Proven Not Perfect
Proven Not Perfect
Embracing Parenthood and Entrepreneurship: Lauren Daniels' Trailblazing Journey through Food, Faith, and Family
Have you ever stood at a crossroad between personal ambition and the pull of family life? Our guest, Lauren Daniels, shares her story with raw candor and inspiring insight, painting a vivid picture of how she embraced the role of a mother while co-owning a thriving family business. Lauren's journey is a powerful narrative of making tough choices, celebrating the spirit of Black History Month by showcasing what it means to be a modern-day trailblazer. She opens up about her joyous balancing act of raising four children alongside her business endeavors.
Take a seat at our table as we serve up a hearty portion of entrepreneurial spirit with "Gobble Up the Bible" and "Little Chefs in Training." Lauren's passion for cooking and teaching children blossomed into a business that's as nourishing for the soul as it is for the body. Discover the fusion of faith, food, and family that led to this innovative program, and the steps they took to plant the seeds from which their dream grew. It's a story that reminds us how aligning with our divine purpose sets a journey to fulfillment.
Navigating the ebbs and flows of life and business, Lauren talks about the twists and turns of the COVID-19 pandemic on her 1st business, and how paying attention to trends led her to her current business, Southern Charm Bistro. Lauren demonstrates the resilience and adaptability required to thrive through uncertainty. We also peer into the future, contemplating strategic decisions for expansion while keeping the Southern charm that's at the heart of their restaurant. Through it all, Lauren emphasizes the grounding force of faith, family, and stillness that guide her in steering both her business and family life. Join us for an episode that celebrates the symphony of leadership, integrity, and love.
Happy Black History Month 2024!
Enjoy!
Drive, Ambition, Doing, Leading, Creating... all good until we forget about our own self-care. This Village of All-Stars pays it forward with transparency about misses and celebration in winning. We cover many topics and keep it 100. We are Proven Not Perfect™️
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Hey, proven that perfect. This is Chantrapal Boy. Do I have a celebration for you this end of February 2024, black History Month? Man, I saved the best for the end of the month. That's what I did, because, you know, oftentimes when we think about Black History Month, we naturally go way back, right, way back, and I think we overlook the very present trailblazers that are among us. And that's who I'm talking to today.
Speaker 1:Her name is Lauren Daniels. She is a sister mom, sister girlfriend of mine. I had the privilege of meeting her through a wonderful organization, talk About Black History, that for 84 years has been serving Black families, communities and our children and other children, jack and Jill of America Incorporated and through this process, meeting this new sister mom to me, I've unpacked this fierce, just solidly centered being named Lauren Daniels. So today, lauren is going to share with us pretty openly her journey as a very highly educated woman who had goals and desires and dreams, as many of us do. And when the time came for her to make a decision on where her priority was, what her focus would be, she chose her family. And you might think that that's man that's just given up a lot. When you've invested so much, we're supposed to do it all. Well, guess what? This lady unpacked a whole basket of goodness by choosing where she felt integrity and where she felt led, and now she is the co-owner of a family business, and she's the owner of a family business and she's the mom of four and she's slaying. Join me in celebrating this woman of God, this trailblazing leader who puts her family first with high integrity.
Speaker 1:My sister mom, lauren Daniels, enjoy. Hey, lauren Daniels, hi, how are you? Oh, I'm good. I'm good. I'm so glad to have this conversation with you. I'm glad to. I'm excited. Yes, okay, so you're. Look, this is the beautiful thing we're going to talk about moms who, like, just do it all and integrate all of it together business and life and ambition and all the things right with family. And here you are walking around with your little zoom screen, I'm sure past little people and all the things going on in the Daniels house. So, so on point and relevance is so on point.
Speaker 2:I was like wait, that cartoon is way too loud, Let me turn it down.
Speaker 1:We have to lay the foundation. Okay, you, you're a mom of four four, Wow, All right, your mama for and you actually decided to go a little bit different route. So tell me, tell me how you know being a mom, being a wife, how you decided to see your role, you know, in your home, what, what, what did, what were your choices like?
Speaker 2:So my choices started early on. So now I'm 40, which I can't believe 40 years young, 40 years young. And then I married when I was 20. So I married pretty young and after about a year of marriage we had my first son, brock Jr. So decisions came pretty quickly for us trying to decide what I'm going to do after I have him. Was I going to go to work or was I going to send him off to daycare? You know, that was the question that we both had, and after looking at everything, we were like, well, I think the best decision is for you to stay home, and so that's kind of what I did. I did have a political science degree.
