Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lisa Caldwell, Founder of Lisa Caldwell Your Kitchen Confidant, located in Brighton, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Hello, I am Lisa Caldwell, Your Kitchen Confidant. I work as a private chef & nutritionist, and educator. The clients who seek my private chef & nutritionist services have auto-immune diseases and diet-related illnesses. I also work with professional and recreational athletes. I also teach a range of online and in-person cooking classes in my home.
Tell us about yourself
From the age of 4, I vividly remember watching my grandfather preparing Thanksgiving dinner in his aqua-marine kitchen. I pestered him to help, so he taught me how to set the table formally. And I have been in love with food, cooking, and nutrition ever since.
I cooked for my family starting at age eight due to my mother's long-term battle with cancer. She couldn't keep up with the demands of a growing family and her own care, so I took over the kitchen. Due to my desire to perform at an optimum level in all of my athletic endeavors in high school, I studied nutrition on my own. The first book on nutrition that I read was "Eat to Win" by Dr. Robert Haas, the nutritionist for Martina Navratilova. Food became a whole new medium to me – it could be used to help me become a super athlete!
I decided to explore the culinary world and moved to Boston, MA, after college. After weighing out the pros and cons of going to culinary school, and with the input from friends, I decided to pass on culinary school, put my head down and work. And work I did, often two jobs at a time. After many years developing my craft and a stage in France, I saw my dream come true, and I rose to the rank of Executive Pastry Chef at The Chatham Bars Inn. After a few years of working at the executive level, I decided to wear my nutritionist hat and did so working as a Healthy Eating Specialist for Whole Foods Market.
It was with Whole Foods that I had the opportunity to host a cooking show for 1.5 years and teach people that healthy food doesn't need to taste as bad as it sounds. The world of food is vast. And my show focused on the many different foods that can be used to switch out processed ingredients for sound, whole ingredients that can contribute to one's health instead of degrading it.
I am motivated to contribute to people's overall sense of well-being through food. Sometimes it is in the form of a dairy-free cream sauce or a gluten-free baked good. Sometimes it is teaching them how to make French macarons, chocolates, pastries, or a 30-minute meal they made with a loved one. Whether I am delivering a meal or teaching, I take away the pleasure of providing someone with a new level of joy.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I have a few that stand out to me.... but still being in business after nine years is always going to be number one! Haha! Pivoting during COVID to teaching French Macarons online. Steadily growing my certified woman-owned business by 10-12% every year. Being considered to be one of the top personal chefs in Boston for the past seven years.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
There are many "hard" aspects of being a solopreneur. I guess the top one for me is making sure that my message and service resonate with the right people at the right time. I can study the market, use all the right words, and leverage the SEO analytics, but if the client isn't ready, they won't come.
I stand by my message and service, and I practice it too. But sometimes, I have to put the message by the wayside and serve the client what they want and need at that time. This establishes trust, which is what keeps them engaged and coming back.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Look back into your past. Find a moment (or twenty) where "everything worked out." Put all of them into your "back pocket" and move forward. When you are afraid or in doubt, feel into that back pocket for confidence. Smile and then keep moving forward. Negative situations are typically evolutionary catalysts. Give the dust time to settle, then you will see. Be kind to yourself during the building process. An entrepreneur's gains are measured in nano-seconds and moments. No matter what, it's progress nonetheless.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: http://www.lisaecaldwell.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaYourKitchenConfidant/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisayourkitchenconfidant/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kconfidant/
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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