Asking for help and leaning on your community can be intimidating, especially when you’re an entrepreneur. So this week in our Black Women in Business Series, we’re focusing on what it looks like to make big career changes, bring physical products into the world, and bootstrap a startup.
In this episode, I’m joined by my friend, Anicia Anya. She is the founder, chef, and CEO of Kid’s Table, New York City’s only meal delivery service for kids which she launched in 2021. Her mission is to help parents create adventurous and confident eaters in a way that’s accessible and convenient.
Join in as we discuss Anicia’s unique and remarkable journey from the tech industry, to nannying, to being a private chef, to an entrepreneur. Her inclination to lean on her community and ask for help are as inspiring as her passion for her business.
Powered by RedCircle
LISTEN HERE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play
Episode 162 Topics:
- Working for high-profile celebrities and CEOs
- How the little, mundane things make us better leaders and business owners
- The joy in always acquiring new skills
- How asking for help can build community in beautiful, unexpected ways
- Helping kids explore ethnic food and expand their palates beyond Lunchables
- Winding down before AND after your day (seriously, try it!)
- Embracing the soft life and the hard life simultaneously
Resources Mentioned in Episode 162:
- Check Out Kids Table NY
- Follow Anicia on Instagram
- Follow Kids Table NY on Instagram
Episode 162 Sponsors:
- BetterHelp | This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/BBG and get on your way to being your best self.
- Open | If you’re looking for a mindful meditation, breath work, and movement app I can’t recommend Open enough. They have a beautifully curated collection of guided meditation, breath work, and movement exercises to support you in your practice. Try Open for 30 Days free. Visit open-together.com/BALANCED.
- Framebridge | Visit Framebridge.com and use the code “BALANCED” for 15% off your first framing order.
Episode 162 Transcript
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.880
Music.
00:00:08.771 --> 00:00:14.508
An amazing day I appreciate you tuning into this episode of balance whack girl my name is Les
00:00:14.487 --> 00:00:20.387
I'm your host and things are currently heating up and are black women in business series.
00:00:20.699 --> 00:00:26.409
This series is focused on conversations that lie at the intersection of wellness and business.
00:00:26.523 --> 00:00:32.801
With black women entrepreneurs and Business Leaders is like a balanced black girl be school if you will
00:00:32.780 --> 00:00:44.036
last week we talked about the business of content creation and this week we're focusing more on what it looks like to bring physical products into the world and bootstrapping a startup in a whole new space
00:00:44.033 --> 00:00:58.016
as someone who's only ever really focused on digital offerings I have so much respect for anyone who brings a physical product into the world that takes the complexity of Entrepreneurship to a whole different level and is so admirable.
00:00:58.040 --> 00:01:09.071
I'm joined today by my friend Anicia Anya the founder chef and CEO of New York City's only meal delivery service for kids called kids table which she launched in 2021
00:01:09.068 --> 00:01:23.691
Anicia has had the most unique and incredible career trajectory of ever heard we get into the details of it in this episode and she coordinated the experiences from her diverse professional background to launch this incredible brand.
00:01:23.742 --> 00:01:30.136
Just last month she did her first collaboration with another brand to bring frozen meal offerings to kids table
00:01:30.025 --> 00:01:40.885
expanding distribution to more areas in the Northeast and it sold out in a couple days which is amazing and is really positioned her and the brand to do amazing things.
00:01:41.026 --> 00:01:53.551
Her journey has certainly not been easy it continues to not be easy but her realness her optimism and her willingness to go for it is something I respect and admire so much and this conversation is beyond
00:02:01.776 --> 00:02:14.733
Anicia hi friends welcome to balance flag girl hello I'm so excited to be here I'm so excited to have you here so for those who don't know which actually I don't know why.
00:02:14.883 --> 00:02:17.587
Anyone who listens like would know this but I've.
00:02:17.629 --> 00:02:28.012
Literally talk to you more than I talk to most people because I feel like every day I'm dming you yeah about something like just check it up every day.
00:02:28.072 --> 00:02:32.792
Yeah everything pop culture Food business
00:02:32.690 --> 00:02:42.379
podcast all of it all of it so that makes me even more excited to have you come on the show backstory for everybody listening Anicia and I actually met
00:02:42.178 --> 00:02:53.263
three years ago when I was in New York I was at the wholehearted women Retreat hosted by Sharon who's a friend of the podcast Sharon's been on the podcast a couple times and I kept.
00:02:53.323 --> 00:02:59.781
Getting in trouble at The Retreat because Anicia was our Chef for the event and I kept like not participating
00:02:59.670 --> 00:03:04.471
in the retreat and just hanging out in the kitchen talking to Anicia whole time
00:03:04.360 --> 00:03:18.965
Sheree had to keep yelling at me to like less come downstairs like Leslie we have another activity we're on a schedule like you paid to be here and you're just not participating
00:03:18.899 --> 00:03:26.941
so we go way back so we go back I mean when you know you know when you hit it off you hit it off you know why yes.
00:03:27.163 --> 00:03:33.332
But it was such a fun time it's so funny because every time I do a wholehearted retreat now I always think of you
00:03:33.158 --> 00:03:45.152
and I'm like who's gonna that's gonna be there and she's like a lessons not coming in town again like hey now it's always such a fun time with Sharon in the ladies
00:03:45.059 --> 00:03:49.068
wholehearted woman and yeah that was such a fun weekend and it was.
00:03:49.092 --> 00:04:01.806
Kind of like it wasn't the beginning of my career as a private chef but kind of like the beginning of me doing more like Retreats and more like intimate events outside of working for like rich people so it was
00:04:01.794 --> 00:04:10.304
really really fun time to like just work with like-minded people and people who come from the same background as me and it just made,
00:04:10.311 --> 00:04:16.939
the whole situation is way more fun I didn't realize that that was around the time when you had started
00:04:16.810 --> 00:04:28.939
working at those types of events but I want to get more into like your career trajectory because it's just so interesting and I think you are just such a good Testament of.
00:04:29.026 --> 00:04:35.160
Like following your heart following your path when you want to do something else like doing something else so,
00:04:35.166 --> 00:04:42.965
let's talk about young Anicia maybe like fresh out of college beginning of career what were you doing and what field did you.
00:04:43.403 --> 00:04:56.495
Yes so I worked in the tech industry as like a lot of people do when they are out of college so I went to the I moved to San Francisco and I worked for various different startups and my job was kind of like
00:04:56.492 --> 00:05:02.806
the employee morale manager which is code for like making sure people have a lot of fucking fun at work
00:05:02.713 --> 00:05:15.697
wow my job was planning budgets for happy hours wellness events figuring out how to get us more benefits to add to the benefits package to get more people to come I think now.
00:05:15.910 --> 00:05:20.468
I look back and I'm like they basically were just like how do we make people stay here
00:05:20.330 --> 00:05:32.045
as long as we can without going home like a normal person with his like hilarious we were just young When We Were Young and you know the tech industry is just a lot
00:05:31.934 --> 00:05:35.673
very young people very people like people who are new to their careers so
00:05:35.643 --> 00:05:46.638
it was a lot of planning events planning happy hours creating budgets meeting with all the different teams operations and finance included and also like a Content team is a media teams
00:05:46.500 --> 00:05:55.865
to create this like employee morale in the company's so I started working for the software companies that I went into a sports Media company called Bleacher Report
00:05:55.727 --> 00:06:01.699
and please report was kind of my last stint and then in the tech world I think
00:06:01.606 --> 00:06:07.523
I love working in Tech it was fun I mean like you're 22 23 24 and you're like
00:06:07.484 --> 00:06:14.374
going to happy hours during the work day and you like have a full salary it's like what is why right I think.
00:06:14.542 --> 00:06:25.320
You know as time went on I just saw the lack of diversity and inclusion in the industry and just you know I would look around offices now if you like okay there's no women in management,
00:06:25.327 --> 00:06:30.686
let alone a black woman and I just didn't really see a future for me there.
