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

VerShawn , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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.

Oh, boy! Where do I start? This journey has definitely been one for the books. When I step back and look at where I started to where I am right now, I can honestly say it took a village of folks to open Southern Dish 101. What I thought was rejection, when I was literally pushed out the door at a prior job, was clearly God’s redirection. I left that job not knowing what I would do next, but an army of friends surrounded me with pray. My children motivated me, and encouraged me to step out on faith and chase my wildest dream.

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

I am the Owner and Executive Chef of VMeals.net and the Owner of Southern Dish 101 located in Lancaster, SC. My journey started while attending Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC. I worked for Delaware North a company that was contracted with the Carolina Panthers and Sur la Table as a Kitchen Assistant. I graduated in 2016 and worked at PF Changs as a prep cook and later moved on to become the Sous Chef for a small restaurant in the Arboretum called Cajun Yard Dog. I later went back to work for the Carolina Panthers and quickly realized that as a single mother I needed a job closer to home (Fort Mill, SC). I applied at the Hilton in Rock Hill, SC as the sous chef and became the Food & Beverage Director. I was employed for 3 years and eventually left the company to better my career and start my own catering business. I have catered numerous events from elected officials, colleges, and organizations such as the United Way of Lancaster.

At Southern Dish 101, we aim to provide a fun and safe culinary learning experience where our customers can enjoy making our delicious Southern inspired recipes made with wholesome ingredients and sustainable proteins. Also, offering an elegant venue for special occasions by providing an atmosphere of intimate ambiance and our full-service catering services.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Definitely! My side hustle is now a full time business. I pivoted from a paralegal career to enter culinary school when I felt as if I needed to find purpose in life. My son, who was just a small boy at the time, told me that I needed to do what I love—-COOK! Now, I’m doing that and more at Southern Dish 101. The culinary center isn’t a restaurant. Instead, we are always doing something for the entire family to enjoy. From cooking classes, to cooking camps to pop-up events, we use food to foster a fun and educational atmosphere.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

I opened this business with an abundance of passion, but initially, not enough research about to how run the business. Let’s just say I had to overcome a huge learning curve when it came to taxes. Life is different when you are no longer W2 and are expected to keep up your own business taxes. My rude awakening came one morning when I woke up to an account that was $15K in the negative because of overdue taxes That was all the motivation I needed to put a team in place to help me. As a business owner, you can never be afraid to ask questions or to ask for help.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.southerndish101.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southerndish101
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southerndish101