Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jennifer Drew-Banister, founder of Bountiful Chef, located in Calgary, AB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Bountiful Chef is a personal chef service focusing on food as medicine. Our therapeutic chefs work with practitioners and clients who use specific diets and protocols to promote optimal wellness. Our cornerstone service is the personal chef service, in which we prepare weekly meals in-home for clients. We also cater private events that feed the soul. Our typical clients are busy professionals and young families.
Tell us about yourself
I saw a disconnect between dieticians/nutritionists and their patients and how that translates to the dinner table. A lot of clients that come to me may understand the concept of a diet or protocol they have been given to follow, but that doesn't always mean they know how to prepare those foods or have the time to do so. I particularly saw this in my father's treatment - he was given conflicting information, and in a lot of ways, conventional medicine gravely failed him. It is my dream and goal to help take the mystery out of what foods to eat and to help clients get away from medications and back to real food.
I am intensely motivated by the sheer need for this type of service. If our food sources were more focused on whole foods and preparing meals, then we as a people would be less burdened with disease and sickness.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishments are my clients' happiness. But, from a Founder's perspective, hiring my first independent contractors was a huge accomplishment - the moment that Bountiful Chef became more than "just me." I hosted the first company Christmas Party last year (2022), and it felt amazing to celebrate the people that helped me continue to make this business thrive.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The never-ending to-do list and the guilt that comes from taking time for myself! Having said that, I have only recently discovered that if I allow myself time off and a chance to step away, I come back stronger, more motivated, and inspired. I will say this as advice below, but it is one of the hardest things to do - take a step back to recharge when all you see is the huge list of things to do. It is because we never stop dreaming about what our businesses can be. And WE are the driving force behind that.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do. The. Thing. This was the advice given to me when I first started - when I felt like I needed more training, a certification. Or a fancy website or business cards... or... or...You have something worthwhile to offer the world. Trust in that.
- Trust that it will happen - things can happen quickly, but lasting change also happens over time.
- Take time for yourself. Running a business is all-encompassing. It is important to take time for yourself to take a step back and recharge so you can be fully present for your business and your clients and customers.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.thebountifulchef.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebountifulchef
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bountifulchef/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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