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

Jenn, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share a customer success story with us?

When I first became a Private Chef- my business looked very different from how it does now. I had two families that I would prepare and serve dinner for several times a week- and one family that had me come by every morning Monday-Friday. My everyday client had special needs, in the sense that she had Type 2 diabetes and had to adhere to a low-glycemic, raw-vegan diet as prescribed by her Naturopathic doctor. Her blood sugar medication had a side effect that caused dementia- so this woman who had been quick as a whip was in quick decline with nothing more than a shrug from her physician and the excuse that was the price to pay for stabilized blood sugar. So my client’s son hired me to heal her by reversing the damage from the medication and stabilizing her blood sugar levels; and to do so by restricting her diet. As you might imagine, this woman was very confused when I started showing up at her house, going through her stuff, and feeding her what she’d consider “rabbit food” after a lifetime of gourmet indulgence. But eventually, I was able to create a consistent menu of items she loved, using the limited ingredients she was allowed to have. That was the first win. Her blood sugar levels began to improve, that was the second win. But the day that I showed up to her greeting me at the door and calling me by name was groundbreaking. The light was back in her eyes and she was completely with it. She was a shell of herself when we first met and I got to see her blossom and embrace the life that she had left. And seeing how that was all made possible directly through her diet was life-changing for me as well because I now understood how powerful that was. Food really is thy medicine.

Jenn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My first restaurant experience was in high school. I started working as a server as a second job at a French fusion restaurant. It was a cool place- it was built during Prohibition and had trap doors in the basement ceiling and tunnels that led out to the sewers. And I started expressing my interest in going to Culinary school to the Chef; so he started teaching me skills and tricks behind the line when it was slow. He told me which books to buy and Chefs that I should research.

And then I did end up going to Culinary School at Johnson & Wales, the Providence Campus. It was there that I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts & Food Service Management.

I hopped around a lot after I graduated; catering companies, restaurants, banquet centers, stadiums. I couch-surfed and traveled a lot during that time. I made it out to places like Italy and Australia. I was able to work with so many chefs and learn so much about food and culture.

During my time in Australia, I decided to camp in the outback for 6 months in a Jeep Cherokee with a rooftop tent and a few bins full of supplies. I had to learn how to cook with the elements because I had no control. That really cemented my connection to the earth. And that experience has inspired a facet of myself and my business; which is embracing connection.

Food cultivates so much connection. We gather around a table to break bread during a discussion. During the holidays, most traditions are centered around the meal. So I try to inspire that with every event that I do. Whether I’m teaching a Cooking Class, where the clients are getting to know the ingredients and the skills they didn’t know that they had. Or if I’m cooking a Private Dinner for an event, I like to showcase local ingredients and the importance of local sourcing for our community and surrounding environment. And of course my connection with the clients; because my main incentive is to give them a great experience.

When I’m cooking for Wellness Retreats or Mindful Eating workshops- it’s all about the connection you have with yourself, with food, with your spirit, with your mind. It all ties together.

At a glance, I’m a Plant-Based Private Chef. And my business has a lot of moving parts. I teach cooking classes, both public and private. I offer Private Dining for dinner parties. I cater weddings. I cook for retreats. I provide pre-made meals for clients and local retreat & hiking groups. But at the core I always want my clients left feeling full, pampered, and informed; as a meal should always tell a story.

I’m proud that my business has been able to participate and give back to the community, as that’s very important to me. I’ve been able to auction my services to charity; and I have plans for starting up fundraisers of my own to help in a way that I’ve never been able to.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Before I moved out here to Phoenix, Arizona where I live now, I was living in New Jersey. I had a similar business over there, and then the pandemic set in. Like so many, I had to adjust to the new normal and launched a meal delivery business that was inspired by mindful eating. Simultaneously, I was taking on a lot of DIY projects all around my fixer-upper home. It was very productive but very isolating. I no longer felt aligned with my business’s brand, which was balance. I was all out of whack and even though my business was making money and showing promise- it just felt wrong.

I had to make some hard decisions and ended up selling my house in New Jersey. It had been in the family for generations and I wanted to keep it, but once I realized that attachment was holding me back, I had to let it go. So I did. And moved out here to the Phoenix Valley to be closer to my sister and her kids.

For me, I had to get my entire life into alignment before I could launch a successful business. I needed a support system around me and a healthy environment. Once I stopped forcing things, and working myself into the ground, things started to flow. I started to connect with my community, and that has brought me more opportunity than I could have imagined.

Let it go and let it flow. I know it sounds so corny. But when people day things like “trust the process” and “live in the moment”. You think you’re already doing it until it clicks into place and you’re able to acknowledge that you’ve leveled up.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

There was a time when I never thought that I would cook professionally again. It’s been 8 years since this happened. One morning I woke up for work, went to my client’s house to prep for the week, and drove back to my apartment which was pretty far from where my client lived.
I got into a head-on collision with a pickup truck in my little Mazda 3 and spent a few days in the hospital. My hand got broken in the mix (this actually didn’t happen during the accident but later at the hospital) and my ring finger was snapped inward. Months after the accident, all of my other injuries had healed, but my hand was still messed up. It felt stiff and weird to curl my hand around a knife, and I couldn’t bear to chop for longer than a few minutes. I honestly thought that I was done cooking forever, and took a job as a bartender. But it didn’t take long until I started getting the itch and made my way back to what I love to do. What I’m meant to do. And my hand is fine now. It doesn’t bother me at all.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.whatscookinbeach.com
• Instagram: whatscookinbeach
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/whatscookinbeach