We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jamell Hightower. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jamell below.

Hi Jamell, thanks for joining us today. The more we talk about good leadership the more we think good leadership practices will spread and so we’d love for you to tell us a story about the best boss you’ve had and what they were like or what they did that was so great?

My mentor and amazing boss’ name is Jillian Williams. In my journey to greatness, I did not always see it in myself, but she did.

In 2010, while I was employed as a line cook at St. John Hospital, Jillian came to me and said “you have natural attributes that are unteachable.”

She told me that if I trusted her to be my mentor, she would teach me the business side of food and catering, so I could become a great leader one day. She promised that every time she moved up in her career, so would I.

The rest is history…

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am the proud owner of “Hightowers Catering”, established in 2018. Primarily, I am a self-taught chef, but I was able to complete some formal training while at St. John Hospital through their program. My inspiration for cooking is my grandmother, Mary Brown, who allowed me to cook when I was young…and I have been doing so ever since.

Once the pandemic hit, I began to fall more in love with cooking and realized that it was not just my passion but my purpose. My personal and business principles are actually rooted in purpose, passion, and patience. As a result, I’ve been blessed to reach new heights in my business, to connect more deeply with my community, and enjoy creatively collaborating with like-minded people. I’ve been able to pursue my passion full-time and feed tens of thousands of people in the metro Detroit area.

From my principles, I birthed my company slogan and the tagline for my clothing brand which is “Good Food equals Good Mood.” I cook a variety of cuisines such as American, Soul Food, and Seafood, along with various others. My signature dishes include Salmon Bites, Fried Corn, Mediterranean Kale Salad, and everyone’s favorite “Pineapple Delight,” which is a Caribbean-inspired dish.

I’m most proud of the seasoning line I created as a solution to my own battle with hypertension, Hightower Seasoning Blends, which consist of four blends: Salt-free, All Purpose, Cajun and Seafood.

Each of these blends are either salt-free or have a lower salt content than competitors. Each quarter, I partner with Dr. Brianna Standifer to host free health fairs for various communities throughout the metro Detroit area, where my seasonings are always available for purchase.

I am a strong advocate for my community. Some of my biggest highlights include donating food to essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, specifically Sinai Grace, Beaumont Grosse Pointe Hospital, and the Detroit Police Department. I am a firm believer in giving back to my community and the youth in Detroit. I am pleased to partner with my cousin, Aaron Hightower, owner and puppeteer of “Live Laugh and Enjoy” where he brings to life “Chef Allen” at most of the community and youth-focused events I execute or take part in.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

On May 7, 2021, I had a surreal moment as I returned to the campus of my former employer for the first time since my resignation! This event was my biggest to date and any obstacle or adversity that you could imagine coming my way in preparation for this event DID!

It took me over a month to thoroughly recap and fully realize just how massive this event was for me on a personal level. Just 9 months prior, I was on the fence about remaining a full-time employee or fully dedicating myself entrepreneurship. Through my daily prayers, God told me to know and negotiate my worth, so I did just that!

I sent my company a couple of requests that I knew were reasonable based on the value that I brought to the team. In less than 4 hours, those requests were DENIED!

That was confirmation for me to step out on faith

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

Self-doubt. Sometimes people believe in you more than you believe in yourself, which was my case a lot of times. I was accustomed to playing in the background and not being the greatest Jamell Hightower that I could be. This had me living in a mediocre mindset, but once I broke from that mindset, my greatness has been shining like never before.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hightowerscatering.com
• Instagram: @Hightowercatering
• Facebook: HightowerCatering