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

Sydney, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I’m really stubborn and when I want something I will get it. Growing up I lived in a small town, with an extremely restrictive religion, and my parents worked a lot. Although the church I grew up in didn’t allow or endorse many behaviors, including musical instruments, dancing, sports, and really anything I considered to be fun. I really had a strong sense of independence at a young age and realized I did not want to stay where I was for the rest of my life, I wanted adventure, passion, and purpose. Having businesses really gives me the ultimate sense of passion and purpose. I sometimes wonder how an employee thinks, what they want, and how I should position myself when I hire. At seventeen, I was an independent contractor and was already my own boss working with modeling agencies since I never wanted an agent to manage me I’d have to manage myself completely, book my own jobs within agencies, and handle all my financial data surrounding it. When I did become an employee was actually when I learned to cook, I got a job at the best restaurant to study it in hopes it would help me when I started my own business, which was my ultimate goal. I remember a specific situation where I told my boss I would be traveling internationally, I thought that you just tell the boss and go. I looked at the schedule the week before I was leaving and was surprised to see my name. I asked my boss, “Hey, why am I on the schedule?” Looking at me with a pretty dumbfounded look, he said, “You need to request time off.” I still went on my vacation, but I was still confused as to why I wouldn’t just do what I wanted. Why should I have to go through some system when I told someone exactly what I was going to do? I worked as an employee at a couple of restaurants, a massive catering company, and a quick-service spot, all with very unique skills to learn. The entire time I was an employee my goal was to open a food business, so I don’t know that I was treating it like a regular job ever. I’m happiest when I’m in control and have the freedom to do as I wish. Not of others, but of my life. I try to treat my employees the same, that I understand it’s a job for them and if they have other interests they should explore those while working with me. We give our employees learning opportunities, including travel for learning and research, Masterclass subscriptions, and give them other roles in the business that they want to explore. For example, maybe they don’t LOVE cooking as I do. If someone I hired enjoys photography, writing, paddle boarding, etc. We will try to come up with events or roles for them to explore that involve the brand.

Sydney, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got into my industry by just wanting so badly to cook. One day I asked myself what I would do if money wasn’t an issue. I wanted to cook. Cooking can be one of the hardest, low-paying, exhausting passions someone could have. I think going into it without a lot of expectations actually helped me succeed. When I got into professional kitchens there were a lot of preconceived ideas about what’s possible as a chef. I noticed a lot of people talk down about their own position. Even watching the show BEAR on Hulu recently I saw some of those hints. The idea that harassment, constantly pilling of bills, disorganization, and drugs-filled kitchen are normal does not have to be the case. My parents were super worried about me becoming a chef. I had this idea in my head that I could make this something I am successful at and that I’m passionate about.

Now as a private chef things are a little different. All my business is from word-of-mouth marketing directly from my clients to others. I made a point to not use “introductions” when I started. it wasn’t a friend, peer, or partner who made any intro since I wanted to have a blank canvas when proving my worth as a private chef. This works since when I am the product, I can’t make more of myself, so I just raise my prices as I get busier. I started as someone who cooked for regular clients in the home, so a consistent day-to-day schedule and events. I have become in high demand since then. I turn down many requests to travel with clients which I wish I could say yes to. Then when I opened my restaurant I focused on more one-off events that I could handle. Once I get more people hired at the new location I will take on some more of my old clients and possibly new ones. I think my favorite part about that is going back to my parents and showing them a chef can be a very lucrative and successful career in more ways than one. If anyone wants to hire me it’s going to cost over $1000 for the most basic service, I structure it that way because I am so busy these days.

I’m also attending the University of Texas online right now, so that has filled up my schedule even more. I actually dropped out of college when I was in my second year since other things in life taught me so much. Recently, I decided to go to law school, another thing I’m passionate about that is stressful work. In order to go to law school, I need a BA degree though so my time has been even more restrained. I think that’s really what sets me apart, I’m constantly learning. When I tell people I’ve only been cooking professionally for four years it’s pretty crazy, even to me. I have a lot to learn, but I dedicate so much of my time to doing more and I enjoy being busy. I’ve been told by many clients about the differences between what I do and what others do. I don’t trust nearly any chef in Austin with my top clients. I also help clients beyond just cooking, I manage their diets when they travel, help them build out kitchens, build out advanced ordering sheets, get their kitchens highly organized, and build out books for their estates (including recipes, property features, local guides, and more.) I also create systems for other chefs in the event of my departure so they don’t need to completely retrain someone.

My restaurant Plant Box is more of an experiment for me. I actually went into it thinking a lot about failing since everyone says that will happen when you start to tell people. I used the lowest starting budget. I told myself if it fails, I’ll start over. I wanted to understand every aspect of how to run a restaurant at a lower cost. I would hate to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into something that didn’t work. With Plant Box, I am able to test ideas and learn. Fast-casual is a much easier barrier to entry and more profitable than other more creative types. I noticed that a Michelin chef I worked for, and many others, often opened a fine dining experience first, then started opening bars, fast-causal, and bakeries. They are far easier to expand and less intense work. We do offer a unique menu of 100% Vegan Asian-inspired cuisine. We test a lot of different ideas and eventually once I get all our systems tight, I want to expand to other markets and learn about that process. I also am at the point where a few others and I might be launching a new concept in 2023 or 2024.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

With funding, I think a lot of people don’t know where to start. Unless you have super generous people around with lots of money or your own savings, bet on yourself. I know people invest in me in many ways because they see how dedicated I am to what I do. DO NOT think you’ll open a business and not be heavily involved in it. You should find people who are good are what you are not and show investors how much you care about THEIR money. I know a lot of sour relationships because of a lack of expectations from different parties so have a clear idea of what the money will do. I actually think the number one thing I’ve learned from taking money is understanding how much I will need for bigger projects and what the uses for the funds will be focused on. I really didn’t need much, I did start my food business with the lowest possible amount I could. I used the business to fund itself and paid myself nothing for the first year (I have other income though) we didn’t even finish the kitchen after we had already been open for months, and even now I’m still adding slowly using the bare minimum we need.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I love books that show me the dark side or close calls. I think a lot of people leave a business or close because they are constantly solving issues. That IS what running and owning a business is. You must love challenges and fall in love with finding solutions for everything because that is 95% of what I do. You must be optimistic about what is possible when things seem unsolvable. Think ahead a great deal, watch markets, have a plan, and know what might cause issues. Here are a few books I love and why. “That will NEVER work” by Marc Randolph, this book is one of my favorites because it’s written in a very first-hand way and explains the story of Netflix, a company we all know of. They had so many issues along the way that most people don’t get to hear about. Of course, many people told the founder that Netflix will never work. The “Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One” by Jim McKelvey, a co-founder of Square also goes over their struggles and unique positions to get where they are. The “E-Myth” by Michael E. Gerber and “Restaurant Success By the Numbers” by Roger Fields, both are good for looking at the operations and financials of a food business. One more fun read is “Fascinate” which talks about how to brand yourself based on WHO you are and not what you think you need to be. I also love learning on Masterclass and Youtube I watch a lot of videos from MIT, Stanford, and Harvard. There’s really so many amazing books on start-ups I can’t name them all.

Contact Info:

• Website: untamedchef.com, eatplantbox.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untamed.chef/

Image Credits
Mykeala Chowritmootoo @snapsbyagirl