Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Wande Akinkuowo, Founder of Wanakin's Kitchen, located in Laurel, MD, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Wanakin's Kitchen is a private dining and catering business located in Laurel, Maryland. Our customers seek an experience just as much as the food, and that is where Chef Wande of Wanakin's Kitchen comes in.
Tell us about yourself
I started Wanakin's Kitchen after graduating from my Master's program. I struggled to find a job post-graduation and decided to meal prep to make some money to pay my bills. Meal prepping became a success, and clients started asking me to cater their events. I moved into the catering space and eventually got into private dining! Being better than I was the day before or the year before is what motivates me. Seeing my progress since starting in 2018 is what drives me. Cooking is also my passion, so that helps. I know I have a gift and affinity for this art, and I feel as though it is my duty to cultivate it.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is able to support myself with my passion. As a second-generation American, it is a very rewarding feeling to be a business owner. I watched my father establish a business that paid for my younger brother's college education cash. I feel accomplished to be walking in his footsteps.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing about being a business owner is believing in yourself, the vision, and sticking to the script. In the day-to-day, it looks like you're not getting anywhere, you experience setbacks that make you want to give up, and you question your abilities and skills, but you have to stay the course!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Choose the right kind of business: Cooking is taxing on the body; I'm looking for ways to productize my services so I don't have to physically be present to make income.
- Partnership: You can go further by collaborating with others.
- Invest in yourself: Go to a conference, read books in your niche, etc.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.wanakinskitchen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanakinskitchen
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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