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How to remain a clients Top pick as a chef through life's milestones with Chef Vakhara
92 Plays4 years ago
Chef Vakhara is the owner of Indulgent Occasion for over 2 decades. She started cooking as a little girl with her grandmother. She lives by the saying "you are what you attract". We’ve been working together for over a decade. I’ve photographed all her 3 kids birthdays and now they are grown. Vakhara has the most amazing energy and she treats every client like family. We talk about how to remain a clients top pick as a chef through life’s milestone celebrations.
Some highlights in this episode:
Vakhara made the most money in 2020, say what! She talks about her morning routine and mantra. She is a consultant that sells "The Dream Event". Her eyes and ears are always open. When she first started, she took copious notes after working at an event. She calls it "picking up game". You can find Vakhara here:
https://www.indulgentoccasions.com/
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Transcript
Introduction and Background of Guests
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey guys, today I chat with Chef Baquera, owner of Indulgent locations for over two decades. We've been working together for over a decade. I photograph all her three kids' birthdays and now they're grown. She has the most amazing energy and she treats every client like family. We talk about how to remain a client's top pick as a chef through life's milestone celebrations. Enjoy!
00:00:25
Speaker
Welcome to Get a Heck Yes with Carissa Wu. I'm your host, Carissa, and I've been a Los Angeles wedding photographer for over a decade. I've traveled the world, built my team, and seen it all. I now coach wedding photographers hit 10K a month and build a thriving business. In this podcast, we are going to deep dive into how top wedding creatives get that heck yes from their dream clients.
Unlocking Potential in the Wedding Industry
00:00:46
Speaker
We are not holding back on the struggles of the business and how to push through the noise. Some healthy hustle, mindset shifts, up-leveling your money story,
00:00:54
Speaker
Time hacks because I'm a mom of two, a little bit of woo-woo, and most importantly, self-love and confidence are just a few of the many things we will talk about. I want to give you a genuine thank you for following along my journey. I hope to inspire you every Woo Wednesday so that you say heck yes to listening to this podcast. See you guys soon.
Culinary Journey and Teaching Experience
00:01:16
Speaker
How are you doing, by the way?
00:01:18
Speaker
Great, I'm really good. Feeling good, ready to like, you know, go into this week. Saturday and Sunday I was booked with events and it was just like kind of, and that's why I picked the topic. It's like my clients both tipped me very generously. It was just like when you provide top-notch service, like it exuberates in everything that you do. Your clients can feel that you're going above and beyond.
00:01:45
Speaker
you know, because they know that like, I'm passionate about it. They say that like, you are what you attract, you know, and, you know, when someone can't like, kind of get on your wavelength, and you kind of like, they kind of get buffered out, you know, if someone's not like on a, you know, kind of like, like high end kind of,
00:02:05
Speaker
like, natural, like, family kind of status, those are, that's like your clientele. They're kind of like a reflection of you, you know, they like nice things, they like nice pictures. So like, that's, I think it's kind of, kind of gets, I see the same kind of similarities in my business as well, you know,
00:02:29
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. You are what you attract. I love that. Everyone, this is Chef Vakara, and we know each other for over a decade. And she runs a catering company with her sister, Rakara. And yeah, so I'm not going to tell the bio about you, but I wanted to for you to tell the bio in your own words. So I'm Chef Vakara, you can call me Chef B for short, this will be easier.
00:02:51
Speaker
I've been a chef for almost 20 years now, and I've worked in many capacities. I've worked in two boutique hotels. I've had a partnership in a restaurant. I've worked as a private chef. I've taught both professional and recreational cooking courses, recreational for nonprofit organizations, specifically geared towards children, like Boys and Girls' Cubs, Peace for Kids. I've worked with autistic
00:03:20
Speaker
children and also developmentally disabled. So that's like where, that's what I really enjoy is I love working, I love working with children. So I'm glad my job has allowed me to do that. I have three children of my own. They're now 10, eight and six years old. So after I had my children, I wasn't, I'm not able to do as much
00:03:46
Speaker
giving back and donating my time as I'd like to because if I'm working with other children, someone has to take care of my kids. So sometimes it just doesn't make sense, but I do try to do as much of that as possible. And lastly, under the Chef umbrella, I provide catering services.
00:04:06
Speaker
So I cater events, any type of event, wedding, birthday parties, dinner party for two, you know, dinner party for 1500 people. So, you know, I feel that I'm really well versed and I have a huge arsenal of skills that I bring to any event or occasion that I do.
00:04:28
Speaker
First of all, your kids are gorgeous. Thank you. And I love photographing them. They're so beautiful. And secondly, how did you get started with cooking? Was it always something that you did since you were little? So I've always enjoyed cooking when I was little. I can remember as far back as like probably five years old and I would help my grandmother, my mother's mom.