00:06:30.845 --> 00:06:40.138
And just also like just so much racism and sexism goes on in the tech industry and I think it just came to a point where I was like okay like.
00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:45.252
Dealing with racism for a glass of Rose a at a Tuesday morning meeting is not.
00:06:45.294 --> 00:06:53.876
Sonic getting her free Equinox membership but like my boss is super sexist
00:06:53.756 --> 00:07:01.897
not it I decided to leave the tech industry but I didn't really know what I wanted to do
00:07:01.741 --> 00:07:08.018
I wanted to go into the Wellness world and maybe like do Fitness and Nutrition coaching.
00:07:08.168 --> 00:07:16.615
But I still like wasn't sure so I had my job moved me to New York because I always wanted to live in New York summer job move me to New York
00:07:16.513 --> 00:07:24.663
and then I laughed and then I started to embark on this journey of becoming like a wellness coach but obviously like during that time.
00:07:24.733 --> 00:07:38.329
I wasn't making any money so a friend of mine was like Hey like you should be she was a high-profile nanny in New York City she worked for a very big actor in his family and she was like you could do this like it's basically like.
00:07:38.659 --> 00:07:42.893
What you were doing in the tech world but
00:07:42.836 --> 00:07:50.977
instead of like making sure employees have fun and like have this great life at work you can make sure kids
00:07:50.857 --> 00:08:00.141
wave in New York City with this insane budget and you're managing the budgets and after-school programs and like taking it a doctor's appointment and
00:08:00.039 --> 00:08:04.237
things like that she's like I think you could do this and I was like okay.
00:08:04.658 --> 00:08:14.446
So I go to an agency and I applied for a job and they hire me on the spot and they're like we would love to place you.
00:08:14.497 --> 00:08:23.583
And that was just kind of a very World Wind experience I think yeah because it just happened so fast and I was like what.
00:08:23.607 --> 00:08:36.655
What am I doing I'm now like a celebrity Nanny like what like what is happening but the salary was comparable to like working in Tech and so that was another thing that I was shocked by I was like wait like.
00:08:36.994 --> 00:08:41.633
I'm making the same as I was intact if not more and I get to just like.
00:08:41.819 --> 00:08:54.641
Tea with this person's kid like and take care of them and take them to school and get them dressed do their homework cook for them clean for them they that like basically all of the things which is a lot of work yeah but I was like this.
00:08:55.034 --> 00:09:01.870
Doesn't seem real but it was and it is and so I did that for several years and I think
00:09:01.849 --> 00:09:09.576
I started to do that in the hope so I would just do this as like something part-time so I get me to my next career staff
00:09:09.456 --> 00:09:20.072
in like that was the career like that was the career and so I did that for almost five years for five years
00:09:19.962 --> 00:09:26.311
works with dozens of families all over New York City I traveled with kids we explored we.
00:09:26.506 --> 00:09:32.874
Eight things we reached new developments like we did so so much and I think.
00:09:33.186 --> 00:09:41.435
I got Wellness certifications I started doing Wellness coaching on the side and doing Fitness things and I stole my full-time Nanny job,
00:09:41.441 --> 00:09:51.058
then the whole private Chef thing happened that kind of just like fell into my lap I never in a million years thought I would be a chef I never thought I would.
00:09:51.506 --> 00:09:59.664
Be a cook like none of those things I've always loved cooking I've Loved nutrition but it wasn't until I was working for families who had shafts and so
00:09:59.518 --> 00:10:04.625
sometimes these chefs would like take off work or they be on vacation and I would fill in
00:10:04.541 --> 00:10:13.105
and I remember one year I was working for a family like a very big actress she her Chef was
00:10:13.093 --> 00:10:19.640
quite he broke his wrist and he had to like take off for Thanksgiving dinner and she was like I need you to cook Thanksgiving dinner.
00:10:19.719 --> 00:10:29.084
Oh wait you first meal Thanksgiving dinner of all meals not a casual dinner like I'm all meals and I was like what
00:10:29.081 --> 00:10:35.386
like what like this is some like Michelin star Chef that's like
00:10:35.356 --> 00:10:46.584
private Chef is guy he's from France he studied culinary for many years he'd been working for so many different families and like big catering companies and big five star restaurants all over New York City
00:10:46.581 --> 00:10:51.788
and I'm supposed to create a Thanksgiving dinner that's going to replace his like.
00:10:51.821 --> 00:11:03.220
Crazy his name is Sebastian so I call Sebastian I'm like hey Sebastian like what do I do when'd he gives me all these different steps of things to do and like luckily I
00:11:03.182 --> 00:11:09.081
as a nanny I was responsible for grocery shopping for the family and so I was constantly in
00:11:08.943 --> 00:11:20.181
like all these markets in New York city so I was in like Chelsea Market I was in Eataly so I was kind of familiar with like the ingredients he was working with and like how he was shopping
00:11:20.052 --> 00:11:26.878
but still not to the point where I was making a full Thanksgiving dinner for 15 people yeah so.
00:11:27.191 --> 00:11:37.501
I did the dinner dinner and it works out great and I remember thinking to myself like I could do that yeah like I can do this
00:11:37.471 --> 00:11:44.712
and I think that's kind of my toxic trait my like toxic trait is like thinking that I can do anything
00:11:44.619 --> 00:11:55.866
magic I could do this you know it's kind of like when you go to a new city and you're like I could live here optimism yes so I yeah I remember thinking like I could do that
00:11:55.719 --> 00:12:00.295
how do I do this and so for like the next 6 months
00:12:00.274 --> 00:12:08.523
I was just washing the shafts of families that I worked for and like helping them and assisting them and then I
00:12:08.421 --> 00:12:23.224
reached out to Sofia Rao who many of you who are listening right now we love love love Sofia I sent Sophia rhodium and I was like hey I know that you used to be a private Chef in New York City I kind of want to be a private chef
00:12:23.131 --> 00:12:28.571
they really love your work and I love following you can you like tell me what to do.
00:12:28.613 --> 00:12:33.999
And she I didn't think she was going to respond she responded right away.
00:12:34.041 --> 00:12:45.261
And she was like oh my god let's have coffee let's have coffee right away and we meet for coffee and she's like okay you need to go to this knife story you need to you know go to these stores to get all your supplies
00:12:45.132 --> 00:12:49.825
these are some schools that you can apply for programs at these are agencies that
00:12:49.804 --> 00:12:58.053
apply to once you finish school these are restaurants that you can star Jin and starch is called it's like another term for interning
00:12:57.879 --> 00:13:08.388
she's like these are places you can star Jin and so I was like okay at we had coffee we talked and I laughed and I went back to my nanny job and I was like okay.
00:13:08.817 --> 00:13:23.296
We're going to do that this so I over the weekend I like applied for a culinary program I like when all over New York City to like Japanese knife shops and all these supply shops and I just like got to work
00:13:23.293 --> 00:13:26.699
it was it's just crazy for me to like think about that now like.
00:13:26.723 --> 00:13:38.888
Again things just happened so fast Mike I'm just a firm believer in just like making a decision and trusting the process just trust the process instead of.
00:13:39.380 --> 00:13:46.792
Sitting and pondering and overthinking and doubting yourself and going through the motions of imposter syndrome.
00:13:47.149 --> 00:13:53.201
That doesn't serve you so just make the decision do the thing and you'll figure it out later
00:13:53.045 --> 00:14:06.147
and that's just that's kind of what I did and so I finished my culinary program and I reached back out to the agencies that were Staffing me for nanny jobs and I was like hey I'm not an anymore Michelle hey hand they work.
