We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful LaKeisha Washington. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with LaKeisha below.
LaKeisha, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
I started selling plates as a struggling student with kids in 2015. I went from just having idea to executing the plan when I made $100 in about 2-3 hrs in one day! I sold some plates with dessert & a drink for $10. I delivered those plates as well. I’ve served alot of different races & cultures on my culinary journey.
I’m answering 2 questions. I got my 1st clients by word of mouth walking into a beauty salons/barbershop of people who served my kids and myself. Spoke with the owners of the shops; asked, If I were to start selling food would they support? They gave me the O.K. to start!! Today these people are still some of my biggest supporters!!
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 am Chef Kee Owner & Operator of Kee’s Kreative Kitchen. I am a certified Pastry Chef with a love for cuisine. I started selling plates in 2015 from my kitchen during the time I was attending C.ulinary I.nstitute of L.eNotre. To help where I was lacking income wise while raising my kids. In May 2019 I graduated Culinary school. I did my internship at Phil & Derek’s it has been up from there. I am now a well known Private Chef/Caterer that can help make any of your cuisine/pastry dreams come true! Lol! I personally think what sets me apart from other Chefs is that my crew is my Family; also the fact that I can bake as well. With my crew being My Spouse, My kids, & I everything we create is made with alot of love, patience, & care. This is not just my career of choice its my Passion! We treat it as such from the prepping, cooking, all the way up to planning. Your event gets our uninvited attention.
What I am most proud of to date in my culinary career is being able to have positive influence on my kids being someone they can look up to; Or even hire to cook for them. (They barely pay 😂) My daughter’s & My Niece keep me with new clientele. It’s not to many they think can out cook Me or make better banana pudding than Chef Kee. Lol! Which is one of my signature desserts. I am very, very proud of that! None of my kids for that matter.
The problems I solve for my clients is taking the stress of planning what everyone at their event has to dine on. Or just the stress of making time to do it.. on top of everything else that comes along with the planning of any event.
So if you’re ever in need of some delicious cuisine,or delightful desserts!
Call, text, or email Chef Kee’s
Phone: 832-805-9507
Email: [email protected]
Social platforms:
FB:Kee’s Kreative Kitchen
IG: @kees_kkc
Soon to be on Patreon
How did you build your audience on social media?
As we all know this building your social media presence; is something that is forever changing. Wheew chyle you have to stay in the know & I mean at all times. The algorithm is always evolving demanding that you do different things daily. We went from just posting cute pics, to doing a 30 sec lil video, to creating a whole 60 min live video! Ha!
It’s definitely not for the weak. I started off really slow on FB & IG like everyone else I didn’t know what I was doing. I would see people going viral from just pics & memes! And of course like many others I was intrigued. You know at first it was just FB, IG, & Twitter now we have Snapchat & TikTok. I’m sure there are probably more these are just entities I use & recognize. So you have to be on your A-Game at all times to gain new perspective; also to possibly gain new followers as well. Keeping up with whats trending, using whatever IG,FB, & TikTok suggests to get maximize likes, views,comments,and shares! I’m currently considered a Nano influencer. Which is a term I learned from a Ashleigh Warren a social media marketing strategist! She DM’d last year saying how good my page was/is and started ya know saying she could help me create what she thought I wanted. Which was growth, scaling my business, more views. I was like is this real; being that in this day & age people will scam you out of anything!! So of course I listened we talked alot via email. I did my research (due diligence) found out that she is definitely a real person who has coached, also helped numerous mega stars create some passive income & build their presence via social media. When I realized she was the real deal. I spent my coin to invest in Chef Kee. We often miss opportunities cause we talk ourselves out of them. Sooo I went ahead took a leap of faith & I have seen more engagement on my page in this year than I’ve seen in about 3 years . I’ve been on IG since 2012. So yea I was truly interested in making this another source of income. I’ve haven’t received a check yet! Just know I’m on my freaking way tho!!!
The best advice I can give is to do the work! For whatever goal you have in mind. It will not just fall in your lap. Feet to the pavement always remember when its seems like its to much the next level/blessing is on its way!!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
A story of resilience I have a few; I mean this one in particular just shows that being an Entrepreneur is not for the weak or faint at heart. When covid first started in 2019 my business immediately took flight! I mean took off; do you hear me!?! My name was ringing, people would see me and recognize me. I had created my own lil corner in Houston. I am very proud of that as well. I’ve feed some truly amazing people my clientele has skyrocketed. I was able to purchase a home, & afford the life I had been manifesting/praying for with my immediate Family 2019-2021 life was amazing! While Families & businesses were only able to have a certain number of customers/clientele inside of their establishments. Kee’s Kreative Kitchen & Catering was keeping them feed. Now here in 2022 we are still experiencing covid, monkey pox, and other different things that would surely depress or send most off the deep end. Businesses are back lacking, due to inflation, people are barely able to feed their families, let alone gas their cars up to go to work. I had even picked up a few jobs to actually go work for others; because of the recession we are experiencing. So I said all of that to saw that when your an Entrepreneur it will always be ups & downs! But if you are dedicated to whatever your passion is you will still prevail! Keep pushing small business owners. One day your small business will be a BIG business!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Kees_kkc
- Facebook: Kee’s Kreative Kitchen
- Other: TikTok: Chefkees13
Image Credits
Photo cred: Chef Kee’s