00:04:52
Speaker
She was a preschool teacher and she worked a full-time job, but she also would always prepare all the meals in the house. There was no eating out back in the 80s. You ate at home, so I couldn't eat a cake probably every Sunday. I remember in the kitchen stirring with her, she's one of those grandmothers that allowed me
00:05:13
Speaker
I'll say us, me and my twin sister, because my sister was right there with me a lot of the time. So if you hear me reference plural, like, oh, I'm talking about my sister. But anyhow, she would let us stir in the kitchen, lick the beaters.
00:05:29
Speaker
this really just explore. And so I think that's where the love for food and the passion came from cooking. And then I also had a very colorful upbringing. My grandmother was half Irish, so we had anywhere from Irish cuisine, Chinese, Latin American food. So I had a lot of exposure. I never grew up thinking that I would become a chef. I wanted to be a journalist, broadcaster. In my early 20s, I loved
00:05:59
Speaker
having friends over and making like orders for them and cocktails. I was looking through a food magazine, like a gourmet magazine or a can of what it was. And in the back of the magazine, there's advertisements. So there was an advertisement for culinary school. And I showed my sister because she's like my confidant. She kind of like, look, there's like an advertisement for Cordon Bleu. It's local, it's in Pasadena. She's like, you should call.
00:06:27
Speaker
So I literally pick up my cell phone at the moment, call, and then the person who answered the phone, his name was Tim. I'll never forget. Hi, this is Tim with Cordon Bleu. I said, Oh, I'm the care. I'm interested in your program. We didn't talk. We talked for maybe two minutes. He said, Oh, come on down. See, that's a great sales tactic. You know, getting the person to just learn the podcast. It's about sales. So two days later, I went in for a tour.
00:06:56
Speaker
Two weeks later, I started culinary school and never turned back. Like a two-year program, graduated with an A8 degree.
00:07:06
Speaker
And it was just amazing at the time I was working in real estate, doing really well. I was doing so well that I thought, Oh, I'm going to retire by the time I'm 25. But see the young mentality, I had saved up enough money to put myself through culinary school because I learned very early on that you'd hardly make any money in this field unless you're a business owner, the executive chef at an establishment, but beyond or working privately, those three things.
00:07:31
Speaker
So upon graduating from culinary school, I got my first, I got an internship and the internship turned into a position as a pastry cook. So I was very fortunate to have my first position be a five-star, five-diamond hotel, the Raffles, Laramish Hills, and then they ended up honoring me. And so then, yeah, I loved what I did. It was a small boutique hotel, very,
00:08:00
Speaker
intricate desserts and pastries. We worked with the finest chocolate. We made ice cream, you name it. But I wasn't making enough money. So the entrepreneur in me thought, hmm, I'm going to make some business cards. And on my business card, I'm going to put private chef and caterer because that's what I inspire to be. And I did that. And that's how I got my start.
Catering Business and Family Collaboration
00:08:22
Speaker
So how did your sister get involved?
00:08:25
Speaker
So, um, you know, uh, out of culinary school was working the boutique hotel. And then I thought, where can I go from here? There was advertisements. I remember at culinary school was like, we'll think we'll think puck catering, patina catering. Those are really hot. Those are really popular caterers at the time and they had on call jobs. So I just called up and did an on call couple, a few on call jobs. I think I did a handful, like maybe no more than 10. And when I saw.
00:08:52
Speaker
And when I went there and I saw what they did, you know, there was like, I think Wolfgang Puck did the Golden Globes every year. So I would go and there would be like, let's say, 50 person kitchen staff, and then they would bring in all the servers with the jackets. And it was just like,
00:09:11
Speaker
working like a machine. I was instantly sold. I was instantly inspired. So I had no equipment, really no experience. But every time I was done with one of those on-call events, I would take my notebook out and jot down notes. This is what I need. I need a rolling rack. I need ovens because they totally built out kitchens. So what do you need to facilitate that? A rental company. So then I would look at the rental company. Oh, it's
00:09:41
Speaker
so-and-so party rentals shot that down. I would see a produce box, West Central Produce shot that down. So now I've got the rental company, I bought the produce company, you know, a slew of other vendors. It's like just kind of picking up game. Wow. There's a quote that I remember. There was a chef that I work with. I was a sous chef at another, a secondary hotel and
00:10:07
Speaker
I managed a kitchen staff and he told me something and we didn't really get along. He was like a jerk. He was an alcoholic because a lot of these issues or whatnot and that was his issue. He would get in my face and yell at me and I'm one of those people like, you can just talk to me. He walked me around the kitchen. He says, you need to walk through here with your eyes and your ears open.
00:10:29
Speaker
So just maintaining the staff, making sure they're clocked in, they're on the line, that's not good enough. You need to walk through the kitchen and look for like any rat droppings or any mold buildup or any hazards like glass or whatnot. So walking through life with your eyes and ears open, even when certain things don't pertain to you because you can learn from many different experiences. So that might take away. So although sometimes relationships are not, um,
00:10:59
Speaker
ideal, I believe that people have things to offer and you have to walk through life with your eyes and ears open and be a sponge and take the good and also take the bad and then you have to figure out how you're going to apply that into your own life and you being the best, you being the best professional that you can be.
