Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Felmley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jennifer, appreciate you joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

When most people think of a culinary experience (like a dinner or an intimate gathering), they think about a restaurant or a caterer. They are offered a preset menu that they can choose from; this isn’t the case with my services. I pride myself on customizing all of my services. When a client reaches out to me, I ask for a few basics (date of the event, how many people, style of event, estimated budget, etc.), then I request a phone call to discuss their vision for the event and what I can create for them. I am happy to share menus from past events to give clients an idea of what I can create for them, but what I love most is creating a menu and one-of-a-kind event, specific to them!

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?

My name is Jennifer Felmley, but everyone calls me “Chef Jenn” (for obvious reasons). I am a born and raised San Diego native, although I left a few times (for college and work overseas).

After completing culinary school at Johson and Wales University, where I received bachelor’s degrees in Culinary Arts and Culinary Nutrition, I returned home to begin my career.

I spent several years trying to find a where I fit in the San Diego food scene; I have worked for almost every catering company, several non-profits, and taught cooking classes at nearly every school. I finally decided to open my own business in the early 2000s. “Chef Jenn Cooks,” where I could cook the food I loved for clients, as well as teach cooking classes.

It was initially just Chef Jenn, but then someone got the rights to my website and wanted a fortune to get it back, so I became Chef Jenn Cooks “Personal Chef Services”.

This concept was very new at the time, and I had to educate many people about the idea that anyone could hire a chef to come into their home and cook for them. Over the years, I have continued to evolve to meet the needs of my clients. The focus is on customizable meals for any special dietary requirements or occasions.

With the recent legalization of cannabis in California, I began offering cannabis dining experiences with cocktails/mocktails and education, as well as cooking classes.

When the pandemic hit, my services were more in need than ever. Going out to restaurants became increasingly tricky, or people were looking to gather in small intimate groups (their quarantine pod), so I served them in the safest way possible.

As we (as a state) open up, I am still here for my clients, creating one-of-a-kind events in private homes and rental properties.

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

I vividly remember the day in 2020 when Airbnb canceled all reservations; the nation was going into lockdown, and I knew my existing business model would have to undergo a significant change.

The pandemics did not require just one pivot but multiple, and I am currently undergoing yet another.

In the last two years, I have constantly had to pivot with all of the changes we have gone through. While locked down, I brought my business online and taught online cooking classes (both cannabis and traditional classes). I also sourced specialty ingredients for private chefs. When we began to open, but people were still not gathering, I took on full-time clients (cooking in their homes several days a week for them), and all the while doing my best to keep traditional private dining events alive.

We are about to enter yet another stage, and I am in the process of setting up more of an online presence (you can often find me going live on my Instagram @chefjenncooks). I am setting myself up on Patreon to allow people to support me and to offer online courses in cannabis cooking. Along with setting meetings with clients for more significant in-person events (this summer will be incredible).

I no longer think of what I am doing as pivoting as evolving, and my business thankfully can grow with the times.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

My business’s best source of new clients is “word of mouth”. These leads generated the most significant number of new clients. It also provided me with the best clients for me.

Word of mouth for my business comes in 2 forms:
1) Yelp (where people can see reviews from past clients)
2) My network

Not all businesses will agree with me that Yelp is beneficial for their business, but it has worked for my business. For many of my clients, the first place they land (after going to Google and searching for a Personal Chef) is Yelp. I do not pay for their services. In recent years, not paying for Yelp means my business doesn’t appear in front of as many people; this is ok with me. I prefer quality over quantity.

My network is another incredible resource for me. Over the years, I have worked within the San Diego food scene, developing relationships with other chefs, farmers, foodies, and more. Fortunately, many of my clients have been referred by other chefs who are booked and can not help the client. Over the years, I have made a point that if I cannot help a client, I will do my best to refer them to someone I know, and in return, many of the chefs I know will do the same.

Whether it is on social media or in real life, your network will be your greatest asset to finding the right clients for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chefjenncooks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefjenncooks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefJennCooks/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chef-jenn-felmley-8a0a44a/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/chefjenncooks
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOzUDu5_WKbgSweHo3U0jlQ
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chef-jenn-cooks-san-diego
• Other: Patreon –https://www.patreon.com/ChefJenn

Image Credits
Christopher Rov Costa and Lindsey Kreighbaum