Speaker 1: 0:30

Hi, my name is Christina and I own Fish Flavors by Chris and I'm in Northern Virginia and I serve. My clientele is from the area.

Speaker 2: 0:42

Awesome. So bring me back to the beginning. Like, what got you started? How did you get started in this?

Speaker 1: 0:50

So I think, since I was a little kid, we always back home. I'm originally from Dominican Republic, so they make us do like a little bit of seasoning peel the garlic, mash them and we don't have all those fancy gadgets that we have nowadays, so we just have to do all of that, and as a kid they would not allow me to use a knife, but they allow me to do certain things. So I started doing that and then when I moved here, I was 15 and I was just like hungry and I didn't want to wait for my mom to come home and cook. And I was like, okay, I need to make something. And that meal the first meal I ever made she loved it. She was so relieved that she came home with food and the table, so her face light up in a way that it just made me so happy. I was like, oh, I love this. And then I started trying more things in the kitchen, trying to make up recipes that I had read, and that's how it started. Make up like recipes that I read, and that's how it started.

Speaker 1: 2:01

But I never went straight into like I want to be a chef, I want to become a chef, I want to go to school for it to become a chef. The school that I wanted to go to was too expensive and at the time I couldn't afford it. So I was like, okay, and I went into banking and I spent 15 years there. And when we moved here to Northern Virginia, covid hit. Everybody lost their jobs and we started working for our own. I came across a client that was looking for somebody that can cook for them at home, and that's how it all started. And I do Monday through Thursday like private chef. I go to my client's house, cook the meals for the week and then on the weekends I do events. And this is what I do and I enjoy it very much.

Speaker 2: 2:54

I love that. Wow, such personal service that you offer.

Speaker 1: 2:58

Yes, it's very customizable, from these boards to gracing tables, to the client's meal. Every week they tell me what they want. Either I look for recipes or they provide recipes. Some of them are very strict with what they eat, which is amazing because I've learned so much for ingredients that I never knew about growing up and choices that I didn't know we had Makes it very interesting.

Speaker 2: 3:27

That's amazing. Tell me about this board. It's beautiful and it looks delicious and I can't wait to dive in.

Speaker 1: 3:34

Yeah, I can't wait for you to try it. So this was like a simple thing. I don't know if I can qualify it as simple. But this is like the most simple for a couple of people to snack on while drinking a glass of wine or watching a movie it depends how fancy you want to feel. So we have some prosciutto, salamis, brie my favorite cheese, you can't go wrong and this kind of sharp cheese that is dipped into a carbonate wine and it's just delicious.

Speaker 1: 4:05

You can eat the rime and everything and the combination with this fake crackers and the fake jam is just delicious. That's beautiful too.

Speaker 2: 4:14

Thank you, I appreciate that. Yeah, it looks like an art piece to me. Oh, thank you. So you've said that Feast Flavors by Chris is about abundant joyful feasts and bold, unforgettable flavors. What does that?

Speaker 1: 4:29

mission mean to you? In practice, it's all about trying different things. For example, my husband is from Ecuador, I'm from the Dominican Republic, so sometimes mixing and matching flavors it brings that explosion. So, like with travels I've done and learning from other culture, other ingredients mixed in, and my favorite part is like when we looked at the background, where all the culture we use the same ingredients but they just cook differently and the flavors are just incredible, but it's the same ingredient, so it's just the way it's cooked. And learning that and bringing that to a table and getting the client saying, oh, my gosh, this is delicious and it was something simple. And I'm like, yes, this is delicious and it was something simple. And I'm like, yes, this is what I'm bringing, this is what I have.

Speaker 2: 5:20

That's amazing. Why do you believe that food has such a powerful way of bringing people together?

Speaker 1: 5:27

It's just simple. We hungry and we enjoy something. We're all going to talk about it. We might be silent for a minute because we're just savoring everything, but once we like get into that, oh, I like the way this tastes. Now let's talk about it with friends, family. Anybody Could be your worst enemy. I bet you will enjoy the meal.

Speaker 2: 5:55

Looking back, kind of reflecting on how you made that career jump from banking into your business today. Obviously it happened around that COVID era. But what's the most important lesson that you learned from turning your passion into a business?

Speaker 1: 6:12

I just thought it never could happen because I didn't know what I wanted. I know it was food related, because even though when I was in banking I was always cooking for family, friends, little events, I was baking a lot I even got to bake for weddings when I lived in New York but I wasn't sure how I was going to go, because I wanted to offer something very personalized for clients. Opening a restaurant wasn't an idea, and just the fact that I came across this option that I could just go to your home and make it to your liking, that was for me like the biggest hit. This is it. I don't need anything else For now. I'm very, very happy with the results.

Speaker 2: 7:01

That's beautiful. When clients hire you, it's not just food. They're buying into a whole experience. What values guide how you and your team deliver that?

