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

Ladonia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

My first client was my previous employer. Vantage House’s apartments. Which is a retirement home in Columbia, Maryland. I left when I was just 22 years old. I possessed a well-known skill set that allowed me to learn and be creative with various menu options for the residence. Despite the fact that I had moved on, my mother was still employed there. Every year, they would host “Culture Day,” an event that celebrated everyone’s cultural differences through their favorite dish. Every year my mother would submit her sign up sheet and in 2016 we started providing mouthwatering Authentic Jamaican Cuisine. that quickly grew properly among staff and residents. so much so that at the start of the pandemic in 2020. is when my husband and I officially, started selling individual plates and catering service to the staff. which later on expanded to the Maryland, Dc and Virginia Areas.

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

My name is Ladonia Spence. I am the CEO of Jamaica Home Kitchen. I started in the food industry when I was a very young girl. Born and raised in St. Catherine, Jamaica. Learning how to cook was a way of learning life, and skills set as a young girl. My brother and I grew up in a poor and violent neighborhood, so it wasn’t easy for my parents to make ends meet. It was learning how to farm. As we would farm we would hand slaughter our livestock and sell them to our community which would enable us to be able to buy our school uniforms and our learning books. It was a very humbling upbringing, one that I still have paved into my heart for the love of Authentic Jamaican and international cuisines. It was when I came to the United States in 2001. at the age of nine. that my love for cooking ignites. Once I learned in middle school home economics, which taught us more about cooking and food nutrition. I continued my studies throughout all 4 years of high school and finished 2-year culinary arts college course. which enables me to be a certified chef at just 19 years old. I am most proud of my moral ethics. I have gained and earned more respect than money’s worth for my moral ethics in the way we cook, and provide substantial cooking for our clients. Health is very big for us. And our motto is food is the medicine and the medicine is the food. so We like to think we are healing our clients, then endangering their health conditions. We know how to cook for someone with breast cancer, chrons disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, lung cancer, sickle cell, and other health conditions. we all make the same meals, but not all are done the same way. that’s what separates us from a regular traditionally Caribbean restaurant. you walk in and get the food as it is. But with Jamaica home kitchen. You can call in and have it prepared in your own customized way and how you want it. that is what our brand is about. we cater more to our clients, than putting out what We feel is best. the best way to serve is through everyone’s taste buds and their specialized request through their diet restrictions and health conditions.

Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?

I have recently bought my own travel business. I am the CEO of Jamaica Home Food&Travels. I am a Certified Travel Agent, Specialized in Jamaican travel. I book clients trips anywhere in the world. My most recent and popular book is Jamaica. Clients love waking up on an island resort or a retreat in Jamaica, where they indulge in wonderful activities and awesome mouthwatering food tours. That I have put together for their vacation package. I bought this business, because travel was my first passion. And not only that. emerging the two together is an unique experience for me. seeing that everyone loves food and loves traveling the world. you can always connect with people of different cultural differences through food and traveling. those two passions are best when they are hand in hand. there’s alot of perks in earning off your own travels and bookings. so its great to see customers vacation photos and videos. when they come back talking highly about their first time traveling to the country of their dreams,

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Once I have a returning clients, I immediately make sure that they are aware that we are now family. I make sure they know that whether im giving them the service of a travel agent or a Personal Chef. that no matter what, their needs will always be met, and not on a standard level. but we ensure we always go over and beyond for our Clients. We always assure them that we care about their needs and we make it our priority that all their needs are met above satisfaction. its the best way to form and to keep a long lasting relationship. In the long run, that person can vouch for you and speak on behalf of your business, ensuring others the same treatment, so in business when you treat clients like family, they stay longer and it forms into a long term relationship than can transform also into great partnership in the future, you just never know. so its always good to be a great business owner, who values their clients opinions and interests.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dishdivvy.com/cook/-Mwcsuiynv9UuP6NENoz
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamaicahomekitchen
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jamaica.Hkitchen
• Youtube: Jamaica Home Kitchen
• Other: my business website: https://jamaicahomekitchen.godaddysites.com