00:14:06.180 --> 00:14:12.034
Okay and that is kind of a how I became a private chef
00:14:12.031 --> 00:14:25.411
that story is like even better I knew that like Cliff Notes version of that story but hearing the full version is even better than I could have imagined I feel like you are the epitome of
00:14:25.355 --> 00:14:40.229
what Shirin refers to as a lined action you've ever heard shredding about the aligned action to like make you know the manifestations happen yeah your story that you just shared was truly a testimony in aligned action last
00:14:40.163 --> 00:14:46.909
it's just yes seeing the thing that you want and just taking steps to make it happen and make it come true.
00:14:46.933 --> 00:14:56.604
Yeah exactly and I think even just speaking about like well on touching on Wellness I there was a point in my nanny career where I was kind of like I wanted.
00:14:56.781 --> 00:15:08.289
Essence of like work-life balance and I wanted to be able to have more of a routine and I think I wanted to be able to create wealth and create a career that could expand Beyond someone's like household
00:15:08.232 --> 00:15:16.382
and you know when I was thinking about Connor school like I was checking all those boxes and I was like it just made sense to me and I was like this is so aligned like.
00:15:16.640 --> 00:15:22.009
This is so so aligned and it just it makes sense and.
00:15:22.132 --> 00:15:27.680
It's very crazy to think about I think now I look back and I'm like
00:15:27.668 --> 00:15:32.748
girl what was wrong with you laughing
00:15:32.673 --> 00:15:45.991
but I think you know when you're so young and you don't have the responsibility of like having your own kids or having a spouse or a partner there is kind of the sense of freedom and there's kind of this this space where you kind of
00:15:45.844 --> 00:15:50.843
acts The Five-Year Plan because there is no Five-Year Plan and you just start to create.
00:15:50.894 --> 00:15:59.530
A one-year plan or a six month plan or two week plan today plan they plan and you figure it out
00:15:59.464 --> 00:16:12.664
and yeah I just if anyone is like going through like career change right now or just like thinking about it like that's kind of my biggest advice is to just like stop thinking about this like a long long term plan
00:16:12.572 --> 00:16:21.127
and just think about what you want to do today or tomorrow or next week and how you envision your life in the next couple months versus 10 years from now
00:16:21.079 --> 00:16:28.652
because I think even looking back in my career is like intact like I thought I was going to work in Tech my whole life
00:16:28.596 --> 00:16:37.952
I remember like applying for the jobs in Tech and like crying and being devastated and being like I'll never be a management
00:16:37.823 --> 00:16:42.543
of HR or marketing or I'll never like moved to this big company or never like
00:16:42.423 --> 00:16:51.392
move up in the tech world and now I'm like I didn't even want that so yeah it's very very much so crazy
00:16:51.245 --> 00:17:00.764
bad almost a blessing that you didn't get to that point because I do think the further you get down a path even if it's not for you the harder it is to make those
00:17:00.716 --> 00:17:05.454
it's if you get to a point where you aren't or manager and you have this responsibility or,
00:17:05.460 --> 00:17:11.440
you're making a certain amount in a particular trajectory you can always change you can always do something different but.
00:17:11.491 --> 00:17:23.512
It also can be a lot harder when you feel like you have more to lose exactly yes yeah and the other thing is too like you know if you have a side hustle to just like leave into those
00:17:23.401 --> 00:17:29.364
because that like being a nanny was kind of my side hustle and I never thought it was gonna be a full-time job
00:17:29.226 --> 00:17:37.304
and here I was like working for these crazy celebrities and like baked CEOs and high-profile people and like taking care of their kids and like.
00:17:37.778 --> 00:17:47.611
Hiding their kids from the public yeah and it's like managing the day-to-day life and the finances and the like School programming and all of that.
00:17:47.708 --> 00:17:57.559
You know there's often times when you're doing side houses and you're like oh this is going to be a little side thing and you never know you really really never know what these things can become and.
00:17:57.592 --> 00:17:59.566
Yeah it's crazy that.
00:18:00.257 --> 00:18:13.682
My plan at the time was to do that for one year and it was five years yeah and I brought me to the next thing and probably to the private Chef for all that it brought me two kids table and it just kind of brings you along and I'm like wow this is something I thought.
00:18:13.760 --> 00:18:15.662
Would be like a little part-time thing
00:18:15.606 --> 00:18:27.923
right and it sounds like all of your experiences have really compounded on one another like a lot of what you've done even though it's different roles and different paths they do aligned in terms of
00:18:27.795 --> 00:18:36.440
you know it sounds like when you started off in Tech you were doing that kind of coordinator role where you're working with so many stakeholders all at once be coordinating so many things which I'm sure
00:18:36.392 --> 00:18:44.380
that skill set that you gained so helpful for your own business or when you're working for these families and you're managing the budget and the schedules and
00:18:44.233 --> 00:18:59.125
the logistics of their family like that's so helpful for running your own business yes exactly it's so so helpful and so I always tell people to just trust the process and really you know lean into those mundane tasks that you think are.
00:18:59.195 --> 00:19:08.812
Dumb like you shouldn't do them or you're above them you're not they will help you yeah there's magic in the mundane I'm a firm yeah sure of that.
00:19:09.052 --> 00:19:23.981
Yes because it's you can't lead if you don't understand the mundane exactly exactly you need to have like an overall perspective and also kind of like the nitty-gritty aspects of it and I think running a business now.
00:19:24.077 --> 00:19:33.262
I look back and I'm so so so thankful for those things and I think that is something that can set me aside from other entrepreneurs like entrepreneurs who entered in
00:19:33.133 --> 00:19:42.849
in a leadership role or enter them with lot of privilege and access there are days where in entrepreneurship where someone quits or you know
00:19:42.820 --> 00:19:45.757
view lose your Freight packaging or you know.
00:19:45.862 --> 00:19:56.209
It's a snowstorm or like you know you're dealing supply chain issues and things like that and it's because I had all of this experience that I'm able to quickly
00:19:56.197 --> 00:20:01.907
take care of those situations because I know exactly what to do I've been in those people's jobs before.
00:20:01.949 --> 00:20:12.863
In addition to running my company absolutely this week's sponsor is my favorite mindfulness and meditation app open.
00:20:12.923 --> 00:20:22.108
Open is a digital mindfulness app combining breathwork meditation and movement and it's my go-to app to help me get centered when I need to reconnect with my breath.
00:20:22.303 --> 00:20:26.303
Using open has become one of my favorite daily rituals.
00:20:26.445 --> 00:20:33.658
Each morning I do their daily meditation which is usually between five to ten minutes and it always sets a beautiful tone for the day.
00:20:33.691 --> 00:20:44.614
Their meditations hit on key themes we all need support with like overcoming fear of the unknown embodying self-love releasing expectations and improving focus at work.
00:20:44.755 --> 00:20:49.133
It's the one thing I would gladly use my phone for in the morning.
00:20:49.418 --> 00:20:58.919
Open has also been keeping me on my yoga practice several days a week in between gym sessions a log onto the app and do one of their yoga flows and their so.
00:20:59.033 --> 00:20:59.801
Go ahead.
00:21:00.203 --> 00:21:10.856
He's aren't cookie-cutter flows that you could get anywhere their teachers are always helping me expand my practice with creative flows supportive breathwork and encouragement along the way.
00:21:10.889 --> 00:21:15.150
And if you're someone who stays motivated being a part of a community you will love
00:21:15.030 --> 00:21:27.096
open each month they host challenges encouraging their Community to take daily classes together and you can invite friends and family to move breathe and meditate with you from within the app.
00:21:27.120 --> 00:21:31.570
I can't think of a better time to create a mindfulness habit so join me on open
00:21:31.513 --> 00:21:42.580
open is giving balance black girl listeners 30 days free when you visit open dash together.com balanced that's 30 days of unlimited meditation breath work
00:21:42.451 --> 00:21:51.483
yoga and pilates you do not want to miss out on this offer so again you can join me on open by going to open dash together
00:21:51.435 --> 00:21:58.703
dot-com balanced
00:21:58.592 --> 00:22:07.822
and did you ever have any moments I mean I'm thinking through you know those jobs are hard Manny and especially nanning for high-profile high-strung families.
