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

Khashilah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I’ve always loved cooking and knew I wanted to be a chef, but it wasn’t until I spent over ten years in the hospitality industry that I decided to enroll in culinary school in 2019. During that time, I discovered that I wanted the pursue an unconventional culinary career. In 2020, I conducted extensive research to identify a niche market and found that meal prepping was my niche. Meal prepping was something that I have enjoyed doing for years and I knew there was a need in my target market.

So that was the start of the idea. I then partnered with a friend in the health and wellness field who taught me how to run a meal prep business. Once I had the research and business plan down, it was just a matter of picking a launch date.

This was delayed due to a few reasons, one of the main ones being imposter syndrome. However, this was also during the pandemic, so I suddenly had a lot of free time and that pushed me into launching The Kulinary Co.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Khashilah Butler, also known as Chef Kay at The Kulinary Co. The Kulinary Co creates fresh meals for individuals who desire the convenience of gourmet and nutrient-dense meals.

I began cooking as a student in my high school’s culinary arts program and during those years I had the chance to participate in a wide range of state and local competitions. Our participation increased the name recognition of our school and Terry Parker was recognized as one of the best high school culinary programs in Jacksonville, FL. I then studied Hospitality Management at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida which influenced my current career as an entrepreneur. I’ve always known that I would take on the culinary world in an unconventional way and over the past two years I have been putting that dream to work.

The greatest part of being a chef is the creativity. That, paired with a fearlessness in the kitchen, has paved the way for me to grow and become the owner of The Kulinary Co. I can tell countless stories of cooking ambitious meals in my dorm room or in my first apartment. I laugh about it all the time and am so grateful that I took those chances to just do it even if I wasn’t the best yet. These experiences taught me how to meal prep for myself, my roommates, and my family. Fast forward to now and I’ve created a business and brand based on meal prepping.

This is what makes The Kulinary Co unique. Not only have I created a service that answers the question “how can I eat balanced meals this week without cooking every night?” but I’ve built this service based on authenticity and growth. The recipes that I use for my clients are the recipes that I use for myself. This has resulted in opportunities that surpasses my weekly meal prep menus. I’ve been invited to join health and wellness partnerships, host personal cooking classes and even cater events.

The Kulinary Co. is now evolving into the digital product and marketing field. I have nationwide clients who don’t fit into my local niche market of weekly meal prepping but still want a curated meal plan for their dietary needs. Since creating these meal plans for them, I’ve realized how much more impact I can have outside of my local market so we’re in the works of cooking up something good!

Can you tell us the story of how you built your audience on social media? Any advice for those just starting to build their social media presence?

I started building an audience on social media by just posting random food pictures. You know, the heavily filtered classic Instagram food pics with weird angles and corny captions. But by doing that, people started to associate me with the culinary arts. I then started a food blog and promoted that on social media so people were able to see me not only post food but talk about it as well. This led to me working with a national publication as an intern to learn that side of the culinary world. Again, all of this was shared on social media-no matter how big or small. I started attending foodie events as well, even exclusive dinner clubs that drew suspense of “what is she up to next?” This laid the base for my social media following on both my personal and business social media platforms, so when I enrolled in culinary school and started the Kulinary Co. it was a smooth transition. I had built expertise through the years prior so people knew I could be trusted when it came to providing a service for people to invest in.

I would advise those who are just starting out to first decide what content you want to provide and get specific about your goals. Once you have that direction, write it down. This will anchor you when distractions come up. The next step is to just start posting and the key to that consistency and authenticity. Don’t overthink your content or delay it because it’s not “perfect.” Social media is primarily learning as you go. You won’t know what your audience like best until you post consistently. Even two years later, I am still learning how to maximize my postings and audience engagement. So be prepared to never stop learning. Also, find other creators that align with your goals. Watch their tactics and glean what you can from them. Once you develop your audience and get the content creation going, your target market is going to find you.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is learning that my uniqueness is what makes me successful. Everything that I am getting recognition for is the things I’ve always loved doing. I’ve always enjoyed learning. I’ve always enjoyed creating a dish for the first time and being pleasantly surprised with the amazing results. I’ve always meal prepped as a way to save time during a busy week. I’ve been developing these skills and creative moments for years and now I can share these same experiences with the world. I’m grateful that I didn’t have to change anything about myself to create The Kulinary Co.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: The Kulinary Co
• Facebook: The Kulinary Co

Image Credits
Ernest Dunning