Speaker 1:So I know.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So the plan was to go to law school and, you know, become Judge Judy, because I loved her. I was like I'm going to be just one day. So that was the plan, and it changed pretty quickly after we had Brock, because I felt like you know, since I had, when I had him I was like you know, he's my responsibility, he's mine, you know, and so I wanted to be with him every step of the way.
Speaker 1:Okay. So you have to answer this because there are younger women who are sorting out the timing of love in their life with their general desire and drive and ambition to do the thing that's on their heart. For you it was Judge Judy. For somebody else it's something else. I just reconciled that at such an early age, or did you? I mean keeping it real? Did you feel like? You know, I'm choosing the family path and that's more important? And if I have to just kill my dream of doing, you know, something independent, then then it's just killed. I mean, did you, did you have the foresight? I guess is what I'm wondering.
Speaker 2:I think it was easy for me to make that twist is my mom stayed home, so she was home with us. She, my dad, carried, you know, everything in the household. So she was home with all of us, this five of us. I have two brothers, two sisters. I didn't want to do something different.
Speaker 2:So initially, when I was young and I was a teenager, I was like, you know, I don't want to have kids, I just want to, you know, have a career and not be like mom. You know what I'm saying. So that was the mental part of it, thinking that's what I wanted to do. And then I had him and I did tour daycares, I did do that. And that's at the point where I was like, you know, what do I really want? Someone else raising my children. And that's what popped in my head. And I was like, what, what can I do? And so there was pressure to choose the opposite, even from my husband. He was like, well, shouldn't you work and make sure you help with it? Because we were really young. You know, when you're young, you have no idea what you're doing Like you're just making choices based on how you feel. Like, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:I feel love, I feel need, I feel want. Yes, it's all right.
Speaker 2:Some of us have a lot past that phase, though, lauren.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, it's really hard to move past that phase, but eventually you do, if you gain knowledge along the way and you understand what's important. Like you move past the feelings because you have to, Otherwise it corrupts good decisions, Like you know what I mean. So, just because I felt like I wanted to be something else at that point, I made the decision to be a mom, you know. So I had Brock. I was like I have to take full responsibility of being. That's my job, Like you know what I mean. So I'm going to do it for the best of my ability, no matter what I see around me, either. If I see my friends, you know, going to law school or doing all these things that I felt like were wonderful, I said I'll just put a pause on it and I feel like I would be blessed doing that too. It was kind of like a whole process. After thinking about it, I was like you know what, if I just wait and do my duty based on what I chose, I think I'll come back, you know.
Speaker 1:Yes, it always does, and that's that's the part of Just going with what you know and believe is the right thing. That's the amazing thing when I watch how people's stories come together and their life unfolds right, so fast forward. Then Brock was just number one, then you kept going right.
Speaker 2:So you know if you have number two after having number one.
Speaker 1:Yes, so then number two, three and four, and I guess the question that I have is at some point you started to build a creative interest in doing things that were outside of the home and you did it inside the home. Is that correct?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so what happened was my husband started a civil engineering firm. He's been doing it now for almost 20 years and I said to myself I worked for him for five years and I did everything as a secretary. I did all the invoices, the taxes, you know things like that and I worked in his office. So it was almost like at home. You know, there's a head. And then when I was working for him as a head and then at some point I was like you know what? I think I need to step away from all the headship and I really wanted to do something for myself. So after I had Emmanuel, that's when my husband was like hey, you know.
Speaker 1:Emmanuel, maybe number three.
Speaker 2:He's now 12 and he said well, how about you put Emmanuel into school for three days a week, cause he wasn't ready to go to kindergarten. So my rule was I'll stay with them, they go to kindergarten, I'll work them through the process of getting through school and make it. You know, do all the field trips and you know all the things that moms do typically when their kids are in school and not homeschooled. And so when he went three days, he was like well, you can work for me and, you know, do those things for a little bit. So I started doing that.
Speaker 2:At first I was hesitant but I was like, okay, I'll do the three days, cause he wasn't really talking yet. So that was my thing. I'm like they can't talk, they can't communicate with me, I don't know what's going on at school, they shouldn't be there. You know, that was my whole like philosophy. So he only went a few days. So I was okay with that at that point and I started work for my husband. And then I was like but I cooked a lot at home. So I was like, always cooking, you know. So I scheduled our meals. I did, you know, like breakfast, lunches, you know all the things and I used to watch Food Network, like it was nothing, like it was like-.
Speaker 1:That was your nerve pill, with kids in the house and the husband and the businesses.