00:22:07.864 --> 00:22:14.412
Hard culinary school hard like those are hard things to do did you ever have any moments where you are like.
00:22:14.724 --> 00:22:24.251
What have I done what did I get myself into yes I think you know as a nanny literally every day was hard.
00:22:24.338 --> 00:22:37.286
Every day was so so hard and it's so funny because I get like I get triggered when I see people's like comments on just like the internet about like oh they just like watch kids or you know like
00:22:37.130 --> 00:22:43.912
I'm sorry anybody who says they just watch kids has never watched kids because anybody who has knows that that's not a
00:22:43.783 --> 00:22:53.472
small task it's not a small task at all like at all and I just I don't think people realize it working for these types of people like.
00:22:53.524 --> 00:23:00.395
It's not normal like you're not living in a real world and so you're balancing like.
00:23:00.446 --> 00:23:09.964
Actually going home to your real world life and your friends and your family and like regular nuances and like regular things just like going to Target or going to the grocery store.
00:23:10.385 --> 00:23:19.057
And I think that was not really hard part for me because like you live in this like Glitz glamorous world and it's crazy it's like chaos
00:23:18.838 --> 00:23:28.833
and the other thing is like there's no HR like there's no human resources to protect you during these situations so you're often you're working long crazy hours you're working last minute
00:23:28.650 --> 00:23:35.423
there is still a lot of sexism racism classism going on in these people's homes and there's no one to check them.
00:23:35.537 --> 00:23:43.642
Like there's no one to say like that's not okay you can't do that to your staff member you can't you know call your Nanny at
00:23:43.513 --> 00:23:56.677
9:00 p.m. and tell her that she needs to be there in 45 minutes because you want to go to have a drink with your friends like that doesn't happen in a real-world like a normal world and so yeah I think the hard part was like.
00:23:56.764 --> 00:24:00.116
Having to be in like fight or flight mode constantly.
00:24:00.131 --> 00:24:07.759
But then also having to be these people's like second third fourth fifth sixth brain because that's literally what they're paying you for.
00:24:07.801 --> 00:24:10.478
And so there are there are moments you know would like.
00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:20.551
People didn't even know information about their children that I knew my gosh I would have to make sure that I would have this information in case they asked.
00:24:20.647 --> 00:24:24.971
And I think yeah that was kind of the hard part and I think just.
00:24:25.275 --> 00:24:32.002
There's no break there's no lunch break there's no 15 minute break there's no let me just like.
00:24:32.936 --> 00:24:37.359
Go outside for a walk claim is none of that you are
00:24:37.329 --> 00:24:45.794
on 24/7 when you walk through that door it is a matter if someone died in your family if you're going through a breakup if you.
00:24:45.845 --> 00:24:55.831
Got hit by a car on the way to work like when you walk through that door you better be ready to work and you better be ready to answer to these people and do what,
00:24:55.837 --> 00:25:05.617
they're paying you to do and I think that was like the really really hard part especially as a nanny you know in the mornings like there was some mornings you know that were really tough and I would have to go in
00:25:13.716 --> 00:25:22.919
my grandma just died like you know like I just went through a breakup or like I took a city bike to get here in a car like.
00:25:23.033 --> 00:25:30.013
Almost hit me and I thought I was going to die what will these kinds of moments
00:25:30.010 --> 00:25:35.018
that those are probably the heart those were the hard hard moments that you.
00:25:35.213 --> 00:25:46.991
Have to deal with when you have a normal job you can call in sick or you can you know go for a walk outside you can leave your desk for a coffee break and you just don't get that in the world of working for high-profile people.
00:25:47.114 --> 00:25:51.483
And there are a lot of perks like there were a lot of perks like.
00:25:51.741 --> 00:26:05.968
A lot of things in my apartment I found that I worked more and just like the traveling and things like that the money like there's a lot of really good perks but yeah it's it's no joke.
00:26:06.001 --> 00:26:13.413
It's really really no joke and I often like think of like people who work for like the Kardashians or something I can't even imagine
00:26:13.374 --> 00:26:22.118
yes I mean like I was working for celebrities and like big high-profile people but no one that is like that intense yeah.
00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:35.576
See I think about the Alzheimer's like that is so hard like that is just like a really really hard job and then yeah just as a nanny like you know you're taking care of these kids and you spend more time with these kids and like they do with their parents and like think that's
00:26:35.339 --> 00:26:44.561
the other hard part is you get attached you get attached or you know you're going through motions with these kids and you're trying to like.
00:26:45.035 --> 00:26:54.103
Counsel them but you're not like a counselor for them yeah and the other thing is like you are immersed in these people's lives so you aren't you see at all
00:26:54.010 --> 00:27:07.129
you see divorces you see abuse you see drug use you see the ups and the Downs you see when they have good days when they have bad days you see when they're fighting you see when they're not fighting and you see when they're like
00:27:07.018 --> 00:27:09.515
having troubles at work and I think.
00:27:10.385 --> 00:27:19.273
Being immersed in that 24/7 is very hard okay especially as.
00:27:19.325 --> 00:27:29.104
Water sign friend cancer friend like you take on it's also hard to be around people's energies and not like absorb that and feel that.
00:27:29.191 --> 00:27:33.137
Yeah and I think working in this type of Industry like.
00:27:33.215 --> 00:27:43.273
It's almost expected that you absorb this yeah that's a really hard part I think it's funny because you know a lot of my friends who work corporate jobs or they work for companies,
00:27:43.280 --> 00:27:45.794
you know they interact with their boss like.
00:27:45.989 --> 00:27:53.608
In a professional way on a zoom call on an email yes these people may blow up at work or they may be upset or something like that.
00:27:53.947 --> 00:28:07.580
But you don't see them in their home when you're not seeing them in their home or you know for celebrities like you know most people are only interacting with celebrities by way of a character that they see on TV and I think that.
00:28:07.793 --> 00:28:10.838
It was really fascinating to me because it's like.
00:28:11.097 --> 00:28:19.030
Everyone knows his person as a character yeah some of its on a movie or a TV show or whatever they know them as like.
00:28:19.424 --> 00:28:32.300
Whoever they are on this show and not in real life and I think that totally different it's great yeah it's raising like this is someone completely different like this is a character that is getting paid to act.
00:28:32.396 --> 00:28:44.336
You're not seeing them in their home you're not seeing them like in their underwear when they wake up you know like like so I think that is just like it was so fascinating to me and I think.
00:28:44.594 --> 00:28:49.962
It's funny likes to this day I'll see you like ads come up for clients I've worked for or like
00:28:49.905 --> 00:29:00.495
you know I'll see like a trailer for something and I'm just like wow laughing so bizarre because I don't even know that person like.
00:29:01.212 --> 00:29:09.362
You know I'm like oh my God that's Julia this is Julia Roberts oh you know that's like Olivia Wilde's like and I'm like oh it's Olivia but it's just like.
00:29:09.989 --> 00:29:23.541
Everyone knows you to buzz like this is Olivia Wilde and it's like you were not taking care of her and Jason Sudeikis kids like imagine that imagine that Dynamic and all of it so yeah they those were kind of like the hard parts
00:29:23.475 --> 00:29:30.986
but I think for some reason there's like a thrill there's like a huge thrill in it all and so you
00:29:30.974 --> 00:29:37.953
there's nothing we never moments where I was like okay I can like I mean there were moments I was like I can't but it's like
00:29:37.851 --> 00:29:48.072
I want more Michael I can't but I will I can't but I will and I think in other Industries are other jobs I've had when I'm done I'm just like okay we're done.
00:29:48.168 --> 00:29:57.398
Mike I can't I'm done I'm quitting his my two-week notice but in in the private chef and the nanny world's you know if your personal driver whatever it's like.
