Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sophia “SJ” Thomas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sophia “SJ”, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I have been cooking since I was three years old. My mother taught me, my father taught me, and my grandfather taught me. I knew as soon as I could make my own five-cheese macaroni that I wanted to be a chef. When the pandemic hit our world, many of my friends were asking me how to make certain foods because their parents had to work. They wanted to be able to make their own foods. That’s how SJ Savory Kitchen started. Being only 12 years old at the time, I took a risk in starting my own business. With the help of my mom, it worked out!

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

My name is Sophia “SJ” Thomas and I am a teen chef. I have been cooking since I was 3 years old. When COVID-19 hit the world, I saw a challenge. I realized that kids who were at home during school hours, needed to know how to make meals for themselves.

Professional: I started SJ Savory Kitchen, a company that focuses on providing food recipes and tips to families. Since the start of the company, I have received praise from celebrity chefs such as: Rachel Ray, Carla Hall, and Sugar Chef! I have also received praise from Oscar winner, Octavia Spencer!

I also wanted families to be safe in the kitchen, so I started SJ Cookware. My first line of kitchen safety products include aprons, chef hats, mittens and pot holders.

Community: I am most proud of my work in giving back to the community. Both my parents are military Veterans (Captains) so I make it a point to work with Veteran non-profits to send care-packages to military overseas. I also gives to charities such as Victoria’s Voice and No Kid Hungry. Recently, I worked alongside my sister who is the National Ambassador for StandUp for Kids. We helped raise over $170, 000 in fundraisers to help combat youth homelessness.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think one of the ways I help build my reputation is by having integrity and what I do. My mom always emphasizes that if I’m gonna do it, do it the right way. I make up new recipes. If something does not come like I like it, I try a different approach. Cooking is from the heart. And it’s important for me to know that when I am feeding people they can taste the happiness in my foods. We work on presentation a lot. We want the food to look great on the plate and for it to look delicious!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

We have a social media strategy set up and we go over it monthly. Kids my age don’t get on Facebook, however I do have a Facebook page for the adults who have kids and may want to buy my products for their little chefs.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.Sophiajthomas.com
• Instagram: @sophiajthomas
• Facebook: Sophiajthomas
• Linkedin: Sophiajthomas

Image Credits
Raquel Riley Thomas