Speaker 2:Yes, that was my nerve pill. And then I would recook books and like, do different recipes at home, and originally I did not know what I was doing. I did not know how to cook at all, like that wasn't something that I had naturally in me, you know, and so over time I just became like more passionate about it. I even tried out for MasterChef.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 2:Yes, I did, I did, I did. So I got to the point where I was like I think I can do this, I think I can be like this self taught chef and like do all these things from watching and seeing and reading all of these blogs and recipes and stuff. So I started, I did like this whole. I went to Miami and did this whole like interview. It was really cool.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:You really did this. Yes, I did this, yes. So then I was like, after a little bit of time for working for my husband, I said you know what? I think I want to open a restaurant. Like that was my first jump. And he was like Lauren, I don't know if that's a good idea.
Speaker 1:Now, where was baby four in this mix?
Speaker 2:Savannah was not here yet. Not here yet, okay.
Speaker 1:But you're full on. I'm really enjoying cooking and I believe I'm good at it and I want to step out in it. So you try out for MasterChef. Do you get to the runner-ups or anything, or what was that?
Speaker 2:like I got to like second interview, wow, and I wasn't picked. That's pretty cool, but it was really cool. It was a cool process Cause I got to see what everyone else was doing, what it was like to be like behind the camera with a producer and be asked certain questions, and even like learning more about myself and how I dealt with people, cause being at home, as you know, as a mom, you don't you're not around a lot of people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was around like kids, you know. So it was very good You're around to be people and they are nutty.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly so you know. So I started to learn a little bit by myself and you know, and that sort of thing. What'd you learn?
Speaker 1:What'd you learn, tell me? You show up. You've been political science degree, so we know you're packing all of it and you've made this choice to live your life this way, dedicated to your family. Yes, anticipate in this process, I would imagine, with people from all walks of life, all different experiences. You show up. What did you pull courage? Your courage, where did it come from? To say I can do this? Because I actually think for a whole lot of women that would have made a choice like yours initially, that would have been a real, real milestone of a decision to make.
Speaker 2:I think for me the courage came from just people try my food, like me knowing that the food was really good, like people were like oh my God, you did this. This is so you know, so good, and that confidence builds you up to the point where, like, I want everyone to try my food, you know. So that's kind of where I was, but personality wise, I was still like an introvert. So I think for television they want like excitement and like crazy personalities and like I'm like super laid back and like chill. You are chill, yeah, and I think for-.
Speaker 2:Which is good, it's good, but for TV that doesn't work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, get it. They like wrong. Everybody's gotta be chill. Everybody can't be over the top.
Speaker 2:Right, right, right, that's true. Actually I was like why can't they pick me? But I think I was too quiet, too reserved, okay, and I didn't know enough at that point of how to navigate that kind of world. So that wasn't picked, but it's okay.
Speaker 1:So when you left, not picked, and you learned a lot about yourself, did you say there's something that I wanna do later on, or did you? What did you learn?
Speaker 2:Well, what I learned was is that maybe at that point I wasn't ready for television like the big scene, so I needed more time, you know, to hone my skill to deal with people. You know that sort of thing. So we used to attend this church here in Estero and I said, well, honey, why don't I start like a small group and maybe I can teach people how to cook and what I've learned over the years? And you know that sort of thing, and that's kinda how the buzz of wanting to teach people how to cook started. So I started a group. It was called Gobble Up the Bible.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it's really cool and all these kids signed up and I was like, oh my God, what are we gonna do so?
Speaker 1:okay, the theme, lauren is yet again. You're surrounded by little people. Girl, what kind of penance are you paying?
Speaker 2:Well, I knew I was good with kids. Like at that point I'm like you know what? I know I'm good with kids. I got three of them, so I made it. So you know, I'm an expert at that at least. And then food. So those were the two things I felt like I was really good at. I was gonna be the mom and I was good at cooking. So I was like I gotta somehow combine those two together, you know, and that's kinda how. And then I'm a Christian, so that also played a role in like knowing how I could tie food, the kids and the Bible into all. One thing, you know, and it really worked. Like it was a great, great session. We did like a few sessions after that and we would get maxed out like every time, like it was really cool yeah.
Speaker 1:I love that idea. Yeah, so here you are. Were the lessons that you were sharing, things that were practical, that moms and kids could do together? Was it sort of with a family bend Cause? That really screams of you really knowing your brand, your brand, your market.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it had a family band, so everything tied into like Genesis. So I took, like, for instance, the Tower of Babel, like the language changed and we were like we're going to learn about other countries. So we did like different foods from everywhere, like Hong Kong and like you know, like um, we did like Italy and like all the things that ties to how culture started, like from a biblical perspective. So it was pretty cool and so I was able to tie that into food and the parents will come, they will cook with the kids, they will learn something new, they will get the recipes to take home and the Bible study to take home too.