00:29:57.458 --> 00:30:05.275
Those almost every day like every day I quit but I'm coming here tomorrow like I feel like that's probably the,
00:30:05.281 --> 00:30:13.125
you know sometimes I thought about people who are drawn towards entrepreneurship like what is it in our brains that like makes us.
00:30:13.779 --> 00:30:20.606
Kind of torture ourselves in this way and it sounds like whatever that like entrepreneurship like
00:30:20.558 --> 00:30:32.399
gene or yes thought process it's probably like aligned with that same feeling that same thrill of like this is so hard I can't but I will like
00:30:32.306 --> 00:30:37.143
you almost have to have a bit of that almost like delusion to be an entrepreneur.
00:30:37.230 --> 00:30:42.310
Yeah and enjoy it but it's like you know you do enjoy it it's so hard to explain
00:30:42.164 --> 00:30:53.653
yeah it's yeah it is definitely a form of delusion like it isn't home delusion in there are days that I look at and I'm like there's no way that.
00:30:53.876 --> 00:31:01.791
That was like normal or like that was like you know someone would like go back to that the next day or.
00:31:01.834 --> 00:31:09.488
Yeah it's just it's crazy I mean like I a lot of my nda's are like over so I can like talk about it but it's just like I have
00:31:09.395 --> 00:31:21.380
yeah but it's fun okay like I did this dinner one time and like George Lucas like threw a bowl across the table because he was so sad and I'm just like to happen like.
00:31:21.585 --> 00:31:27.538
And as staff we are really here we're quitting we're done but like we came the next day away.
00:31:27.616 --> 00:31:32.336
And it's yeah it's just it's really crazy I remember Nanny one time.
00:31:33.008 --> 00:31:43.634
I was doing like a date night job they call it where like you know the family goes on a date and they're going to come home and this family like this is a Friday night.
00:31:43.739 --> 00:31:50.656
They went out on a Friday night and they did not come home until like Sunday morning what.
00:31:51.337 --> 00:31:58.992
Like a 48-hour date literally like literally and I remember thinking like.
00:31:59.250 --> 00:32:07.895
This is not like who like and first thing I didn't call the police I didn't like.
00:32:07.955 --> 00:32:18.428
See Child Protection like in my head I was like oh like they'll be back I'm gonna hate still so like wow.
00:32:18.488 --> 00:32:19.742
Such a different light
00:32:19.640 --> 00:32:28.762
yes just a different life it's just a completely different life and yeah just the thought of people like leaving me with their children for.
00:32:29.093 --> 00:32:33.128
Weekends weeks like by myself.
00:32:33.378 --> 00:32:40.519
Is quite like literally insane to me like absolutely insane to me but.
00:32:40.867 --> 00:32:47.838
That's they do it like and I feel like that experience probably made you like.
00:32:48.240 --> 00:32:59.460
Ready for anything the ability to think on your feet so quickly and be ready to handle a situation like that has that has that ring true as you've gone through your journey of Entrepreneurship
00:32:59.439 --> 00:33:05.546
yes I think you know as I'm in this entrepreneurial journey I think things happen and I'm like.
00:33:05.723 --> 00:33:11.127
Very impressed with myself and how I'm able to just like quickly pivot.
00:33:11.151 --> 00:33:16.456
To the point where it's almost like psychotic like like it literally is almost like Hatake.
00:33:16.859 --> 00:33:21.255
The way that I'm able to just like quickly pivot in the mist of like.
00:33:21.864 --> 00:33:27.574
Trauma chaos like a dumpster lid a little gum for fire,
00:33:27.580 --> 00:33:38.575
and I'm like I was cool being out there so you got this girl wait wait wait and I feel like that's why black women are turning to entrepreneurship in droves because.
00:33:38.680 --> 00:33:44.570
Just the like resiliency and Agility that entrepreneurship.
00:33:44.766 --> 00:33:53.564
Requires it's like we do that anyway so we may as well do it for ourselves exactly and that's kind of like what.
00:33:53.732 --> 00:34:04.222
Why decided to even just go into the entrepreneurial world I was like I'm already doing these long hours long days and a lot of mental work for someone else.
00:34:04.310 --> 00:34:12.171
So why don't I just do that for myself yeah and so I did because amazing so did that start with.
00:34:12.511 --> 00:34:28.276
Being a private Chef or do you consider that starting with kids table or kind of a combination it started with being a private Chef when I started as a private Chef I basically ran my own business so I would take private clients on private nutrition clients chef
00:34:28.076 --> 00:34:34.371
clients I would do dinner parties catering events weddings corporate events corporate parties
00:34:34.278 --> 00:34:39.673
and I worked for myself I utilize different agencies to help me like staff.
00:34:40.481 --> 00:34:50.548
Different events and things like that but for the most part like most private shops you are working for yourself unless you were working full-time for a family I.
00:34:50.788 --> 00:34:55.904
Didn't want to work full time for a family I just kind of wanted to be able to dabble and
00:34:55.793 --> 00:35:10.137
different types of events different types of food and different types of culinary Styles and so I decided to do the freelance thing so I create an LLC and I started you know getting gigs and then I just created a whole business out of it
00:35:10.098 --> 00:35:15.538
and then it kind of became easier for me to start the kids table I think.
00:35:15.653 --> 00:35:23.082
My the private Chef business and the kids table business are completely different like completely completely completely different
00:35:22.926 --> 00:35:33.633
operationally I think obviously the private Chef world was a lot easier and I was like oh this is it was just me you know and I think you know having a business is like
00:35:33.630 --> 00:35:35.514
branding its marketing is.
00:35:35.611 --> 00:35:45.750
Running social media it's running operations it's running fine Aunt eventually hiring people firing people so it becomes a more difficult.
00:35:46.008 --> 00:35:51.403
Business to run then just simply running your private Chef business yeah.
00:35:51.698 --> 00:36:01.171
And as you've navigated entrepreneurship what have been some of the ways that you've had to learn like these new skills you had to acquire like you said you've had two.
00:36:01.276 --> 00:36:08.778
Not only your training to be a chef but then you have to learn how to be a marketer and a bookkeeper and the promoter and you know.
00:36:08.892 --> 00:36:13.387
Client management specialist like how have you acquired all of these skills.
00:36:13.465 --> 00:36:25.252
Yeah so I it's so funny that you say that because I have always liked loved acquiring skills and it's kind of funny because my friends make fun of me for this so I girl you do not need another skill but I just.
00:36:25.276 --> 00:36:34.209
I think you know growing up is a Nigerian American and having immigrant parents you know my parents just always taught me that.
00:36:34.305 --> 00:36:43.527
Knowledge is everything yeah and my dad would always say like nobody can take your knowledge away and that kind of just stuck with me and like.
00:36:43.569 --> 00:36:56.526
As a kid I was okay the more knowledge I have more skills I have like the more successful I'll be like the more I'll be able to do them all be able to Pivot and so I think learning these new skills who's actually been really fun for me
00:36:56.496 --> 00:37:10.668
sometimes it's not as fun because my thing depending on what it is depending on what it is and there's also a humbling Factor whereas like you know in the chef world I know what I'm doing like I know exactly what I'm doing and I know I can do it great
00:37:10.657 --> 00:37:25.279
and now I'm like oh I don't really know what I'm doing what I think there's definitely a humbling Factor but it has been really fun to learn all these new aspects of running a business and just like learning about different Industries and different jobs and like what other people do.
00:37:25.564 --> 00:37:29.303
And I think it just it gets me a lot more excited about.
00:37:29.597 --> 00:37:37.405
Kids table and about the future of kids table is knowing all of these different parts of it to see and so I.
00:37:37.474 --> 00:37:45.381
I am so thankful for the internet like I am thankful for the internet I have taken so many like workshops and like just.
