Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lavonne Cimbak, owner-creator of Sage Bleu Catering, located in Hammond, OR, USA.

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

Sage Bleu Catering is a boutique-style​ catering and events business located on The Northern Oregon Coast. We help clients create menus and experiences that are elegant and effortless with ingredients and tastes to match.

We absolutely love to create one-of-a-kind​ ​​experiences for weddings, elopements, social events​,​ and everything in between.
Building menus is somewhat a personal testament to who is in the kitchen. It shows where the creativity starts (as a thought or idea), then the recipe really is pretty simple.

Each menu features fresh ingredients from local Oregon farms, the highest quality imported ingredients, attention to detail, and our special heavy dash of creativity.

We begin with what is most important to you, your guests, and the occasion itself. Our hope is that you can sit back, relax and enjoy the beautiful experience of the evening. Through pairing my passion for exceptional food with each thoughtfully prepared dish, I hope​ that you and your guests will have a full and happy belly!

Tell us about yourself

Life’s too short not to do what you love every day, day in and day out. After graduating college and working a numbers job for five years, I decided it was not the right fit and started on a path to where I am today. Starting in Hospitality at a young age, working in large high-end restaurants in Las Vegas, I really gained the knowledge on what true Hospitality service is and still holds those values today, which shows in everything that Sage Bleu does.

Through trial and error with small to large event planning, I found that the true passion for events was actually in the food itself. It feeds my soul to be in the kitchen creating beautiful dishes and trying new and exciting flavor combinations. To see the end result with all of the smiles around the table and the room, now that right there makes it all worth it.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My absolute biggest accomplishment is starting the business in one state, moving it to another,​ and creating it all over again to be even better. It is hard enough moving states, but to move the business, keep it going and have the clients find Sage Bleu through all my hard work online with the website design, SEO, and Google, now that is something to be proud about.

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

Elevating and delegating to grow the business to be more than just a sole entrepreneur. It is really hard to figure out where to start after going at it alone for all these years, but in order to grow, you must give up control and tasks to focus on your core passions and values.

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

First, just start. You absolutely do not have to be the best at it; if you just take the first step and start, you have already advanced further than most that have the idea but never act on it.

Second, be dedicated to your craft. It is more than a full-time​ job, it is your life, and you must be motivated and dedicated to helping​​ make it grow, to helping fulfill a need that your clients want, and to be motivated to keep at it.

Third, find a group that will motivate you to keep going even when you may feel like you don't have the energy to do so. There will be days you feel like throwing in the towel, but that always passes, and if you have a group to help keep you accountable, then you are much more likely to reach your goals.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Personal time is an absolute must! If you don't block time on your calendar to go on adventures, spend time with family and friends, take a hike,​ or whatever it is that you do, then you will burn out. Being burned out at all levels is the worst thing that you can do for your own mental health, even if it is just taking the afternoon off to veg out on the couch or go into the wilderness. It is an absolute must!!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://sagebleucatering.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sagebleucatering
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sagebleucatering/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lscottsd/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.