We recently connected with KJ Dozier and have shared our conversation below.

KJ, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Ever since I can remember I dreamed of being an entrepreneur! I got my first taste of being one in early 2000s when I was in middle school. My mom and close family members opened a bakery named Sweet Sensations in Manning, SC. The business was something I was super proud of at a young age. I remember walking around the business like it was mine. I would take orders to tables, fix drinks for customers, even walk the street handing out flyers to promote our business. It was so cool to be behind the scenes at that young age and to learn how a business was ran. I would be in the bakery from open to close and I loved every second of it! The bakery had a strong run until it met the fate of The Great Recession and was forced to close. By that time, I was in High School and fell in love with basketball so it didn’t affect me as much. I eventually went to Francis Marion University and graduated with a degree in marketing. Throughout out my life, I had many different jobs in restaurants from Domino’s, Waffle House, Dunkin, and Outback. I always found myself in a kitchen or serving customers. Even at home, I found a passion for cooking, I would turn some good music on and get my food out and come up with some great meals. One day I flirted with the idea of owning a restaurant but quickly retracted when I realized the cost to start. It was just an idea I thought, maybe a 5-year plan but impossible now. Day after day the idea just wouldn’t leave my mind. I decided to do some research and ended up finding everything I needed. I fell in love with the Food Truck model. A mobile restaurant with 1/3 the startup cost! I read 2 books strictly on the business, I would watch every video on YouTube about the business, I even watched the Great Food Truck Race to see the inside of the business. I had the knowledge that I needed for the business but still needed a concept. That’s when the idea of Sweet Sensations came! To open my family’s business with a twist! Instead of a bakery, use popular food such as burgers, wings, and fries and add a sweet bakery approach to it! I found my business name and concept, so next, it was time to get my menu together. I spent a whole month every day trying different recipes until I found my perfect menu! I fell in love with the business just like I did as that kid in middle school! Everything came full circle!

KJ, 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?

Sweet Sensations and Temptations is a food experience like no other! I’m sure you’ve had burger, wings, and fries before but not with a sweet surprise. We use a sweet and savory combination to perfection to bring you food you would never expect to enjoy! Our most popular is our Sweet Surprise Wings, I couldn’t tell you the amount of smiles I see once a person bites into our chicken and they experience the joy of sweet chicken! We challenge everything people know about food and give everyone the emotion of a kid in a candy store.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I know that success is found in your daily routine, so each day I strive to make the most of it. I work out every morning as well as read 30 minutes a day. I find articles and ebooks on business to help me sharpen my mind and thoughts. I write all my goals down each morning until I accomplish them. YouTube is a major tool that is free. I was able to find so many videos that gave me so much information on the business before I even began. I also am a firm believer in God without him nothing is possible!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What has helped me build my reputation in my market is being different than everything else around us. Our menu is 100% authentic to us and you won’t find nothing similar anywhere else. We stand out no matter where we go from our bright brand colors all the way to our unique food menu. We stand by “A Food Experience Like No Other.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.WeAreSweetSensations.com
• Instagram: @WeAreSweetSensations
• Facebook: @WeAreSweetSensations