00:37:45.414 --> 00:37:54.743
Getting on Google on Googling things getting on Pinterest and like just typing in different topics and like looking at infographics and things like that and then also just.
00:37:54.795 --> 00:37:57.507
Asking for help.
00:37:57.738 --> 00:38:04.826
That's something that as a black woman we are never taught to do and I think it's something that I was very very new for me.
00:38:04.877 --> 00:38:11.677
And as an entrepreneur I learned like oh I have to ask for help like you don't know it all you have to ask and that has been
00:38:11.602 --> 00:38:25.108
very very helpful on you already shared beautiful examples of that of like turning to the chef whose place he had to take making Thanksgiving dinner reaching out to Sofia I'm sure like asking for help in those instances was not easy but
00:38:25.060 --> 00:38:31.059
it sounded very worthwhile yes it's very worthwhile and so I always tell people is
00:38:30.993 --> 00:38:37.909
to use every resource you have like every single resource you have use it and don't be afraid to use it
00:38:37.780 --> 00:38:48.244
it's okay to ask people questions it's okay to DM people it's okay to reach out to people it doesn't matter if they have 300,000 followers 500 thousand followers you never know they might respond.
00:38:48.376 --> 00:39:01.405
And in my experience for the most part A lot of people have responded and it's been just so great I think you can really create this sense of community that you never thought you could yeah and it's it's so.
00:39:01.600 --> 00:39:06.023
Lovely and it's therapeutic to even think about as you know you don't
00:39:05.994 --> 00:39:13.153
you don't want to struggle by yourself like hey it's okay to get home yes absolutely.
00:39:13.528 --> 00:39:19.986
So I would love to talk more about the kids table which is your business that you.
00:39:20.073 --> 00:39:30.978
Recently launched more recently launched yeah I would love to talk about one just how beautiful of a culmination the kids table is with all of your experiences like.
00:39:31.056 --> 00:39:34.101
The kids table is truly a product of.
00:39:34.234 --> 00:39:47.146
All of the things that you have done that we've talked about so far really birth to be this really cool innovative ideas can you tell us a bit more about what kids table is and yeah it's very simple and.
00:39:47.188 --> 00:39:55.581
My little child yes it is like I might get emotional about it but I think.
00:39:56.118 --> 00:40:08.256
Yeah I think you know I've always had an entrepreneurial mindset I've always started little businesses inside houses and things like that but this this is different like this is literally something that is a product of.
00:40:08.271 --> 00:40:11.578
Everything that I've gone through that has brought me to where I am today.
00:40:11.674 --> 00:40:22.138
It's just it's so so much more than a business this is like my passion this is what I believe in this is what I think my purpose is this is a product that I created.
00:40:22.288 --> 00:40:28.376
For the kids that I nanny like this is you know I have this this business down I just think back and I
00:40:28.373 --> 00:40:32.508
look at my phone I like photos of all these kids and I'm like these are the kids that literally created
00:40:32.505 --> 00:40:43.608
it's like the it wasn't me like this isn't me this isn't like my grand idea this isn't me being so Innovative this is literally the kids that I.
00:40:44.208 --> 00:40:53.933
I was able to connect with and share their lives with and share Monumental experiences with this is a creation of that.
00:40:54.165 --> 00:41:08.904
And yeah it's just it's great but kids table is a New York city-based meal delivery service and we are very very focused on creating adventurous and confident eaters something that I saw when I was
00:41:08.830 --> 00:41:16.511
chef and just in the food World in general I just noticed that kids food was not progressing you know I noticed that.
00:41:16.634 --> 00:41:30.195
Adulthood is progressing you know things where people were coming becoming more adventurous with the things that they exploring different ethnic foods you know new restaurants are opening up you know we have this whole like Health movement you know people are starting to care about
00:41:30.192 --> 00:41:39.854
ingredients that they're eating and where these things are being sourced from and I just saw this huge progression in the food world when it came to adults but not kids.
00:41:40.031 --> 00:41:49.757
Yeah I just remember as a private Chef you know I would make these extravagant meals for parents and then they would be like okay my kids going to eat McDonald's and I'm like.
00:41:49.871 --> 00:42:01.243
Wow like why like you're over here eating caviar and creme fraiche and like create a test platters like you know really nice do's and salads and
00:42:01.115 --> 00:42:09.976
these amazing like big lamb chops and steaks and things like that why is your kid eating McDonald's like why would your kid eating a boxed.
00:42:10.225 --> 00:42:12.199
Mac and cheese or something like that.
00:42:12.250 --> 00:42:20.797
And I just kind of started to research and I researched and I researched for about a year and I was like wow there's really not.
00:42:20.992 --> 00:42:23.317
There is a market out there for.
00:42:23.521 --> 00:42:35.785
Kids hooting progressed but there's no undoing it and then I saw the height in the pandemic I saw the height of all these meal delivery services you know you have Sakara life and Splendid spoon and hello fresh and all of these
00:42:35.674 --> 00:42:41.150
amazing meal delivery services but they don't serve as kid
00:42:41.031 --> 00:42:47.236
and so I surveyed a bunch of parents and families and they were like.
00:42:47.665 --> 00:42:53.862
I would love to buy something that was for my kid that was healthy that was delicious that was globally inspired that was.
00:42:53.940 --> 00:43:00.964
Very similar to what we eat as an adult but there's nothing out there and.
00:43:01.241 --> 00:43:10.282
I was like I'm just going to create it I created kids table and that's that is the gist of our.
00:43:10.342 --> 00:43:19.014
Story right now we deliver in New York City but we're hoping to expand outside of New York City helping too
00:43:18.903 --> 00:43:33.247
fundraise maybe it's some investment dollars I don't know okay it's but we have been exploring Partnerships and partner with other companies that are in the space and then do know what they're doing and do have the funding to do it and seeing how we can
00:43:33.172 --> 00:43:40.467
you know help them lead this Mission into creating better clud for families in general that is,
00:43:40.473 --> 00:43:47.380
incredible starting something like that from the ground up is.
00:43:47.747 --> 00:43:55.284
No joke I mean a lot of entrepreneurs myself included it's like we start things that are very online based where it's
00:43:55.146 --> 00:44:03.215
the product is online to look at the delivery of it is online if content is your product not saying that that's easy because I know that it's not what you know that
00:44:03.212 --> 00:44:13.010
in real life like supply chain physical product that you're delivering for people especially a food product where there's so much that goes into it and yeah.
00:44:13.079 --> 00:44:20.860
Is just so so incredible what you've built I am in awe you're not thank you it is
00:44:20.740 --> 00:44:33.949
crazy cuz I don't think you know there are days where I'm just like oh like this little thing but you know I think it's a conversations like this that really helped me realize like this is actually something really really big
00:44:33.838 --> 00:44:40.116
and it could go really far and again it's just like a product of like me.
00:44:40.509 --> 00:44:47.227
Since I was a kid you know since I was a kid I grew up eating Nigerian food and wondering why.
00:44:47.306 --> 00:45:01.802
My friends have Lunchables and pizza rolls and like why couldn't get both things and then going into the nanning world and seeing that like kids were not eating other ethnic foods and kids were still getting made fun of for eating ethnic foods and
00:45:01.682 --> 00:45:05.268
I just really wanted to create a business.
00:45:05.328 --> 00:45:15.927
We're all kids were eating ethnic foods and all the kids were eating diverse foods and all kids were exploring their pallets so that we weren't seeing food as like.
00:45:16.383 --> 00:45:23.380
Oh that food is from India or that food is from Africa that's from Brazil or whatever it's like know this food
00:45:23.270 --> 00:45:35.687
we live in America and America is full of so many different cultures and we really really need to teach hits that and then I think also you know the pandemic happen and we saw this this heightened like.
00:45:36.017 --> 00:45:46.291
You're going to learn more about like race and diversity and inclusion and racism and things like that and I thought you know kids table could be a great way to teach kids about.
