We were lucky to catch up with Kendra Gilliam recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kendra , appreciate you joining us today. One of the toughest things about entrepreneurship is that there is almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

The most unexpected thing that the business has faced is losing my husband, the love of my life for 36years. Troy and I started this business together in 2017, we worked together every day. We opened a small location where we sold daily meals Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays Fridays and Sundays. Troy and I had just landed a huge contract and we were so excited about the doors that were about to open for Klasic Taste. The morning of our first presentation, we were in our building preparing for our presentation and Troy collapsed on the floor, leading me to call 911, he was life lifted to the hospital where he remained until his passing on September 28th 2022.

This changed the dynamics of our team tremendously.
Needless to say, we lost the contract that we were both so excited about and the jobs that were currently on our books I had to complete without him.
This was the absolute hardest test of endurance I could ever imagine. I completed every job on the books. I was faced with severe anxiety attacks while trying to remain strong and continue to lead my team. Once the last job of the year was completed I took a mental break to renew and restructure not only my life but the future of the business.

Kendra , 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?

We (Troy and I) Started this business because we both share the passion for cooking. We married in 1989 and he was in the culinary field since he was 17years old and I was a latch key kid who was cooking at the age of 12 years old. We established Klasic Taste with the concept of bringing soul to gourmet. When we were married, we couldn’t afford to have the big fancy wedding, we weren’t financially established. With that in mind we wanted to offer a service that everyone could afford, and still make dreams come true. So, we work with all budgets that’s something I can truly say we were proud of.

I think you have to come from a place to know what it’s like. We knew what we wanted when we first married but we couldn’t afford all the bells and whistles. We have a great list of decorators, Dj’s, and other professionals that will work with our clients to make dreams come true.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Troy and I attended the same high school. funny thing is I saw him in high school, but I was dating someone else at the time. Years later we connected, and it was then that he told me how he would watch me in school and knew that he would be my husband. Do you have any idea what it feels like to know that you were chosen to be loved? It is….. AWESOME!

Troy described to me how he told his mother years before we were married that I would be his wife. It is a blessing to find not only your soulmate, but your business partner and your forever friend.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social Media is such a huge outlet to promote and grow your business. Once we decided on a name for the business we began promoting “KT Kendra and Troy) Klasic Taste Catering. There are so many avenues; free avenues to promote your business. You must be consistent with getting your business known. Leaving a lasting impression on your clients and potential clients. Posting daily, promoting deals, posting photos of your work and posting feedback and reviews from your clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.https://Klasictastecatering.org
• Instagram: Klasic Taste
• Facebook: Klasic Taste And Klasic Taste Catering
• Linkedin: Klasic Taste Catering