00:11:19
Speaker
You're amazing. I think the first time I worked with you is for like one of your friends, baby showers, but everything was just perfectly made and you guys like so professional and you guys look like you're so passionate about it. And I could just, you know, feel that passion oozing out of you. And just like you speaking to me, I just feel crazy excitement and you've been doing it for over 12 years. I think almost, I think like maybe 19. Oh my God.
00:11:47
Speaker
So who is your client? What would you say your woo factor is? I call it my woo factor. What makes you special? What makes me special and what sets me aside from the next person? Yeah, you probably know so easily. But how about when you first started? Was there something like an ah-ha moment, which is it just customer service or your presentation? Now you do so many celebrities, and you got it going on after all these years, but maybe more in the beginning.
00:12:15
Speaker
You know, the aha moment is I bring to an event with any situation I'm in, the happiness
00:12:24
Speaker
the confidence, the energy. And so at the event, if my client is not giving me a hug and a kiss and saying, that's one of the best meals I've ever had, or if not the best meal I've ever had, or you're just amazing, those type of compliments, then I feel like I haven't done my job. It's like my clients become my friends and my family. I think there's maybe been one or two situations where a client has given me feedback, but I have to take it in the positive way that it's meant.
00:12:52
Speaker
because we're not perfect. We do the best that I can, but you can take that and just get better and to work out the kinks and work out the small areas that need an adjustment.
00:13:07
Speaker
For me, the aha moment or the wow moment is when I get that go back directly from the client, especially because it's a small business order, when they compare you to other caterers or chefs that they've worked with. So yes, and coming from a client who's even older than me, and I know they have had experience with travel and having people come into their home and business execs, people who've really just seen some really nice things,
00:13:36
Speaker
That's the, and then another option is when you get that big fat check, but we know that, you know, leading up to the day, there's lots of, you know, preparation and consulting. So like now, if you ask me what my title is, although I talked about, you know, doing all these things under the chef umbrella.
00:13:54
Speaker
I call myself a shelf consultant because I have to consult with people before I can even go out. I've got to sell them, I've got to sell them the dream before they buy it. Wow. So what is the dream? So the dream is me. Um, me, uh,
00:14:13
Speaker
making their vision for their event to fruition. My sister by my bit my other side of our company, she's the event producer for our company. And how my sister came into play is that a lot of times clients would have events, and then they will want all this decorum and all these different things. And, you know, me being back at the house, I cannot facilitate the front and the back. So I said, Rick era, do you think that you you could be the event coordinator coordinator on this? And
00:14:40
Speaker
handle the rentals and all the logistics, and it was just the perfect position for her. I know that I sound- Okay, so you guys do both services. Both services, but we don't always work together. So a client may sometimes only need an import nation. They may not need food services because they're
00:15:00
Speaker
having their been at a hotel and they don't allow an outside vendor to provide food services or they may want to do like a hot dog on a stick truck or something of that sort. If it's not as upscale for the food, they want maybe more fun things or a food truck. So a lot of times we don't work together and many times we do. And so I was talking about that, although I seem very vocal and comfortable in my arena,
00:15:29
Speaker
you know, the interactions with the client, she usually takes the lead and I step aside and she says, let me go talk to the client. For instance, if some clients are difficult, typically, like maybe in a more corporate setting or like production, sometimes there's problems with payment, payments are slow. She says, let me handle it. She's got the right and gets it
00:15:52
Speaker
you know, gets things moving, you know, why don't we have a check-in? You set the wrong things, let me talk to them. And she gets it done. So it's a great, it's a great balance. She's the boss. Yeah, she's the boss. You guys make a great team. What is like the favorite events that you like to work at? And what was one of your favorite events that you've ever catered for?
00:16:17
Speaker
So I think my favorite events are the more intimate events with families, especially families that have children. I love staying relevant. How do I remain a client's top pick as a chef through life's milestone events, such as a birthday party, an engagement party, a wedding, anniversary, and retirement?
00:16:44
Speaker
And then, you know, in some situations, even like memorials and repasses, I'm gonna be the person that people call throughout these events that are occurring in their family. So like a birthday party or an engagement, it's just so beautiful. Sometimes I've almost got like a, I'm happy too. I just remain professional keeping on that. And I'm truly really happy.
00:17:11
Speaker
You know, the way that I'm presenting food and preparing food is with great integrity and passion and gracefulness. And I'm preparing it like I would make it for like my own family, my own grandmother, my own children. And the client can hold that, you know? And then, you know, when I'm leaving in the evening, I try to leave not missing turning over any stone or cleaning up or making sure things are left the way that I found them.