00:45:46.459 --> 00:45:58.057
Different races and ethnicities and cultures in a more fun way than reading a book or reading a post on Instagram because their children and they can't really do that.
00:45:58.216 --> 00:46:05.043
And you know it's an obviously like a more palatable way for parents to teach their kids.
00:46:05.058 --> 00:46:12.317
See ya there's just so many so many different aspects of kids table when it comes to just like changing the way that we truly think
00:46:12.269 --> 00:46:22.102
kids food and feeding our kids and teaching them about the world that they live in absolutely which is a really beautiful thing I think there's so many opportunities to teach kids about
00:46:22.072 --> 00:46:31.672
nutrition and culture and those things intersect more than I think we talked about I don't think it's talked about enough how much
00:46:31.624 --> 00:46:46.453
culture and well-being and nutrition all intersect and letting kids be a part of that because kids are smart like letting them be here with Mark and I think there's no reason why we should eliminate them from these conversations.
00:46:46.604 --> 00:46:47.219
That's.
00:46:47.288 --> 00:46:57.022
Probably we are where we are today is because you know kids were not taught this you know in our generation they were not taught these things I mean they were taught.
00:46:57.316 --> 00:47:01.370
Otherwise um and so I think
00:47:01.304 --> 00:47:11.092
it just it just really set home for me like especially when the pandemic happened and when all of these things are happening I was like okay this is the business I need to create
00:47:11.045 --> 00:47:11.984
50 Cent
00:47:11.945 --> 00:47:21.580
and it was kind of a sure moment and we launched in December it's almost a year crazy amazing
00:47:21.469 --> 00:47:32.023
but it's been really fun and really exciting and it's really cool to see kids exploring their palates and you know I can emails and text messages from parents who are tall.
00:47:32.047 --> 00:47:37.046
My kid tried your dumplings and they never eat dumplings ever or you know like.
00:47:37.232 --> 00:47:46.903
Mike a we travelled in such as southeast Asia and our kid was able to try all these different dishes because they try them with the kids table like that is what like.
00:47:47.162 --> 00:47:57.364
Makes me go crazy what hey you're why that's your wife yeah exactly that is exactly why I created this and then also just to help parents.
00:47:57.487 --> 00:48:00.704
Feed their kids I think a lot of moms go through like.
00:48:00.899 --> 00:48:15.459
A lot when they have a children a child and they're learning all the things how do I bathe this thing how do I feed them how do I sign them up for school how do I do all these things and I think it just feels really nice to be able to.
00:48:15.519 --> 00:48:27.855
Take care of one of those things for them and just say like like we can help you feed your kid and we can assure you that it will be healthy it will be delicious and it will be inspired by the world that they live in
00:48:27.852 --> 00:48:37.712
absolutely it's such a good example of creating a business that solves a problem which is what I think the most amazing businesses do.
00:48:37.971 --> 00:48:41.980
Yes exactly it's so funny that you say that because I
00:48:41.977 --> 00:48:51.603
a lot of people would tell me like you don't you're not supposed to create a business unless you're solving a problem and when I worked in the tech world that was a big thing like
00:48:51.582 --> 00:48:55.231
these Tech Founders were creating products that solve problems.
00:48:55.282 --> 00:49:06.430
And it seemed very very self-explanatory and so the thought of someone creating a product that didn't solve a problem to me it was like why would they do that but it does happen like people create them all the time
00:49:06.346 --> 00:49:13.947
but yeah just it feels really nice and also just very sustainable to create a business and a product
00:49:13.818 --> 00:49:24.731
that is solving a problem harm and that can continue to solve a problem absolutely and that supports parents I mean I think one of the biggest takeaways that I've seen from the
00:49:24.611 --> 00:49:26.910
pandemic has just
00:49:26.763 --> 00:49:41.106
really brought to light like how unsupported parents and caregivers are so even if it's something as simple as like a few of the meals a week for the kids or cared for and that's one less thing that the parents or caregivers need to worry about that's huge.
00:49:41.185 --> 00:49:51.450
Exactly it's huge and especially the parents working from home and things like that I just really wanted to be helpful and so that's that's kids table yeah.
00:49:51.465 --> 00:49:55.375
That is amazing so just thinking about like.
00:49:55.417 --> 00:50:05.061
Your next dream for kids table like what would that be oh my God so many things I would love.
00:50:05.086 --> 00:50:09.733
First I would just love to expand outside of New York I would love for
00:50:09.722 --> 00:50:23.363
the entire nation to experience kids table I think that everyone needs to experience kids table and I think I truly created this business to really change the way that we think about kids food and the way that we're feeding our kids
00:50:23.360 --> 00:50:32.725
our kids I don't have kids but the kids are the kids in the world and so like yeah that's kind of like.
00:50:33.101 --> 00:50:36.695
One of my biggest dreams right now is to really expand.
00:50:36.954 --> 00:50:45.617
Expand the brand and letting other people experience it the other thing I would love to do is publish a children's book.
00:50:45.677 --> 00:50:52.692
I think a lot there are a lot of books
in the Barnes & Nobles in the bookstores,
00:50:52.708 --> 00:51:05.070
in the kids section and there's not a lot of books that are around teaching kids about food and so I've actually written a couple and I would love to get those published amazing big another big dream of mine
00:51:04.996 --> 00:51:10.373
and then the other dream is to have like a location where kids can.
00:51:10.856 --> 00:51:22.166
Learn about food I think you I never wanted to create a product that was like here by this by this and this is going to solve all your problems I think that is bullshit like.
00:51:22.676 --> 00:51:33.797
Products don't solve your problems something I've always wanted to create a space for kids can actually learn how to make the food that they're eating at kids table or you know like
00:51:33.596 --> 00:51:38.181
parents income to take workshops about feeding and learning
00:51:38.007 --> 00:51:43.924
about cooking and things like that and so I would love to open a kid's table Studio
00:51:43.813 --> 00:51:48.399
there we hold classes and workshops and parties.
00:51:48.423 --> 00:52:01.677
And kind of have a community space oh my goodness all amazing things I'm like we let's get our manifestation juices together and laugh and make all of this happen because yes incredible
00:52:01.629 --> 00:52:10.697
yes it's so like I mean yeah there's just there's so so many things I want to do with kids table and it's just it's kind of funny because I think as an entrepreneur.
00:52:10.712 --> 00:52:25.533
Especially in the startup World a lot of people get funding and then they start creating an exit plan like okay how it whats max incline am I going to sell this company am I going to hire a CEO to run the company like what am I going to do what is my exit plan I think.
00:52:25.719 --> 00:52:31.997
You know as I'm in this world a lot of people ask me like hey like what do you see in like 45 years you know
00:52:31.976 --> 00:52:40.117
and I don't see an Exit Plan like I just don't see an Arctic plan like this is my baby this is my business.
00:52:40.321 --> 00:52:48.551
Even if I eventually sold it I would still create businesses on top of this that would stem from the Kids Table,
00:52:48.558 --> 00:52:58.076
so yeah I just it's yeah I don't really see an exoplanet I just want to keep creating fun things I love that though I think that that's a sign that you are.
00:52:58.577 --> 00:53:04.666
You're doing like your soul work when you yes exactly so.
00:53:05.032 --> 00:53:16.639
Okay you have multiple businesses you have multiple jobs you do a lot so how do you take care of you in between all of these amazing Ventures
00:53:16.537 --> 00:53:26.577
oh my gosh so many ways so I it's funny I like to I know that you had earlier you were like oh how do you wind down and I was like
00:53:26.511 --> 00:53:28.422
it's funny because I actually
00:53:28.393 --> 00:53:37.974
wind down before and after my day like my I'm like I am a firm believer in hand which you are too and having a
00:53:37.836 --> 00:53:42.286
morning routine yes and part of that money routine is like
00:53:42.193 --> 00:53:56.339
helping me kind of unwind a little bit and just like really like settle into the day and so I usually like to do a morning workout lately I've been really really into Pilates or P Volve like to go on a walk and.