Speaker 1:So Wow, oh my God girl, that is such a great idea. Okay, so then, this leads you to what next?
Speaker 2:That led me to opening Little Chefs in Training. So after my husband saw which he's always like my check, like he's always the person that says, okay, lord, what did you just do? Does it make sense, like as far as, like you know, my vision and my dream, how it would actually play out into the real world, and he saw, he's like, well, I think this is what you should be doing, like on, like a real level, and so the power of partnership.
Speaker 1:I talk about that all the time and I want all of the you know, young women that are older women, quite frankly who are considering being yoked and who they're yoked with man. You cannot underestimate your choices, because the right one will push you when you don't want to move. They will see what you can see. They will inspire what is just a spark. Wow, that's so good. So never settle people, never settle, never, never settle. That's very true. So here's this man pouring into you, telling you what he sees.
Speaker 2:Yes, and when he said that, I was like Okay, he was like if you start here, maybe it'll eventually get to the restaurant.
Speaker 2:But I think he's like I think if you do this it'll work, because we don't have anything like this in Fort Myers, where we were living at the time, and so I just started doing my research, like how to start a business.
Speaker 2:What's the process of doing that trying to find a building or a space to do it in, like marketing and like a whole like you know, like how to create a logo, and so the fact that I was home, I had time, so it helped me to that time helped me to figure out exactly, you know, what I needed to do to start a business. So I had a little bit of a cough, but, yeah, that time helped me figure out what I need to do to start a business. And so I said that with my sister and she helped me create a logo. I had the name, like what I want to do, but we have to actually figure out what it would look like. And that's basically how it started, like me going to our house like what am I going to do, and it like fast tracked into, like having a logo creating a website, what type of classes I want to teach. It just kind of like went so fast after that.
Speaker 1:I feel like that is the case when you are in your lane. You know what I mean. I am, you know, on a spiritual level, as a Christian myself. I find the times when an idea comes gently, sometimes, loudly sometimes, but when it is absolutely the lane that is ordered for me, it just comes, every single aspect of what I need. It's not hard, it's not right, but, girl, let me decide something. That's really not what I'm supposed to be doing. Oh, it's like pulling teeth, it is, it's a push, it's so it feel you feel the work Right. Yes, I think the difference for me is when it is really the lane for me. I can work until we hours in the morning and it's it's life giving the other way around, girl look, no, that's very true.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think when you're, when you're on the right path, like we're God wants you to be, the path is much easier. And it's very clear if you're choosing the wrong path, you know, sometimes we fight against it, of course, until we realize it. But then at some point, when you're like sweating, you're like, oh my gosh, I don't think this is what he wants me to do, and you kind of just give up at that point.
Speaker 1:But I have to ask you this because it just hit my mind. So when I think about you being drawn to Judge Judy and drawn to law and a law degree and think about then what later would come up as the path, the blessed path for you, can you see, looking back, any similarities between little chefs as an idea that would spawn into even more that we'll talk about? But can you see any connections between the judge Judy vision and maybe who you were becoming at that point?
Speaker 2:I think just the whole research aspect of it loving to learn and gathering information is so natural for me and I learned that over the years just what kids like, learning about how kids bodies work and what they need when they're sick, and all those things just reading and learning what I should and should not do, based on being a mom that played into the business aspect. So if someone asks me a question I don't have the answer, I'll go easily be able to find the answer based on just doing research and I love to read. So that was another thing that also helps, because most people when they start businesses they typically go out and outsource, like, oh, I need someone to open up a sunbiz, go to sunbiz and open up a business frame. But I did that all on my own because I was just able to find it, Like you know. So I think that part of me with the law still plays in, because as a lawyer you gotta do a lot of research.
Speaker 1:You gotta have the right answers.
Speaker 2:A lot of reading. Gotta have the right answers, so, and there's no mistakes when it comes to being a lawyer, right?
Speaker 1:So yeah, oh, my God, detail. So okay, so now Little Chefs. Little Chefs is rocking and rolling, I believe.
Speaker 2:Yes, little Chefs is rocking and rolling and for about five years we did that and then COVID hit Right. So we had the COVID issue, where our kids stopped going to school for like a whole year and everyone was concerned about their kids being in small groups or even being too close to each other. You know that sort of thing. So we actually had to close Little Chefs for a little bit. For about a year I closed because my kids were out of school. But before that, actually like maybe a year into Little Chefs, that's when Savannah happened, so my last little bouffa she's four now Savannah Daniels. So she happened.