00:17:40
Speaker
And in most cases, even better than so that the client doesn't have to go, Oh, now there's a cleanup after the catering company has left. No, we've covered it all, you know, at your service.
00:17:51
Speaker
or sometimes when they're shining around, well, this needs to be done. I can do it. I can do attitude. Take your emotions out. Don't give 100% effort. Give 150% effort. It not only wows the client, it makes you full get on the inside. And I want to do a job that really does.
00:18:10
Speaker
Yes. At the end of the day, I like to feel good. I think that's why me and you have stayed in business for so long, but I give in brides my shoes and I have fixed their eyelashes and I held their hand when they're crying. I'm sure you've done a lot of different things in the past 20 years, but we're going to get to our hot topic, which I'm sure you touched upon already.
00:18:34
Speaker
The top topic today is pretty much how to be the top chef in all of these milestones throughout their lives.
00:18:43
Speaker
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00:19:11
Speaker
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Work Ethic and Daily Routines
00:19:30
Speaker
Oh, okay. What type of standard
00:19:32
Speaker
are you providing? Is it gold, bronze, or silver? We'll just kind of categorize it like that. And then what are you doing to stay relevant and innovative? So I think that I've kind of rambled on and talked about this briefly. But yeah, so let's start off with your work ethic.
00:19:51
Speaker
Yeah, how do you love it personally and professionally? How are you starting your day? You know, you know these days yoga meditation those are you know, very important so maybe starting your day off with the mantra like saying like
00:20:09
Speaker
If you're a procrastinator, for instance, I don't procrastinate, you know, maybe saying, I am honest and trustworthy. So you get those good vibes going. And then there, you gotta have routines. So your routine may be, if you're working from home, as I do very often,
00:20:24
Speaker
like making your bed, opening up the blinds, lighting your candle, getting your coffee going, getting dressed so that you're ready for the day and any curve ball that's going to be thrown at you. I'm a mom of three and like if my kids aren't in school, especially like during COVID, they're at home zooming,
00:20:44
Speaker
that's an extra curve ball that's thrown my way, because now I've got to balance my own emotions, and there's two, so anything can happen in a given day. So that's part of the personal part. Now, professionally, make sure that you have a day planner, you're setting alerts on your phone, or whatever, if you're a pen and paper type person, what's gonna be the best thing for you, and follow that every day. You have to have routine so that things flow.
00:21:12
Speaker
There's been times where I feel that I'm on it, but I've forgotten things, you know? Like on the personal side, because I didn't write it down, I thought, oh, I'm gonna retain it in my head, but it just didn't happen. Or like-
00:21:27
Speaker
or a due date and then, you know, time is money. You don't want to like be unnecessarily having to like, you forget to order that Belgium chocolate and now you've got to pay overnight fees because there's a lot of moving parts that have to be taken into consideration.
00:21:46
Speaker
And then professionally-wise, maybe write your list, your to-do list, an A, B, and C, a level of importance, and actually checking those things off your list. I know there's been times where I've said, oh, there's like a thank you card that I need to send out to a client. And then it goes from one week to two weeks to three weeks. Now it's four weeks. And it's not that this thing is so hard, but there's something in my mind that's not allowing me to do that next step in getting it done.
00:22:13
Speaker
but then I get it done, and then I'm just honest. Hey, this has been on my to-do list, but I'm just getting it done, but it's coming in the same positive, energetic spirit that it's meant. And then the person can only receive it. We're all human. Sometimes we fall short, but I deal with procrastination myself. But creating spaces both personally and professionally that are conducive to you being the best person that you can be.
00:22:42
Speaker
What time do you wake up? So I like to wake up like five. I like to wake up before my kids and I like having at least an hour to kind of just get my
00:22:53
Speaker
mine together, enjoy my iced coffee, because that's my drink of choice, and to just move around and do the things that I mentioned, like opening the blinds. It makes me feel alive, making my bed. But sometimes I'll lay there and I'll procrastinate, and then it's like, get up, and then it's a rush. And then I have to rush through the little joyful nuances or that dance that I do in the morning. And I don't like that feeling. And then that feeling kind of then
00:23:22
Speaker
gets imposed on my children, because I'm rushing them, you know, because now I'm rushed. So that's something that I'm working on is just being better with time management, because it feels good not to have to rush and to be on top and in control of things. Have you read the book, Miracle Mornings by Hal Edra? I'm writing it down right now as we speak. No, Miracle Mornings. That sounds like you probably could write the book, but it's just about the same thing that you just said, but you came up with it yourself.
00:23:52
Speaker
Yeah, but see for me, it's like I think I have the tools and I have all the ideas in my mind, but it's just the routine and actually doing it. So I need to get better at that. You know, I used to like be like going to sleep like at one o'clock, two o'clock, you can't get up at five, you can't get up six and function.
00:24:09
Speaker
like shutting down at a timely manner. I used to always also pull all-nighters, like get on the computer and be working like through the night. I cannot do that anymore. I think it's age. I think like maybe when you- It's not healthy. It's not healthy. I could do it in my twenties, but I cannot do it now.
