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SubscribeAlright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Katelyn Jolly. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Katelyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?
So, it was the height of the pandemic and I was working for a small local nursing home in the dietary department. We got very lucky and didn’t have any resident issues, but the nursing staff…. ugh… so we had quite a few traveling nurses and cna’s come through the building! More than once in the break room i would hear them talking about missing a good home cooked meal or having leftovers or how the same fast food choices are really starting to suck! We were also very short staffed in our kitchen so my boss would be there almost all day every day and really wasnt home to cook dinner, and i kept thinking that i should do something to help them out! so i asked my family at home and came up with a short but complete menu of our favorite things i make for dinner and are relatively easy to make!
the morning i printed 3 copies of my new menu and took them with me and hung them on the cork board in the break room when i went to punch in for that day! by the time i went in for lunch, they were all gone! i got one back right away from an older traveling nurse and she was so excited to have some real food and something sweet to enjoy too! and then my next order came in from my boss self! her family was so happy and it was so easy for her to come home preheat the over and just pop my food in the oven and after 15-25 min everything was done and dinner was ready! and that was what everyone loved the most. they could have it cooked so they could enjoy it right away or i would leave it ready to bake and they could freeze it for later on if need be! some of the traveling nurses that stayed places that had ovens really enjoyed that as well!
once things got back to “normal” everything kinda came to a screeching halt! my orders just stopped! i was crushed. i even thought that i would dissolve “Jolly Good Cookin'” but my social media following was slowly rising and even though i wasnt making orders to sell, i was making people happy with me posting about my food ive made or even over the summer while i was gardening! so i have kept it going! i was able to have a food stand at our towns yearly cattle congress fair in September of every year and man, was it a hit!!!! i had a blat, my crew was amazing, all my food turned out and we sold out EVERY NIGHT! that was another short but well needed boost, but then again after the fair all the orders just stopped. i have a couple people that will order something small once in a while but nothing like it should be.
i have gained a whole lot of confidence with all this and its helped me in my work life too. its made me see that before i can work for myself, i have to work with others in a kitchen. right now im a cashier at one of our local elementary schools but im looking for any openings for cook positions that are up for bidding and its time i be in charge for real.
for now i will stick with my social media for sure! and it has piqued interest in a few of my friends that will need catering in the next few years and will think about using me and ,my food!
Jolly Good Cookin; Home Style Food With a Twist!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Katelyn. I will be 34 this November, 2023. Im a Lunch Lady and I’m a small business owner. My catering business is called Jolly Good Cookin’; Home Style Food With a Twist! And its honestly just that! I take things and give them a new spin and make them even more delicious! I’m just a small town girl with big dreams to feed the world one meal and a nice dessert at a time!
My menu contains some of my families favorites like, Potato Chip Chicken, Corndog Bake, Taco Lasagna, Lasagna Toss for dinners and some of my favorites like my Blueberry Blondies, French Silk Pie, Butterbeer pie or my Triple Berry Dump Cake for those with a sweet tooth!
Admit it, you are drooling!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I made a whole Instagram page for Jolly Good Cookin’ and a Facebook Group! I make sure that I make videos of me making dinner or filling my orders when I do get them! I edit them and make them appealing to the world! I make sure to include things that are trending and catchy so that people will want to follow me and so far ive bought a few adds and they have really helped me grow my following!
My best advice is to make sure to stay constant. The more constant you are the more relevant you are! I know it sounds horrible, but thats what I read in their Creators FAQ’s!
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Since I work paycheck to paycheck like a lot of my town, I have to set some of my pay check aside each time so I have a set amount of money and I use that to buy my groceries or accessories that I need! What I make from my orders also goes to that account so I try to keep a small running balance in order to fill an order and get the things I need if im out! My mom and fiancé are a very big support also and they make sure i have everything I need no mater what it is! My fiancé made sure I have 2 large hotboxes so if I need to deliver hot food, it stays hot!
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