Speaker 2:And so while I'm doing classes, summer camps, what is? We used to do a lot of cooking competitions with, like Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. I'm walking around fully pregnant, like doing this thing, and I'm like, oh my gosh, I can't believe this is actually happening. So she was my actual surprise, in the sense that Emmanuel and her are eight years apart, wow, yeah, so it's a huge gap, but she's actually a blessing, because the older they're really close in age. So when you have kids that are close in age, they don't have any mercy for each other because they're always like competing or like you know, it's always some drama.
Speaker 2:But then when you have a little one that comes into the mix, everyone's like so dedicated to making her feel happy. So they understand what it means to like actually have a child Like. You know what I mean, like how to love and how to give and how to take care when they're sick. You know that sort of thing. So they've seen that.
Speaker 1:Oh, and you're such an amazing mom that is so beautiful to think about it that way. It really is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, at first I thought it was gonna be really difficult. Like I have this business. Now we have three older kids. How am I gonna manage all of this? Cause it was just like a monkey wrench. Cause I thought, okay, now all three of them in school have time during the day to do what I need to do, you know. But then she came and I'm like, oh my gosh, I have a baby. Like for a whole year I looked over and I'm like I have a baby. Like what is happening? Girl, I understand that, yeah, but so far, I mean, I feel like it's helped. My daughter, my son, she loves when they come in the house, it's like she jumps on them, she hugs them. Like her and the younger Emmanuel, they fight all the time. It's crazy, cause he used to be the baby.
Speaker 2:So it's like that's how it's competing. But the older two they totally get what it's like to be a mom or dad. You know that sort of things.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, all right, so COVID happens.
Speaker 2:COVID happens. I closed, little Chefs, cause we were all concerned about what we found out.
Speaker 1:You never thought about doing a Zoom version, because a lot of people you know immediately went to what's a virtual option. You never thought about doing anything like that.
Speaker 2:I did maybe like two Zoom versions of what we used to do. I did like bakery boxes where the parents would come up and pick up the bakery boxes with the items in it and with the recipe, but it sort of just kept fizzling on me. I wasn't getting enough response cause everyone was in flight mode, like no one knew what they were going to be doing. Yeah, so at that point I was like, what can I do? And we have this space. I'm like we have this beautiful kitchen. Like I was like I can just do takeout. I was like I can just do takeout. They're only allowing restaurants to do takeout right now. So I created a little menu. I sign up for all the door, like Door Dash and Uber Eats, and I even did. I was even a ghost kitchen. We're like, yeah, so so crazy.
Speaker 1:I used to do Okay, that was like such a crazy concept in 2020 that I'd never heard of before. But seriously, on Door Dash, you know, my son was just like oh yeah, I think this is from a ghost kitchen. What the heck is a ghost kitchen? Tell the people what a ghost kitchen is.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna tell y'all, I'm gonna tell y'all, like, there was three brands that we did. The first one was Tiger Bytes, which was like is he's a rapper? Which he's like a millennial rapper. I don't even know what he's rapper, but I picked up this brand and what they do is I can't remember the name of the company, but they have like a few brands on their website. You could pick from the brand. If you have a kitchen license, you can cook all the brands, right. So I did Tiger Bytes, mr Beast Burgers and then Mariah Carey's Cookies. That yeah, yes. And so during COVID, everyone was on lockdown. They couldn't go anywhere, but you know, you could only really order takeout.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so the most popular one was Mr Beast Burgers, and so we used to get like 60 orders a day oh my gosh, non-stop. It was crazy and like people really love burgers or is this like a COVID thing, like what is happening. So I was in there slinging burgers for like a whole year.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yes.
Speaker 1:And I was like Did they give you the recipe? Did you have to follow their recipe?
Speaker 2:So they just gave us the components, like the boxes that you needed, what to buy, like a whole guideline of what to do and what Mr Beast Burgers concept, what it should look like. You know, you're just replicating someone else's brand, right? And then DoorDash would come in. They would pick up the order and deliver it to someone with all the packaging, all of the labels. Wow, or Mariah Carey's cookies was like we would bake the cookies, it would be her brand and we would just ship it out to whoever ordered that day. You know, so it's kind of cool. So that's what sparked in my mind. I'm like, oh my God, if they could do this, I could do this.
Speaker 2:That's right, I'm gonna create my own brand, Like you know. So I started coming up like a little, like a little takeout menu, Southern takeout menu, because we have like no Southern food in Fort Myers. That's the best of all.
