We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Iesha D. Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Iesha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today

In many ways, I AM starting over – 2023 was a challenging year for me personally and professionally. The Salty Heifer Co. suffered a massive cyber attack at a crucial time that weakened us finacially and professionally; we could not see, process, or fufill orders for five months. It was a low point for me.

The thing that I would differently, and there are many, is to ask for help IMMEDIATELY. And not just with the cyber-attack specifically but in safeguarding the business in general. Hubris and my need to control everything got in the way of running and managing my business.

That saying, “It takes a village,” is not just for raising children but for life in general. I know that now, and I am asking for help.

Iesha, 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?

Now that I am here, I realize it was a journey to rediscovering and returning to myself that directed me that beautiful Spring morning to the then French Culinary Institute. I have been cooking and baking my whole life for family, friends, as therapy, so this felt right. And as a child of Panamanian and American parents, food, cooking and sharing was life. They were familiar. Food equaled love. So, I enrolled on the spot.

It was there that I gained the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to advance from an amateur home baker and cook to professional pastry and savory chef. And wanting to gain a full perspective on the industry, I pursued a Master of Science in Hospitality Industry Studies simultaneously.

As a student, I joined the ranks of Chefs Paul Liebrandt, Shawn Gawle, and Blake Abene at Corton, a Michelin starred restaurant. After training in France and Italy, I then went on to become Sous Chef for Chef Cesare Casella, The Tuscan Genius. Later in 2014, I went on to Chef Jonathan Waxman’s Barbuto in the Meatpacking District of New York City, where she was fortunate to learn the business of running a restaurant and business at the highest level.

The Salty Heifer Co. is the manifestation of this journey – my life. I started out wanting to nothing more than to make people feel good, feel at peace and happy when they enjoyed one of our cookies. Along the way, and with my experiences in the restaurant world as a Black-woman, I realized how very little people that looked like me knew of the Michelin experience. And what they did know was that it did not include them.

My primary passion: to elevate the food of my culture, my people, teach Black and Brown children – people they deserve to eat well, and to foster the next generation of Black and Latin women Chefs.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

November 7, 2023: I was waiting for the creditors to call “time of death”! I had just paid a ransom and cybersecurity company, an obscene amount of money that left my business account with $1.18. There were zero funds available for payroll, compliances, insurance, you name it – The Salty Heifer Co. was hemorrhaging. And it was fatal. I was meeting with my attorney to discuss bankruptcy options. I felt like a failure.

Oddly enough, no matter what my attorney said, I could not, would not, do it! I knew this business, The Salty Heifer Co., and my products was a winner. I still know this. The Universe sent me an angel in the form of a corporate client that put in an incredibly large order for the holiday season. That one order opened the door for more to come in. That client also helped keep me afloat during the pandemic.

I made payroll that season.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

That though some mean well, don’t hire your friends. This isn’t to say that it doesn’t work out beautifully, right? Cause we all know it can, I know it can and does. It’s those one-offs that cause irreparable damage to friendships and businesses too.

I trusted someone to do some marketing last year, right before we were ransomed, and that person just took the money, without putting anything in place. They left a lot unfinished projects and opened backdoors to the website. I have neither seen nor heard from them since, and that’s okay. I blame myself for abdicating that responsibility and not following through.

I don’t do that anymore.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thesaltyheifer.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesaltyheiferco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesaltyheifer
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/the-salty-heifer-co/
• Twitter: https://x.com/thesaltyheifer

Image Credits
Headshot image by: Shotti, NYC