00:24:27
Speaker
is a lot fresher and works better in the morning. So you have to be able to decipher, are you morning person or are you night person? And a lot of times people say, I'm not a morning person, I'm not a morning person, but more than likely you are because you're fresher, you're clearer. It's before the day starts and you start getting phone calls and people attacking you. Yeah. Before you, before we get into step number two.
00:24:54
Speaker
Yeah, so how many events do you do per year and how when do you say no to clients? And when do you know that do you have an understanding of when you're going to be overwhelmed and you know how to not overbook yourself? Absolutely.
Event Management Strategies
00:25:09
Speaker
So, you know, this has been a very different last two years. So like events wise,
00:25:17
Speaker
Hmm, I can maybe say this year I've maybe like average maybe Maybe like 10 events and we're like well into August and it was a combination of like dinner parties smaller dinner parties like 10 and under and then like I did a bridal shower this past Saturday for 30 people but um, you know
00:25:40
Speaker
The year 2020 was so good to me. I made more money in 2020 than I had in the last 10 years, even going through COVID. I did. So I worked primarily with two clients. One was a Monday through Friday private shopping. And then I had another dinner parties anywhere from two to three days per week. So I was working like sometimes seven days a week or like working two doubles during the week.
00:26:07
Speaker
And then the dinner parties were like, you know, six, six to eight people are under to anywhere from eight guests. And I mean, I ranked it in and it was like, my kids were home and my brother stepped up and he was like the Manny for a year.
00:26:26
Speaker
I was very fortunate to be working, but you know, it was tough, but you have to make sacrifices. So on average, like, you know, in a regular non COVID year, I'd say I do about 30 events per year, and then in addition to providing private shopping services. So for me, athletes, and I'm pretty busy during like,
00:26:48
Speaker
Off season during football so March through July is my season with that and then of course the holidays come up I'm always booked Thanksgiving Eve Thanksgiving Day Christmas Eve Christmas Day so and it's usually clientele and
00:27:06
Speaker
and my clients are flexible and they'll say, well, just make, just send me a menu. And so with that, I try to implement the same menu that I'm preparing for one family on the other two, and then I'll usually put maximum of three families for any holiday date. Because I don't want to overwhelm myself and I still want to keep with like the integrity of the food and being able to make substitutions because
00:27:35
Speaker
you know, one client may like breast meat only when it comes to their roasted turkey. And another client wants the whole turkey. So yeah, you'll have help with the cooking, right? I do. So I have on-call staff and, you know, on-call staff can be servers, bartenders, kitchen assistants,
00:27:55
Speaker
prep cooks. So I'll employ prep cooks for deliveries. But like for main events, then we'll do a full staff of a captain bartender server and my sister has even coiter and whatnot. So it all depends on what the need is, what the budget is. And then there's a certain type of clientele, like, you know, obviously, everyone can afford the service that I provide. So before I used to go out on walkthroughs, and then
00:28:22
Speaker
The event wouldn't even happen. So now when a client calls me, I'll give them the breakdown from the beginning or maybe start at this price. And it's not growing out a figure, but there's got to be some parameter. And I often don't even ramble it off on the phone. I can put it together. Like I'm not really a text person. I'm going to pick up the phone, even email, you know, but sometimes I'll just put it in a quick text. Thank you for your inquiry.
00:28:49
Speaker
We have your date of XYZ available. Our menu start at this price, serving staff at start at this price with a 20% gratuity guarantee and so forth and forth on. Someone may look at that and go, oh, this is well out of my ballpark. Or they may hit me up with, oh, we're having a bridal, a bachelorette party. And our budget is $30 per person. I'm sorry, but I don't have any meetings that are $30 per person.
00:29:19
Speaker
Someone else called me and they said, you know, there's an event with kids and it's to raise funds for something. And I remember a colleague of mine told me to never discount, never to provide discounts for your services because you lessen the value. And also like,
00:29:43
Speaker
you know, people who are booking those lesser services refer other people like them. So that in perspective, sometimes you just have to say no. So if I have a client and we've consulted, we've done a couple of hours, a couple of revisions of going back and forth with your menu. And now they say, Oh, yeah, we'd like for you to come out and take a look at the space. Oh, that would be great. But before that, we need to go ahead and secure services. Why would I come out to an event that's
00:30:11
Speaker
30 minutes away to look at your kitchen for you then to say, you know, we decided to go with another caterer. No, I'm sorry. We need to know services with a deposit. And then I come out. This is talking. This is where I go back to talking about coming out with this huge energy, this.
00:30:27
Speaker
because we've already secured the bag. We've secured the bag, so we've been out and even donating an hour of a walkthrough is fine because you've booked services. We actually have an event. If you haven't secured services with a deposit, we don't have an event. So like in my early years, I kind of wasted a lot of time with going back with people who
00:30:49
Speaker
whose intentions were never to really move forward with looking. Where are we going here? What are we doing? What is your budget? They don't know what the budget is. And then there's clients who don't have a budget. The sky is the limit.