Speaker 1:Which is really crazy. Yes, because you know there is a population of African-American there for sure, but I guess maybe the thing that I often miss is that it is more of an island heritage than it is a deep South Southern US heritage, right? People keep reminding me of that, like I think immediately, oh, but you know it's Fort Myers, right, but it's a very different origin than me, perhaps you know, being from New Orleans.
Speaker 2:That's very true. And then the deep South part of it is more weirdly like. You have more Caucasians that are deep South representing in Fort Myers and you do African-American deep South.
Speaker 1:That makes sense to me. Now that I'm starting to understand its apocryphal more, I get that I mean before moving here, that completely flew over my head.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and when we moved from Fort Lauderdale that was confusing to me too. When we moved here I was like where is the culture at? Like, where do we go to even eat Southern food or to go to cultural events, Like, where is that? And it wasn't here that we could find anyway. You know, now it's gotten a lot better. But yeah, like, a lot of my customer base are, you know, they're Caucasian Southerners, Like that's who comes in the restaurant, you know. So it's very different in Fort Myers. It's a different, you know.
Speaker 1:This is a different heritage because I'm sure to a lot of the African, the black Americans that are there with an island heritage, they're looking for the Jamaican or the you know whatever. Yeah, it's different, it's just different Wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that when we were closed down for COVID like we just made a major pivot, it allowed us time to to like redo the whole restaurant. Like the front space represented had murals on the walls of, like cooking classes and kids and food. Like we had someone come in and do this big mirror and paint this mural and we covered it all up. And I was so sad we cover all of it up with wallpaper. I'm like I'm not painting it over it. I was gonna put wallpaper up, you know so, but we did wallpaper and we have, like in the restaurant, all of these beautiful black and white photos of different jazz singers, the greats, yeah, over errors of time, like the 1930s and 60s.
Speaker 1:I think Billie Holiday is on the wall.
Speaker 2:Yes, diana Ross, we have Louis Armstrong, cap Callaway, Sarah Vaughn, so we totally did a pivot. We changed the name. I wrote out some names, that Southern Southern Charm Bistro, yeah, so we just I just kind of took that time to do my research about what was in the area, what we needed in Fort Myers, and that's kind of how it happened, like just writing down those ideas and doing my research. And so and my husband is my, I want to call him my bank, but my finance here, but everybody needs one right.
Speaker 1:You've got to, and I'm sure you had to justify the dollars because you know, being a businessman, being a business person and business family, you know that's there was an opportunity cost, right. So investing in Southern Charm are not being invested in the civil engineering firm or investments that you could have done. So how did you, how did you guys come to agreement that this was ready to go Like? Did you literally legit pitch and Well, I think he okay.
Speaker 2:So, like you said, he's my partner, so any step of the way, like we make decisions, whether they're smooth decisions or whether we're arguing about it, like we make decisions together so we he was there when I was doing Mr beast and he was like, oh my gosh, I can't believe we just made like $6,000 today, like you know, and then of that 6000 we would have to give 30% of that to the brand. Like back to Mr beast, you know, in a sense. So he's like we should be able to keep all of that, you know, in his mind. He's thinking, you know. So he was like, if you do come up with your own brand, if you do something, let's just make sure we're making that kind of money. Like that's how he's thinking.
Speaker 2:So as we sat down and we looked at the numbers, what it would look like to change the lighting and the painting and do the wallpaper, we always, with having a family for you always have to have a cushion. So we did have a cushion and we said, well, we can, we can just do the minimal. As far as decorating in the front, the kitchen was already done. We had already spent the major money of doing the space in the back. So it was just more about like the marketing of our space and then the decor and then getting a bear and wine license, which we do have. That wasn't a major cost, it's just a process, you know. So we did that and I was nervous, of course, to open and just I'm always nervous to do like a big, grand opening, so like I just paste myself and I didn't do like a full announcement to maybe like two months after.
Speaker 2:So I just the menu. People would start finding us based on our Google page and our website and they just started coming in and slowly people started ordering and I started seeing what people wouldn't order, what they wouldn't would order what they like, what they didn't like, and I would just adjust the menu based on that, you know. But I just gave myself some space because, being it being new, I was really unsure what I didn't expect, you know.
Speaker 1:So but you also. You also leaned into the privilege of a financier, quite frankly, right, because somebody else you know who's put all the money in and there's no more money coming. They're about how do I quickly get to revenue? Right, you had the ability to be a bit more organic, which I think was a was a competitive advantage, but, frankly, because you just around what the what the market was telling you, that's really neat. So how many iterations did you actually see before you were like this is it, this is grand. People are coming back and you start to see the build, the traffic come through the door.