00:53:56.597 --> 00:54:01.137
Breakfast is a non-negotiable for me like I love love love breakfast
00:54:01.107 --> 00:54:09.986
which a lot of people our age do not eat breakfast and I'm like what is wrong with y'all look like what is wrong with y'all I love
00:54:09.875 --> 00:54:17.683
like having a breakfast whether it's a smoothie or make something with an a it's just really really nice to have that time in the morning to just.
00:54:18.175 --> 00:54:31.870
Mind and settle into the day and I just feel like I'm much much better and then at night I again love to have a nice dinner I love to dabble in a little cannabis sometimes and just kind of like.
00:54:32.345 --> 00:54:35.552
Say it yeah no I think.
00:54:35.820 --> 00:54:47.490
The other thing I'm really really learning is to take a break so I don't know if any of you follow me on Instagram you've been seeing I've been traveling yes which is very new it's not new for me I've traveled.
00:54:47.532 --> 00:54:49.695
Before but now I'm just like.
00:54:50.412 --> 00:54:59.517
More inclined to take a trip the leisure travel I think we're in the soft life era and.
00:54:59.775 --> 00:55:13.515
It's okay to have a soft life and a hard life you know like and so yeah that's kind of how I really take care of myself as having my morning and my evening routine and then fitting in some travel time with friends
00:55:13.431 --> 00:55:17.044
and also just like solo time I think.
00:55:17.536 --> 00:55:26.343
There's nothing wrong with like going to dinner taking yourself to on a dinner date as far as solo trip or a solo like shopping spree you know just having time with yourself.
00:55:26.539 --> 00:55:34.526
And it's totally okay I think a lot of times as women especially women of color black women Brown women.
00:55:34.704 --> 00:55:44.006
Are like brainwashed to think that we don't deserve these things or like we have to keep working and working and working until we die and I think now I'm starting to get into a mindset where like.
00:55:44.210 --> 00:55:52.216
You don't need to do that thank you don't need to do that it's okay to take a trip it's okay to go to dinner it's okay to buy yourself a nice outfit.
00:55:52.645 --> 00:56:05.557
It's okay to splurge on some random stupid thing that you saw and Instagram ads don't but you wanted it uh-huh it's okay um so yeah that's kind of how I like to unwind.
00:56:05.725 --> 00:56:11.355
Definitely it I love that you describe so many experiential
00:56:11.280 --> 00:56:25.812
things like yeah experiences that you like to have with yourself whether that's treating yourself to a nice meal or a trip or creating an experience out of breakfast I think those things go so far in helping us feel
00:56:25.728 --> 00:56:27.072
good and
00:56:27.034 --> 00:56:39.361
it's a reminder that we can work towards the things we want and enjoy the life we have now at the same time it's not mutually exclusive exactly and there's just yeah there's no I think there's a lot of stigma or a lot of like.
00:56:39.583 --> 00:56:45.419
Scrutiny around the way that Wellness should be like what you should be doing to take care of yourself and I think.
00:56:45.741 --> 00:56:50.047
People need to understand that Wellness is not drinking a green juice and going to work out.
00:56:50.566 --> 00:56:57.185
It could be smoking a joint in the park with your friends like it could be taking a trip it could be
00:56:57.182 --> 00:57:01.119
going on a date with some cute guy like I don't know it's just whatever.
00:57:01.539 --> 00:57:15.667
Like soothe your soul whatever that is you know if you want to go to a city girls concert girl gal like you know whatever like that is Wellness I think Wellness is like doing what.
00:57:15.997 --> 00:57:19.727
Keeps your soul alive and what really is going to take care of you.
00:57:20.039 --> 00:57:30.043
Fully physically mentally emotionally spiritually and not just this I'm going to drink green juice and I'm going to eat a healthy meal and I'm going to go work out like that's.
00:57:30.275 --> 00:57:35.526
It doesn't have to be that it can be anything that you want that description of Wellness is like.
00:57:41.681 --> 00:57:54.584
For Mind Body Soul in sync I love it yes so Anicia a thank you so much for joining me today I think like you are just such an inspiration about
00:57:54.545 --> 00:57:59.841
doing the thing and putting something out in the world to and not letting.
00:57:59.973 --> 00:58:11.670
Obstacles are things stop you and so I feel super inspired by this conversation and I hope our listeners feel inspired how can people keep in touch with you and support you and for our New York.
00:58:11.811 --> 00:58:16.261
See girls how can they learn more about in order from kids table.
00:58:16.348 --> 00:58:24.876
Yeah so I am an Instagram a Tunisian go see it's and I CIA and JIA zi that's my personal Instagram
00:58:24.711 --> 00:58:30.458
I get a little spicy on their my business page is
00:58:30.293 --> 00:58:37.678
kids table and why and that's where you can learn more about kids table I website is kids table and why.com and Lookout we have a.
00:58:37.693 --> 00:58:45.708
Apprenticeships coming up I have some Partnerships coming up and this was so fun I'm so glad to be on the podcast it's kind of funny.
00:58:45.894 --> 00:58:58.302
Fie on the other end you sound like listening to the podcast and like lately I've been all about the financial wealth podcast and so it just really nice too.
00:58:58.668 --> 00:59:04.855
P part of this whole it is amazing to have you I feel like you are just.
00:59:05.069 --> 00:59:13.327
Doing doing the damn thing as a balanced black girl in a way that suits you so I am really appreciative of you being here.
00:59:13.378 --> 00:59:28.000
Yes thank you so much and if anyone is listening and if you have questions or you are in a moment where you're trying to change careers whether it doesn't even have to be want to be a chef or anything and you just want to advice or encouragement
00:59:27.871 --> 00:59:36.534
feel free to DM me like I love love love having conversations with people who are looking to start a new career start a new business
00:59:36.505 --> 00:59:41.702
or they're looking for ways that they can learn about being an entrepreneur.
00:59:41.825 --> 00:59:48.903
I know that like my community is what I've always counted on by me reaching out to people and so I want to be.
00:59:48.982 --> 00:59:58.248
That person as well that you can reach out to amazing so wonderful of you I will make sure that your IG is linked in the show notes to make it super easy for folks to find and follow.
00:59:58.398 --> 01:00:02.947
And keep in touch thank you so much thank you so much for joining.
01:00:02.800 --> 01:00:07.920
Music.
01:00:07.769 --> 01:00:14.668
Now I know you can see why a Nisha and I hit it off with that Retreat a few years ago because she's just such a delight.
01:00:14.854 --> 01:00:26.911
So make sure you follow her on social and New York Friends check out kids table the meals are incredible we will have a link in our show notes so that you can place an order there for your little ones,
01:00:26.917 --> 01:00:31.943
or yourself because I'm a grown adult and I would love all of those meals
01:00:31.787 --> 01:00:43.511
head to the show notes for discount codes and special offers from our amazing sponsors who truly make the production of the show possible don't forget to check the links use our codes it really helps us out.
01:00:43.535 --> 01:00:52.289
Now it next week we have an episode you don't want to miss I'm going to be announcing something super exciting free offering you are going to love.
01:00:52.466 --> 01:01:04.684
And we are talking to Kim Johnson head of community at one of my favorite apps Geneva to talk about why entrepreneurs and creators need to focus more on building community over building and audience we also talked about
01:01:04.655 --> 01:01:07.727
how to build an authentic Community around your mission.
01:01:07.752 --> 01:01:15.109
It's the episode I wish I had to refer to years ago so I'll see you back here next Tuesday to continue the.
01:01:14.960 --> 01:01:29.069
Music.
Sign up to receive email updates
Enter your name and email address below and I'll send you periodic updates about the podcast.