We recently connected with Kimberly Suta and have shared our conversation below.

Kimberly, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I am incredibly happy as a business owner, but it can be easy to wobble, and by that, I mean when the rollercoaster is plummeting, it’s easy to question your decisions. I probably question my sanity in choosing to be an independent business owner at least once a month. There are days I miss paid vacations, consistent income and all the perks, but the reality is that the perks of being your own boss, carving your own path and creating your passion are beyond anything anyone else can give you. I absolutely love that – it’s very empowering and thrilling. Each day is a surprise. I can get bored so I thrive on juggling a million projects at once. It keeps me on my toes. At the end of the day, no matter how tough it can get, it’s important to me to be solely responsible for building the life I want for myself and not expending my energy building it for a company I don’t care about. I feel very fortunate to be able to help other businesses build too, but ultimately I choose my clients and they choose me. It’s rewarding and symbiotic and the best clients become the best friends.

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?

I have been a writer pretty much all my life, but I sort of fell into food writing about 10 years ago, and it truly changed my life. I fell in love with San Antonio’s culinary industry and food writing evolved into doing PR and Marketing for food related companies, producing an award-winning documentary about our food scene here and eventually co-creating a brand called Homegrown Chef. Within the first year we started putting on events and I absolutely loved it. I am really proud of everything I do, but our Homegrown Chef Burger Showdown – a burger competition featuring top local chefs who compete for best burger, which is a fundraiser – is one of my all-time favorite events. This year will be our 4th annual. I also love the underground dinners we throw, but I can’t tell you too much about that, otherwise it wouldn’t be “underground.” Shhhhh…! Over a year ago, I started offering food tours associated with my role as the food and drink writer for Rio Magazine, the dedicated River Walk magazine. This has been such a blast! There’s no avoiding paperwork and numbers, things I don’t relish, no matter how creative a job is, but I am often having such a blast I almost feel guilty. It’s just too good to call work. I have always believed that one of the most important things in life is to discover your passion and follow your bliss. In doing so, all the other things will follow. It’s been true for me, although I will say it took a lot longer than I had planned!

A recent culmination of my career includes being appointed the new editor of the re-launched Edible San Antonio Magazine.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I think the biggest resource we have at our fingertips is our community, particularly those in your industry. I under appreciated and under utilized this for many many years in the beginning of my career, and honestly it can still be a struggle because I’m stubborn, and I like to do things my own way, in my own time. Maybe it’s because I’m an only child, and I had to figure out things on my own a lot. I guess it’s a blessing and a curse, because on one hand I feel like I don’t typically let preconceived notions determine what I can and cannot do, but on the other hand, ignoring the help of your fellow cohorts is kind of like shooting yourself in the foot. Now, I’m always telling clients that networking is integral to their success. Join groups in your industry, connect with other creatives or entrepreneurs, find a mentor, just go out and meet people. It’s all about people. We inspire each other, we lift each other. Ultimately, none of us do this alone.

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

Of course, it’s simply the act of creating. I love interviewing people and doing research for articles. I’m always learning something new. I love shooting a documentary or a narrative film, being behind the camera as a director, orchestrating all of these components and bringing ideas to life right in front of your very eyes. It’s absolutely addictive! I love writing a screenplay – inventing these characters, or sometimes it feels like you’re summoning characters that already exist, and I’m just writing down what they speak to me. It’s a wild experience. I imagine it’s what every creative feels like when they’re in the zone. It may sound a bit esoteric, but I believe our best creations are kind of downloaded from source, the universe, whatever you want to call it. And you always know when you’re there – it’s the highest high. That’s the reward – that feeling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.homegrowncheftv.com
• Instagram: sutapants / homegrowncheftv
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HomegrownChefSA / https://www.facebook.com/riverwalkculinaryadventures
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlysuta/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@homegrownchef8802

Image Credits: 

Sutapants Productions