Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carlton Brown, President and Founding Owner of Occasional Occasions by Carlton, located in Atlanta, GA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are a full-service, off-premise catering company in Atlanta, GA. We specialize in upscale boutique-style catering of contemporary southern cuisine. We also have launched a line of savory cheesecakes for purchase at Cheesecakes by Carlton. With the pandemic, we pivoted our business and launched an e-commerce condiment line of gourmet bbq sauces, ketchup, jams, jellies, and seasonings at Bon Appetit Y‘all®. Our product is available for individual purchase of products, or as a subscription program. We cater to both corporate and private clients in the metro Atlanta market and across the country with our Bon Appetit Y'all and Cheesecakes by Carlton brands.

Tell us about yourself

I’m an award-winning Chef and owner of Occasional Occasions by Carlton Catering and Bon Appetit Y’all®, Sassy Sauces, Seasonings, Sweets, and Savories. You might be surprised to know that I grew up with parents whose lives revolved around stirring, mixing, and seasoning for the masses. My mother was a home economics teacher, and my father was a cook in the United States Marine Corp. Despite that, growing up, I never really had any desire to be in the kitchen, let alone cook!

That all changed on my final tour of duty in the U.S. Air Force. I was stationed in England and roomed with a Staff Sergeant whose exquisite taste and skills in table service dazzled me into becoming a server at the Base Officers Club. That experience piqued my curiosity about cooking and the world of culinary. It was my lack of cooking skills that later was the catalyst of my enrollment into Culinary School. That was when the Foodie bug hit me, and my life hasn’t been the same since.

Over the years, cooking has unequivocally become a true passion of mine. I love creative combinations of flavor profiles that are unexpected. When I see an unusual pairing on a restaurant’s menu, it's like a challenge, and I have to try it. These are the traits that have folded over into Bon Appetit Y’all® and Pantry Picks®. The freedom and the ability to express my creativity through food is why I became a small business owner and why I decided on entrepreneurship. I've owned my business for over 28 years now, and I wouldn't trade being a small business owner for anything else. It makes my heart beat very happy.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I would have to say that beating the odds and staying in business for over 28 years, especially through the pandemic. I'd also have to say that some of my biggest accomplishments have been the relationships, both corporate and private, that I've created over the years, and to see how those relationships have helped my business grow tremendously.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Believing in yourself and listening to your gut. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely world, and you are faced with decisions every day concerning things that you don't know. You don't know what you don't know. So you have to trust yourself and make hard decisions at times.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Relationships are so important. You can only market your business so much, but to build relationships and to have those help tell the world about what you do is amazing. Relationships can open doors that you never fathomed entering into.
  2. Create the image of your business from day one as if you were a million-dollar company. That means investing in your website, logo, and branding—even your email signature. You are more likely to get business from a corporate entity if your email is associated with a web presence versus a Gmail or yahoo account. I've had well-established catering companies decline to want to work with me as a sole entrepreneur, mainly because my website and company image made me appear to be a threat to them. I think that's a good thing. As a caterer, anyone can sell chicken, but it's how you present that chicken that will determine whether your clients are members of the parking lot committee at church or CEOs and major corporations who are looking for excellence. People with money mostly want to do business with companies that appear to be well-established.
  3. If you can't afford a business coach, try to find someone in your industry that would be willing to mentor you. You don't know what you don't know, and a business coach or mentor can guide you through unforeseen obstacles. My business coach has contributed to so many aspects of my success in unimaginable ways and has even changed my mindset from a sole entrepreneur to the owner of a million-dollar company. Stay tuned for the million-dollar company. I wouldn't trade her for the world.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://occasionaloccasionscatering.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefCarltonB
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ChefCarltonB/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChefCarltonB
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chefcarltonb/

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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