Speaker 2:And I would say about four iterations. And then the feedback to so like what started happening was people, which I didn't expect. What people started doing, like all the glory views and they're all like just the praise of the food and the space and what it looked like, and I was like, oh, wow, like people actually like my food. So that made me feel great and more confident as we kept going. And then feedback from my husband, so he would try my food or the kids would try it. Now they're older they would say, mommy, this is wonderful, this people would love this, you know, and just my family and stuff. So it's very helpful, because carrying the burden of someone saying they don't like your food is very hard to get through.
Speaker 1:So they don't like anything. If you're in business, right like, that's like take it personal, rightly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think the fact that I took it personal help me to see, help me to make things better that weren't good, you know, and and I think that's kind of how the menu over time, because now it's stuck. Like people love my biscuits.
Speaker 1:Yes, they are so good.
Speaker 2:So that that and that you are coming to Fort Myers if you are near Southwest Florida.
Speaker 1:I'm not playing seriously. First of all, there's something on the menu that you will probably love but, those biscuits Gosh, I'm pretty sure, like with one, you know, you not only have a pleasure experience, but you do gain a little late.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you do, yeah, yep, and what I do to is like I make the jams in house, so I do like a raspberry jam or blueberry or whatever seasonal fruit there is, so I can do a peach jam, like we've been doing mango jam. So like I try and integrate things into the menu and they're very fresh, not too heavy, where you can actually eat it for lunch, you like, you know I'm saying, and then people call for the biscuits. They take them home. They could take them home frozen or baked, you know. So just anything that I do at the. Maybe it's not big and that's because I want to do everything that's on there. I try and I do it well, like you know what I mean to try not to overwhelm myself.
Speaker 2:I think after people started coming in I was like, okay, now it's time to do a soft opening, let's just do it, like you know, and everything just sort of fell into place at that point. So now it's been a full year and a few months of Southern time Are. We have a lot of things that we're going to do, that we're looking forward to, like to, to new, to new projects that we're super excited about. We're thinking about two locations, which is kind of like within a year and a half maybe have to two locations that are more visible, you know. So people can see us more, and that is something. And then a biscuit product that we're trying to market to grocery stores. So Excellent.
Speaker 1:So you know that's where I was going next, because I was really curious. Coming out of this, you probably now are thinking about okay, I can start to scale this right and you can scale it a couple of ways. You've got two great things going on. The experience is just wonderful. I feel like you're in a Southern, hospitable, intimate setting. So I'm hopeful I'm putting a plug in as a consumer that that Southern charm has to maintain that Southern charm right. So spaces. So I'm not going to be able to speak in that way. But then also, with the biscuits being like such a hot, hot product, man, how do you start to package that and get it on the shelves? And you know all the big ones and that really is going to change the game, could potentially change the game. Pull through for your product, pretty cool.
Speaker 2:Yes and that, and that's actually the plan. Like I feel like not. Have we done this a full year? What is it that's coming through to our customers? That I could pivot and actually make more money? That's hands off like that. I don't have to do too much to gather money. And my husband said you know, every review we look at, like, our rating on Google right now is 4.9. Wow, so in every review that someone mentions our biscuits Wow. So I was like, oh well, I think this is it. Yes, I think there's a message, yeah, there's a message. And so recently I actually got the nutrition facts back from a science lab that have to, because you need nutrition facts and packaging that makes sense in a freezer section. So nutrition facts are back. I got packaging already done as far as it was designed. And today I actually was in conversation about what that packaging, the company that actually prints the packaging and the process on that. So I'm not far away, I'm running with it. I'm like I'm just going to run till it's done, you know.
Speaker 1:So yeah, it's not going to be hard. It's just like we talked about when you're in the lane, it just pulls you. It just pulls you. You know, I kind of feel the same about you know, recommitting and growing, proving that perfect Right. You get to a space where you start to get pulled into divergent, competing priorities and then it does just don't produce goodness. And then when you start to go back to what you were told and shown, you know it all starts to even those things start to, you know, feel better.
Speaker 2:That's true. I mean initially we were open from 11 to three. The hours for some of our customers were a little strange, but I was like you know. I have a family. I have to leave the restaurant at three o'clock to pick up my children. I'm like there's no other way. This is going down Like.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying so I try and keep, even though we're busy and people want things. As far as catering and that sort of thing, I have to say no sometimes because I have to put my family first. I'm like you know I love what I do when I, when I'm in the kitchen, but then outside of that I'm still a mom and a still wife have to cook and clean, like everybody else does, you know.
