We were lucky to catch up with Tori Ruff recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tori, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

A risk that I can note I’ve taken in the past will have to be resigning from my 9-5. It was the most scariest yet exhilarating experiences for me. I didn’t know much about my next step, only that Ive grown sick and tired of the everyday blues of staying somewhere that no longer served me. Oftentimes we let the fear of the unknown hinder us from tapping into the things that light us up on the inside. There are days where I am still afraid but I can honestly say that I took a chance on myself. For that, I’ll always be proud I took that risk

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?

As a kid, I would always watch my mom and grandma cook dinner for home and family gatherings. I was Ashley’s drawn to the kitchen and enjoyed watching them cook, and assisting when necessary. I love watching Rachel Ray’s show “30 minute meals”, to see the pretty colors of the veggies and herbs and all of the different oils/ butters used to create dishes that we all love is what drawn me into what I do today. I’m a caterer and private chef specializing intimate dinners and gatherings. If I can identify myself it would have to be a mixture of Style, wine family/friends and food lover. I am most proud of the impact I leave on clients, as I always had returners. For me, it’s more about the relationships I build with them more than anything else. Treat people with dignity and respect and you have yourself a good thing going.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started posting on Instagram reels of often. One of my Mac and cheese recipes went viral and it’s been history ever since. A piece of advice I would to those to just starting is to embrace the journey and don’t think to much into creating. Just do whatever it is you love to do and the creatives will speak for itself. Always have good lighting and make sure your content is clear and informative/engaging.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Being personable! And producing quality work. People want to feel that they’re spending their money on meaningful things. It’s important to create a space where clients/customers feel like they’ve made i great investment. Because they did.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @urbancuisinellc