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

Tammy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

Many days I wish I could have started my business as it is now sooner, however, when I really think about it, it has all come as it should have. There are days that I feel the time I spent opening a brick and mortar was time I could’ve been building this business. In retrospect, I realize that the brick and mortar restaurant was an invaluable learning experience that has helped me start and grow into what I am doing now.

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?

LuLu’s Catering and Events has come from quite the journey. I grew up on a farm in a small rural Southern town learning to cook at my Grandmothers elbow while standing on a dining table chair. She cooked three square every day for family and farm hands rarely measuring anything. Fast forward to now, I cook frequently the same way, which makes it hard to develop actual hard copy recipes. I moved to Atlanta after high school to attend the latest and greatest computer technical school receiving a degree in computer science for business with a minor in business administration. I have worked fast food, mom and pop places, retail, hotel/motel and medical offices but I have always gravitated back to food. Working with food allows me to be creative on so many levels, one big artful science experiment that tastes really good when you are done. My father was a commercial artist and I have always been interested in art and creative endeavors which working with food has allowed me to do. I really really love a theme for an event. So when a client gives me a color palette, or a flavor profile, or an actual theme related to something that is special to them, I take it and run with it. I thrive with the challenge and enjoy it so much. With LuLu’s you not only get delicious food, you get an experience we have crafted together for you and your guests.

Have you ever had to pivot?

There have been just so many “pivots” in life in general. Working in the food industry allowed me to make a living, lots of times meager but pay the rent and flex hours around school, raising a child, divorce, rebuilding a life, all the hard things. Since my degree is in business, I thought that was the way I wanted to go but finding that when life reared it’s ugly side, I could always fall back on something in the food industry. Working with food has always come natural and easy for me. But let me clarify, it may come easy but by no means is it easy. Working in the food and event industry is extremely hard work and you put in many hours that no one ever sees but it is extremely rewarding. I find we all must pivot daily either in business, career or life and the one constant that has always been around to help me out of the hard times has been working with food and enjoying all the interesting people along the way.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I have had quite the obstacles to over come along the way. I am a survivor. I am a survivor of domestic abuse by not one but two different relationships. You think you are smarter than that but in most instances it tends to slip up on you and you find yourself in the middle of it before you even realize what’s happening. I am a big advocate against domestic abuse. Then there was the one thing that everyone dreads to hear – I had breast cancer. I managed to find it early through self exam and get it removed before it had spread. I have been cancer free for 16 years but stay vigilant, always. I am also a big advocate against breast cancer. I can’t stress enough how important it is to be aware and check yourself and talk to your doctors. Keeping a positive attitude and making up my mind that there just was so much more to life helped keep me on track. Managing to over these obstacles makes anything that the business world can throw at me a piece of cake.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.luluscateringandevents.com
• Instagram: lulus_catering_and_events
• Facebook: LuLu’s
• Other: Threads: lulus_catering_and_events