00:31:01
Speaker
I like working with those clients. Oh my gosh, you're teaching me so much right now. Well, get into what's your step number two. Okay, step number two is the type, what type of standard or service are you providing? So I think we kind of just briefly touched on that on the tail of that last comment that I made. So you have someone who calls and says, I'm having, I like, oh, I just want finger food.
00:31:29
Speaker
Finger food, that verbiage sounds like lower budget. So I say, oh, I don't do finger food, but I do provide hors d'oeuvres or appetizers. And I think when people think of those terms, they think of food that's going to be smaller, so it's going to be cheaper. And then I have to explain that nothing that my company provides is frozen or prepped.
00:31:54
Speaker
it actually is more expensive for me to provide hors d'oeuvres or appetizers than it is for me to make you a pan of lasagna or a pan of chicken brignonion because it's intricate. I'm rolling the egg rolls. I'm shaking the meatballs. I'm making the crab cakes. So when someone goes, so it's
00:32:17
Speaker
The years of experience, you could go, OK, not to put people in a category, but you've got to rank them in some way and then know how to adjust. And then also, I'm not providing a bronze service. I'm providing gold plus. So then I have to charge accordingly. And I have to have the consultation, have that 24-hour getting back to a client,
00:32:46
Speaker
You know, not three days. Oh, hey, by the way, what's your event date again? Not taking notes and not retaining information well. So you have to, you know, if you say that if this is what you're charging and you're providing goal plus service, you've got to be able to back it up and the client has got to feel that.
00:33:04
Speaker
Yeah. Wow. That's so crazy. That's my standard. So you can look at someone's work and kind of determine where they fit in. Most of your clients come from word of mouth. You don't advertise on social media too much, right?
Social Media and Client Privacy
00:33:20
Speaker
No. And so I am on social media, Chef Fakira on Instagram. But when I'm working in people's homes, I feel like that's very private and intimate. So me going around with the camera, not appropriate. Now, if I can snap a few pictures here and there, then that's fine. But I'm going to leave that for everyone else. So I'm not going to say, can I get a picture? It's just everyone else is doing it. It's not an appropriate thing to do.
00:33:47
Speaker
I just try to have, um, respect people's, um, privacy and really be present in the moment. I'm really enjoying myself and all that takes away. So for me, you know, personally, but I do some really great things and sometimes like, Oh, I'd like to share, but I really don't care to share, you know, and,
00:34:07
Speaker
The things that I enjoy the most are like moments with my children, moments in work, but I give people the little bits and pieces. It doesn't have to be a daily thing. And most of the time it's not Insta. Because I don't have to do Insta. That's why you don't preserve your energy too. You don't have to keep thinking of posting. You could actually enjoy it and then you actually bring that energy. You could rest and then bring that energy to your next client.
00:34:35
Speaker
Absolutely. So people say, what's your insta? Well, you can go ahead and go on it if you like to, but it's not really a great showcase of who I am as a chef or what my business entails. But that's something that I'm working on because I know that, you know, time brings upon a change and I have to adapt to the new kind of like standard for businesses. It's a standard thing to have those social media outlets because it's a quick way for people to go on and say, yeah, you're nay, we want to work with you.
00:35:03
Speaker
and kind of see what you're doing. But yeah. So good. What is your, what is your last step? My last step, sorry. My last step is what are you doing to stay relevant and innovative? So we keep going right into the next. Yeah.
00:35:21
Speaker
topics so staying relevant is Adapting to the change of time with these social media outlets so I you know it would be great for me to work with like Someone who is interning or has you know, it has an expertise in this and you know Kind of building my marketing advertising Game up. Yeah, so that would keep me relevant, you know
00:35:50
Speaker
and then working with others in the industry. This can be a very kind of, it could be a very lonely job, working as a chef because I'm not working with a lot of people. Sometimes it's one or two, we're having great conversations, but if they're my assistants, they're learning from me. I'm taking bits and pieces from them also, but it's nice to kind of work with a chef
00:36:15
Speaker
another chef sometimes and going, Oh, aha, like that's how you do that. Or that's how your mind frame work to make you produce this thing. I would have never done it that way. That's always fun for me. Yeah. So that's the professional because now that you've been
00:36:31
Speaker
You've been doing it for a long time now. So you could kind of play around with new things and like just kind of take a step away and be like, yeah, I could be the student again. Like, um, we don't really have you go after doing it for so long. Yeah. Just learn, learn, learn. I love, I love playing the supporting role, you know, but I think that maybe sometimes see my people see my experience of, Oh, I'm not going to call her. She wouldn't work or do this. Yes, I would. I would love to. I love working with other chefs and I love working with other people, even if it's in different industries.