Speaker 1: 7:12

Yes, definitely the experience. I just tried my best to provide that family feel, that friendly feel, once it is transferred to the plate, if that makes any sense, just transfer it to the plate so one day, enjoying it, they will just love it and feel comfortable. They feel home. Yes, it is your home, but you know and that homemade meal makes it more special when it's with family. Like some of my clients, I get just experience to eat with them after I make the food and just the way that they enjoy it. It makes me very happy. So just bringing that and making them feel like yes.

Speaker 1: 7:53

I'm working for you, I'm doing this for you, but at the same time, I'm putting all I have, all my love, into this and be transferring felt to that day, felt that then that's I'm done with that. That this is it, this is perfect.

Speaker 2: 8:09

Yeah, so quick question the way that you spell flavors is that wasn't a mistake, is like the British way, right? Yes, what inspired you to do that?

Speaker 1: 8:20

So, for whatever reason, I thought it would be like more flavorful. I don't know if that makes any sense, but yeah, that's what I thought it was Like. Okay, it looks more flavorful to me, like doing it this way and I've been corrected so many times I'm like nope, it's with a U, it's the gritty version. And I even look it up because I didn't know and I'm like okay, this is a mistake, Let me look it up. And when I look it up, it's like no, this is a fist and it's a lot of flavors. That's right With a U.

Speaker 2: 8:54

So I love that. So how do you hope that your journey inspires others who may be afraid to step away from their safe career path to pursue their passions?

Speaker 1: 9:06

If you don't take that push, you will never know. I was having this conversation on my way here with my husband and I'm like how am I going to answer these questions? How am I going to do all of this? But it is simple. He kind of pushed me I was a little bit afraid of, but he pushed enough to me realizing that it's doable. And if you don't try, you don't know. Once you try it, once you're there, you know what do you want to do? How do you want to go with it? How is it going to change for you if you need to make changes to an idea that is already out there? Something simple yeah, there's tons of companies that send you meals at home already make you just put it in the microwave and that's it. But I'm going to your home, I'm making it special for you. I'm not making a big bash for different families, it's just you. So that makes it a special, that makes it a little bit different. Let's go with that. Just don't be afraid, like I was, yeah.

Speaker 2: 10:15

Yeah, I heard somebody say the other day when I was talking to them stop running away from fear, or stop letting like fear chase you, like run towards it.

Speaker 1: 10:25

Yeah. Yeah fear, chase you like, run towards it. You know, yeah, I have a fear of snakes and when we decide to move here, I'm like I love being in nature, so I have to learn and I learned that we have over 30 species of snake, two venoms and then. But I love hiking in the winter because I know they sleep in it. So hopefully no snakes have chased you, so no, but I have been very close to them. That I couldn't handle before, now I can.

Speaker 2: 10:56

So I completely understand why somebody will say that what legacy do you hope feast flavors by Chris Leaves in your community?

Speaker 1: 11:08

A good time with food, a good time with family and friends, a good time with just something to relax, something to I don't know like purify you from the inside out. Like food is good and you can go the wrong way and have the no good stuff and eat the stuff that you can't. You know that's not going to be good for you, but you enjoy it. But if you get something homemade, fresh, with love, you're going to treasure that forever, I guess. Yeah, that's at least how I feel. I just love when people come over to eat and then tell me how much they love it, and then that's my rewarding part of the whole process, doesn't matter how tired I am. That makes me very happy.

Speaker 2: 12:01

When someone sits down at one of your grazing tables, what's the one feeling you hope they walk away with?

Speaker 1: 12:08

Photos and then tell me how much they love it. I just back in the days, nobody takes photos of food. But now it's all about taking photos and the wow factor, just because it looks appetizing to your eyes, and like, oh, let me take a photo first. And that means like, hey, you already took a photo of it. You're going to look at it, it's in your phone. You're either going to post it somewhere, you're going to talk about it somewhere, you're going to do something with that photo and it's just going to go. Oh, where do you get it from? They got to talk about me.

Speaker 2: 12:50

That's smart. So you want them to feel like inspired, almost to yeah one way or the other.

Speaker 1: 12:56

I had a client a long ago and she saw a table that I did for another client and she's like we love to cook, we love to do all of this, but I want to feel special that day. I don't want to do the cooking, I don't want to do anything. Can you make me something like this table? And I'm like, okay, yes, I can. And the next day that was the same day that my nephew, my dog, had passed away and the next day I got the most beautiful message. And the next day I got the most beautiful message. She took a photo and she's like this is the best thing that ever happened. I was right by hiring you.

Speaker 2: 13:36

And I'm like, okay, yeah, this is good.

Speaker 1: 13:39

And she took a photo Of course, it's all about the photos you have to.

Speaker 2: 13:47

Yeah, yeah, it's all about the photos you have to. Yeah, yeah, um. Is there anything else specific for part of your journey, your story or any pieces of advice you'd like to share with the audience before we wrap up?

