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

Kevin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Becoming a Nutritionist Chef was definitely an evolution of many years in the making. I grew up in a small farming community just north of London, England. My journey started with a love of cooking that manifested early while cooking with my mother and grandmothers preparing meals with local fresh ingredients from the farm, for family and friends. I didn’t think I really knew that I wanted to be a Chef but I went to Culinary School because I loved food and cooking. After finishing culinary school, I worked in some hotels, restaurants and even a country club for a while.

At the age of 23 I had the opportunity to move to Santa Monica, California. Here was where a shift in mindset started to occur. I was being exposed to new approaches to food, diet, health and wellness. I had up to that point had a very classical French approach to cooking as this was my experience and training. Basically, lots of meat, dairy, rich sauces and so on. I remember going on a date with a girl to a vegan restaurant, and my first experience with sushi at Sushi Roku on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. I discovered an attitude about food that was at its core, more of a nutritional choice than just eating a meal.

Now, I didn’t all of a sudden have some life changing realization, that I needed to be a Nutritionist. It was a slow burn, a continued exposure to many different cuisines, people, health, wellness and dietary preferences. What became very obvious, there was definitely a need for expertise in these dietary preferences and that the motivations around these decisions were most often based in health.

After many years of working in various restaurant operations, I made the choice to work with people privately in their homes and doing small events. This more personalized approach to my craft was much more enjoyable to me. I started my own Private Chef/Catering Business

After a few years of operating my own business, I got really serious about my own health. I wanted to be the best version of myself and being in great physical condition became a big priority. It was at this point that I took a deep dive into the world of nutrition. I spent thousands of hours studying and learning about optimum nutrition and how whole food can be used as medicine. It really made sense and when I looked at my roots, growing up in that small farming community back in England, I did to a degree come full circle. I realized that the first and most important rule in food and nutrition was eating fresh, quality, organic, whole foods.

My fascination with Nutrition would go much deeper and I went back to school obtaining a Clinical Nutritionist Certification from USC Health Sciences.

I then started to operate a Nutritional Clinic in the LA area called Ideal Bodies Nutrition where we help people with various problems using whole foods and nutritional supplements. Still cooking for clients, I was now operating two businesses. Working with clients in the Clinic I noticed that there was sometimes a challenge in getting them into the condition that I wanted for them. That challenge was the actual food preparation. They didn’t have time took cook or know enough about it. This was impeding the health of my Clients. It was at this point that I realized the true solution to a very real problem. I needed to combine the Chef business and the Nutritional business creating a true Nutritional Chef business.

This new solution for peoples health problems gave me a completely different level of enthusiasm. There was opportunity everywhere and very little competition in this area. There are plenty of people who have a private chef and that see wholistic health practitioners like nutritionists but I could give them both. A one stop shop! I was like, wow, I get to do two things I really enjoy at the same time and help people. Amazing!!

Have you ever had to pivot?

Covid was a difficult time for most of us. It really impacted both of my businesses. The Nutritional Clinic went from a 5 day a week operation to 1 day per month for Clients who really wanted to see us. We did use Zoom and continued to help clients but many just couldn’t afford the extra expense. The in home Chef/Catering business took a huge hit too.

Something that I really pride myself on, is staying calm and looking objectively and a situation or problem. In my experience, there is always opportunity. This mindset allowed me to open a new line of income for my businesses. We started doing a high quality meal delivery service and brought our delicious, nutritionally balanced food to our clients home. I became an expert in preparing food that could be easily reheated but be the quality level I would desire from a nice restaurant.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My businesses are based solely on referral. I do little to no marketing and I never pay for it. Sounds crazy, right? It’s not that crazy at all. I built my business and continue to build them based on a very simple principal. There always have to be a fair exchange between myself and the services we offer, and the client receiving those services. With this in mind, it is always my goal to over deliver. As a simple example, I may go into a home for a small event, I prepare the meal to the highest standards and I leave the clients kitchen cleaner/better condition than I found it. If you treat your clients this way, you will never hurt for business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kevinkendallskitchen.com/ and https://www.idealbodiesnutrition.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinkendallskitchen/ and https://www.instagram.com/idealbodiesnutrition/
• Linkedin: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kevin-kendalls-kitchen-moorpark?osq=kevin+kendalls+kitchen and https://www.yelp.com/biz/ideal-bodies-nutrition-glendale-2