00:37:01
Speaker
you know, I have like a few other friends that are event coordinators or
00:37:06
Speaker
um, you know, uh, provide, um, services that, you know, uh, you know, services, I've utilized their services. And then I sometimes say like, well, if you ever need a server or, um, someone to help, I'm available, but they never call me. And you're just like, well, it's like entrepreneurs. And I'm, I, I've sent you business endless times. You've put lots of money in your pocket, but you never reach out to me. And I feel like I'm open and I'm receptive. I'm not asking you for you to pay me a chef rate.
00:37:35
Speaker
I just want to come out and have a good time and learn a little bit more about what you're doing. The way that I do one thing is the way that I do everything, because I'm putting in ultimate effort. I've got great presence. If someone comes up to me and asks a question, I'll say, oh, just a second. Let me check with the coordinator or let me check with the person in charge. I'm going to make your company shine in any industry.
00:38:04
Speaker
I like that camaraderie, but a lot of times that camaraderie isn't there. Yeah. I think you learned this from a very young age, doing real estate for so young. You learned how to sell yourself without selling yourself.
00:38:21
Speaker
having that good energy that people want to be around just like, you know, buying a house and buying pretty much the food for your biggest day of your life or a big milestone in your life. So that's kind of always been with you. Were you very outgoing when you're little? So I feel like I was outgoing. I always wanted to be a part of like organizations and sports where there was leadership or
00:38:44
Speaker
you know, cheerleading or basketball. Like I'm, my, my sign isn't airy. So I'm one of those people who I like to do a lot of different things. Yeah. Every single sport in high school, because maybe that would have got me like a college scholarship or something, but you know, and I'm constantly changing like things, like I'm changing things in my bedroom or in my house to make it better, to make it, you know, fresh, to make it,
00:39:11
Speaker
you know, to make it fun, you know? So I like change, but I also like routine, you know? But so that part of saying relevant, working with others in the industry, and then on the professional note, you know, what are you doing for yourself? Are you getting your hair, eyebrows, lashes done? Are you like, you know, updating your wardrobe? People who look good.
00:39:41
Speaker
You know, like run out of your house and just think someone's going to book with you because they're going to think that that's the way you do life. Yeah. And, you know, I told you that I'm a little bit shy when it comes to like speaking situations or sometimes even meeting with new clients. So I just take a deep breath and sometimes I'll just like a note, some notes, and I'll just have five action words that I pick for the day.
00:40:10
Speaker
And I include that in the conversation that I have with the client. And that works for me because I feel like I'm doing something that's different than I did a week ago and I'm pushing myself. We want to constantly push ourselves and have growth. That makes me feel complete.
Inspiration and Personal Growth
00:40:28
Speaker
It makes me feel successful. It makes me feel
00:40:31
Speaker
Like I'm not staying at the same position. I'm going a steady incline, not steady or a decline. And that's what I want in life. I want to constantly- What would the action words be? I never heard of that.
00:40:44
Speaker
Okay. So the action words would be like, um, implementing or, um, reconciling or, you know, words are not just, oh, we're going to complete it. We're going to do this. It's going to be good. It's going to be amazing. It's going to be, um, it's going to be beyond your dreams. You know, some passionate about what you do. Say it the way you will want someone to say it to you. Yeah. You're kind of like a wordsmith. I never heard of that. That's so cool.
00:41:11
Speaker
Yeah, I want this podcast to be powerful and impactful. I want it to be inspiring. I get inspiration from you. I get inspiration by looking out the window. I get inspiration from nature. What things inspire you? Ask yourself that. What things make you feel?
00:41:32
Speaker
worthy? What things make you feel, you know, out of your bubble? What makes your heart sore? Do that. You never wake up and say, I don't want to work or I'm too tired. So, you know, working at it, you know, establishments, I've worked at two hotels, I've worked at two restaurants, I had a partnership at a restaurant at one point.
00:41:52
Speaker
And then working independently, I have never called off in almost 20 years. Because if I don't show up, who's going to make the food? I've gotten sick, but not on the days I have to work. Me too. It's a mind wing. It's so crazy. I'll get sick the day after.
00:42:07
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And then if you do like oversleep or something happens, that doesn't mean that you're entitled to just show up 20 minutes late or say something's coming out of the oven 30 minutes late. Oh, you just show up, communicate. You're supposed to be there at one o'clock. Don't call it one o'clock and say, oh, you know, I'll be there 30 minutes. Getting up to the hour, take that anxiety off and say,
00:42:30
Speaker
Hey, Sue, I'm not gonna be there at one, but I will be there about 1.20, wanted to let you know. People respect that, respect people's time, because some people are probably looking out their door for you, waiting, or they're hoping in the shower, so that they can be there to let you in. Do not, if you're gonna show up late, always communicate. If you're gonna sway past what the plan is, communicate to the client. Give them that respect that they deserve. They're paying you.