Speaker 1: 14:03

on a little personal note, just the journey coming from a third world country to the United States the dream for so many people. It was very challenging, not knowing the language, not knowing the culture. Thankfully, I came to New York and I felt there's a lot of my people there, but the culture shock was a big thing for me, like going to school and having a uniform and seeing these girls with shorts and I'm like, oh my God, this is not something I did, then getting bullied because of my accent and so many things. Then I got really sick and it was kind of like it hit, hit me because I had to have a big surgery and if I didn't have it it was going to be no more than three months for me to live and a couple of weeks is going to be 19 years since then. That didn't make me I did get sad and all that, but it made me realize that we can do a lot and I did change the way I thought, the way I did things and that kind of pushed me to go a little bit on the right path.

Speaker 1: 15:28

I just wanted to change and I think we all hit one wall that will tell you okay, it's time to change. That was mine. And having that second chance to experience new things, to do wild things jumping off a plane, things like that that I never thought in my life I would do and then being here right now and being able to communicate with people through food, it's just the way to go for me and I will encourage everybody to find excuse me, to find that way to hopefully you don't have to hit that wall and you can find your calling before then. But just pay attention to your surrounding. You find your calling and it will take you to greatness. I think I'm doing great.

Speaker 2: 16:20

I think that's beautiful and I love what you said, that you're communicating through food. Because you're right If you don't speak the same language, no matter where you are at in the world, food is the perfect way to touch people. Food is the perfect way to touch people.

Speaker 1: 16:35

It is All my clients. I have four families One Monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday and they all have different backgrounds All of them and the clients that I hire me for events all different backgrounds. And seeing them enjoying and seeing them looking at the food and getting all the oh so excited to eat it and we don't speak the same language. I'm winning I don't know about anybody else, but I'm winning. And then getting to see them having that first bite, just like your mama did.

Speaker 2: 17:14

Exactly Back in the day, right, exactly, just like your mama did. Exactly Back in the day, right, exactly.

Speaker 1: 17:17

So that's just winning right there.

Speaker 2: 17:20

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 17:21

I don't need anything else, just show me that I did what I did and it was right. It's just that simple.

Speaker 2: 17:30

Simple things in life.

Speaker 1: 17:32

Yeah, that you will always remember.

Speaker 2: 17:35

Anything else you'd like to share? Hire me for your next event well, I was gonna say I definitely had that reaction. When I saw that board. I was like, oh, this looks so good. Look at that cheese, look at the fig spread, look at the you know going on, the kiwi is so cute the way that you displayed it too.

Speaker 1: 17:57

I was um, it was funny because yesterday I'm in a bunch of groups on facebook and yesterday somebody asked it's like a catering group. And somebody asked what was your like? Oh, it was one of the groups and they asked what was your worst mistake when it came to doing boards? And I was like the first one I made and I made it based on what the person wanted. So I added things that you don't typically see in a board, but that's what the person asked. And when I posted online and I think I still have it posted, but I didn't delete it just because I want to see what I did and how far I have come but I got roasted and it's like Oreo cookies and feta cheese and things that I'm not typically in.

Speaker 2: 18:51

It sounds like a pregnant woman. It was actually. It was.

Speaker 1: 18:55

It was a craving type of thing, so I'm like but I'm not gonna judge.

Speaker 2: 18:59

Hey, yeah, no, judging's on here.

Speaker 1: 19:02

Here's your cookies, here's your feta cheese but you know like, and I'm like okay then I started adding different things and I'm like I started it make me look more into like, okay, what appears better with what, and how this goes together with this, and it's just like you know, instead of making the changes.

Speaker 2: 19:22

And but, um, yeah, that one was brutal but I know she enjoyed it, though that would be fun to do a post before and after. Here's's where I started, here's where I'm at now, but I can still always go back to this board if you really really crave the Oreo cookies and feta cheese.

Speaker 1: 19:42

I've got to look into it and do that because that'd be funny, but at the same time it's like something okay, you see how you threw everything in here and look at it now how it is and you know. And what I love about these boards is just this like family style, yeah, and again, family, yeah, it's all about the family, it's all about the friends. So it's not like plated meals are beautiful, it's a work of art. But when everybody's together, but all the food is right there for them to serve themselves and enjoy the conversation, I think that's more meaningful to me.

Speaker 2: 20:20

It physically brings people together to the grazing table. They are talking.

Speaker 1: 20:24

They have to talk. Whether they like it or not, they're going to talk. Oh, I like this cheese. Oh, what is that Are?

Speaker 2: 20:30

you going to eat that last one? Yeah, I know, can we share the last?

Speaker 1: 20:33

piece they're going to talk.

Speaker 2: 20:35

Whether they like it or not, they're going to talk. Thank you so much for being on the podcast. You did an amazing job sharing your story, and this masterpiece is beautiful and can't wait to dive into it.

Speaker 1: 20:46

I appreciate it. Thank you for the invite.