We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rocio Segura a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rocio, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

Elise Cuisine is extremely blessed to have had an amazing team since day one. Elise worked with the St. Phillip Culinary Arts Program. Many students are seeking internships. I always knew that one of the main visions of Elise was to provide mentorship, guidance through Jesus Christ. The hiring process was my favorite part actually. Many are nervous, but truly it is a humbling moment for both sides. God has shown me that it is not what they can do for the company or myself but what I can do to serve them. Many come with traumatic backgrounds and yet don’t know how to be set free from it all. It affects any job that they will ever work in. We are asking for great communication skills but many including myself where not taught this at home due to fear and insecurities. At the beginning of the hiring process of Elise, I was looking for “qualifications.” Where they knowledgeable in baking, cooking, customer service etc. Did they have years of experience because in my knowledge and what I was taught in the hiring, this was very important. Oh boy was I wrong! That is when the chef I had hired left unexpectedly, I needed to jump in the kitchen and start cooking. The word of God says in Psalms 144:1 “Blessed be the Lord, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.” From grilling chicken to flipping an egg, He taught me. I thank God for His grace. As I did not do this at the beginning of the hiring, now it is my high priority to follow the voice of the Lord.

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

My name is Rocio E. Segura and I am the owner and founder of Elise Cuisine in San Antonio, Texas. I grew up in the restaurant industry. I was a paralegal for over 8 years. After a challenging divorce, I left the office and began to work in the family restaurant. This was my personal boot camp. I was broken hearted, confused, stagnant, prideful, fearful and physically sick. God began to work in my heart.I was weighing at the time 260 pounds, sciatic nerve complications and chronic pain. I started the plant based diet, known as the Daniel Consecration. God began to team me plant based recipes and gave me the strength to exercise my body. Through the years, I have been able to loose over 100 lbs and maintain it. No more sciatic or chronic pain, all Glory be to God. At Elise, we have many customers that come in with chronic pain, sickness and brokenhearted. My testimony is a beautiful story of restoration. The blood of Jesus Christ healed me. I get to share it with our customers as well as providing a healthier lifestyle they can all enjoy.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

God has been intentional since day 1 for my life and Elise Cuisine. He is Jehovah Jireh, my provider. He provided and has continued to financially provide for everything. God has used many of His vessels to sow into Elise Cuisine. He has used my incredible parents, friends, ministries and other angels He continues to send to sow into Elise. My mentor at the time said “write down your monthly budget, thank God for the provision and overflow and thank Him that He has already provided.” Grace started Elise, Grace provided for Elise, Grace will sustain Elise Cuisine.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Striving and leaning into my own understanding. I am the oldest of 3. I had to take care of my younger sisters because my parents had 2 to 3 jobs at the time. They worked so hard and left me in charge of my younger sisters. My parents worked for hours, days, months, years. Thats all their parents taught them. Strive and you will succeed, strive and you will pay your bills, strive and you will have the debt collectors off your back. Oh what God has taught me in the last 3 years. The word of God says “Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth. Proverbs 3:5-6 God is the creator of all things, He did it so perfectly. Here I was believing in my own strength, striving and not acknowledging and recognizing that its ALL HIM! I repented and asked God to intervene. He did and He has. There is truly a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elise_cuisine_
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Elisecuisinesatx/
• Other: https://www.porvidasa.com/Restaurants

Image Credits
Credits to Elise Cuisine