the best lesson I could have unlearned.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: the_prepd_chef
• Facebook: The Prep’D Chef
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Dyal Studios