00:42:59
Speaker
This is, you know, I tell my kids sometimes when like I'm consumed with work and I can't do the things that they want to do. I'll look at them in the eyes and say, mom is working. This is how we eat. And they'll open them off and go like, she said that to me. They need those realistic.
00:43:16
Speaker
get your emotions back in order, do what you're supposed to do, and let me do what I'm supposed to do. And when I'm not working, we're gonna have the best day ever. You know, I'm all about, just like I create special moments for my clients, I'm all about creating, you know, memorable moments with my children, even if it's on a regular day. You know, we can have special food on a Thursday during the week, or it doesn't have to be on a weekend or a birthday. Hey, we feel like having
00:43:46
Speaker
French food and classical music and, you know, popping a bottle of champagne and apple syrup. That's what we're gonna do, you know? Like, don't be lazy. I love that. I celebrate every day. Yes. I wanted to ask you a question because I am a wedding photography coach or a coach for photographers. And we're always growing and you're always growing. That's how you've accomplished so much. So if you had a magic wand, where would you see your business in three months? Oh my gosh.
00:44:15
Speaker
In three months, where would I see my business being? Hmm. I would say growth wise. You could say like you're a whole beautiful Instagram feed or just any goals that you have because I'm going to keep you accountable. Oh my gosh. And I'm going to have to keep myself accountable. Yes. A goal of mine is to write a cookbook. Okay. I bought a brand new MacBook Pro.
00:44:43
Speaker
during COVID and then I have, I think I started typing one recipe and then I just stopped. What is that procrastination? So in three months having at least 30 recipes because that would average 10 recipes per month. And then that could be the start of like something just fabulous. Yeah. Yeah.
00:45:08
Speaker
my company that's writing, publishing my book, book launchers. I'll shout them out too. I didn't even know about your book. Yay. Yeah. I just wanted to ask you where to find you. I'm going to ask you one last question for the finale. So where can everyone find you?
00:45:25
Speaker
Okay, you can find me on Instagram at chefbakira, that's C-H-E-F. My name, B is in Victor, A-K-H-A-R-A. My company's name is Indulgent Occasions. You can find me on the web at indulgentoccasions.com. And you can reach out to me via email or you can call me, 310-345-7441. I'm very inviting and personal and love meeting
00:45:54
Speaker
you know, new people. Where are you looking at it? I'm based in Los Angeles, but I'm a traveling chef. So I travel, you know,
00:46:03
Speaker
Um, to Florida, um, San Francisco, um, abroad, you know, so I'm, I'm flexible and available. So yeah. Yeah. I think you just have like literally the best energy and I feel like I'm going to walk away from this episode and just, you know, I'm like smiling from ear to ear because you really bring that to your company and you've been doing that for, you know, ever since you started. And that's why you're able to not have social media and have all this for referral based, um,
00:46:32
Speaker
clientele. And your clientele is literally amazing. So it's the gold plus package for sure. Yes, I love this conversation. And just the final question.
00:46:49
Speaker
Just like your lasting advice to any like entrepreneurs, it could be, you know, in the wedding industry, this podcast is for wedding pros, but just starting out like, I know it's like your energy, but anything else you
Advice for Entrepreneurs
00:47:01
Speaker
want to say? I want to say that everything starts with an idea. It's like that little light bulb that goes off in your head. Oh, wow. What if I could do this?
00:47:10
Speaker
You know, um, you never want to live your life saying you wish you should have just over it because it just occupies too much energy and headspace to have something that you want to do and you never make it happen. If it's possible, just do it. And then, um, writing down ideas. So just as quickly as a, a, a, a thought, a powerful thought can come into your mind. I feel like it can, it can go away. So just, you know, your day planner or a notebook that you have,
00:47:38
Speaker
Jot it down. I love looking at tangible things and just reread it. Even if you need to post it on the back of your bedroom door, like on a piece of paper or write it on a mirror with one of those crazy colorful markers and just really live the best life that you can live. And hopefully the profession that you've selected or aspire to be is something that you're truly passionate about. And any day will never really feel like work at all. It won't.
00:48:08
Speaker
will be rewarding. I love that. And after this call, I'll talk to you after we get off. But on your mirror, maybe you could write 30 recipes in three months. Oh my gosh. You're accountable, Carissa. So you know what? When I do, I feel the filling. It's that filling on the inside that feels really, really good. And you know what I say? This is happening. This is happening. Carissa, for you, your book, this is happening. Wow. This is happening.
00:48:36
Speaker
I'm so proud of you and I'm so proud of us. And I'm so, I love this conversation. You should have your own podcast. You are a shining light. Okay, I'll talk to you soon. Bye.
00:48:54
Speaker
Thanks for joining me this week on Get a Heck Yes with Carissa Wu. Make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, or tell a friend about the show. Take a screenshot and post to IG. Tag me. Also, don't forget to download my free guide on how to become a lead generating machine. See you next time, wedding pros.