Speaker 1:So but that's the beauty and that's, quite frankly why I was like you know what, lauren? We've got to talk in the proven not perfect community room, because most of this community is driven women who have a passion and love for a thing alongside a passion and love for their family, alongside deep faith, right and expectation for many things, and the challenge for many people is weaving in together that passion for the thing and the passion for family. And I was so inspired by watching you and learning more about your story where you've literally woven these things together and man to create the boundary that says I'm not going to allow fear to tell me that I have to strike with how customers want this business today, right? No, your boundary is your commitment to being in the home and getting all the things done, and business just weaves into that and it's happening and you're still growth, right, like you're not changing that boundary. I think that's beautiful. Do you see it that way? Or is this just by accident that this is happening? Are you trying this? Well?
Speaker 2:I see it that way. I think, because, like, the prayer is to always make sure that I'm honoring God right, so I think he helps me to leave that process because I feel like you know, I know people are going to make mistakes, right, but if I can like, try my best to not make mistakes that are detrimental to our family or even to the business, by acting for help, you know, as far as, like, praying and acting the Lord to help me, see, whatever I supposed to be doing, whatever I do, help it honor him right, because that's our goal in life. We are Christians, like, we're supposed to honor him in everything that we do. And so, even though, like at one point, my husband was like we should move the time to seven o'clock people are wanting to be open longer I was like, honey, I can't do that. I'm like, how can I do that if I got to be home with Savannah only four? She's not a teenager, you know. If she's in school, she's done at three, she needs to see me.
Speaker 2:I'm like I can't be at the restaurant till seven o'clock, it's impossible, you know. So I, you know there's challenges, right. So there's always someone saying, oh, you should be doing this and you should be out letting people know who you are. And I'm like you know, to me I don't feel like it's necessary, not yet, but I'm like you know. I said what I do like my product is what people need to see, not me yet, until the kids get older and there I know they're okay, then maybe I'll have more time for that, but right now I just don't think it's the time.
Speaker 1:Girl, I'm telling you this right here has just blessed so many people. Because that's the thing we get impatient, yes, get impatient. We get this vision and we want to go and we believe that if we don't go at that pace, we're going to miss out, we're going to lose, it's going to close up, that window is going to close. I even hear people say that right, even some Christian leaders say that you know, when it comes to you, you got to do it now, or else you know somebody, somebody else will be inspired and it'll be done. But I actually rest very similar to where you are. If it's yours, it's yours, right?
Speaker 1:And even if you are the 9,999th person to do it, you've never done it. It's never been your touch, your unique touch, your voice, your placement, and so now it's just a matter of how do we stay still and patient and let it come in the process and the time that it should. Girl, that's a whole, whole lot of word.
Speaker 2:Yeah, to keep it to prayer, but I think having, like any mom or wife, if you have a lot going on at night, you really need to take time to pray Like that's the one thing that will help you see things clearly better. Like you're going to have different opinions. Of course you're going to ask, like your, your family, people that are close to you, what's a good direction to take, because then you have to take all that information in and then pray about it. Say, hey, lord, like what should I do? Like what is the next step? What will make things easier for us? You know and better, and I think going to him with all the information you have from other people helps you to guide you where you need to go. Like that's, I think, that's important.
Speaker 1:I'm doing a lot of sitting still too, because you know I used to approach that prayer time from a place of like here's my list and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah blah. And what I have come to really appreciate in the season that I'm in is when I go and sort of sit in that space of prayer with no list but just just stillness and welcoming and obedience, I feel that I really get poured into and the conversation starts to happen with my soul.
Speaker 2:You know what I?
Speaker 1:mean. Yes, the list is important too. We all have specific things that we're praying for. But I feel like, you know, there's there's sort of two times a day, right. There's that time where I've got that list and there's that time where I'm just sitting and I'm receiving, with no noise, with no, just just listening and receiving. You know.
Speaker 2:Right, right. And I think that's important because otherwise how do you receive this peace, Like if you're not sitting right, If you're not receiving, because that's important, Otherwise you can't get through the day or the next thing. So that's really important.
Speaker 1:Well, miss Lauren, this has been such a beautiful conversation. I am sure that the folks in the community have really been blessed by your words. Even the way you speak you just the harmonious confidence and courage, just peacefulness, girl, it just radiates from you. And you've got four babies and a husband and multiple businesses that are in demand and growing. So that is your gift. That is your gift and thank you for sharing that peaceful space with all of us. We can do it right. No matter what it is we're trying to do, it can be done. It just takes that faith and conviction and being still and making sure that you're thinking longer than just the short-term goal. You're thinking journey, and that's what I think you do so well.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, sandra, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1:Awesome, so good to have you. I'll see you soon. Thank you, alright.