Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Myers.
Hi Emily, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I remember learning to cook as early as 5 years old. My grandmother had me standing on a stool at the stove teaching me how to properly scramble eggs and make grits. From then on out, any opportunity I got to be in the kitchen I was. My passion for food and cooking began there.
I always wanted to go to culinary arts school but could never afford it. My grandmother taught me the basics, but over the years I began to experiment with different ingredients and seasonings and basically taught myself what I know. For holidays or family celebrations, I do all the cooking and I absolutely love it!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The last two years have been rather difficult. I launched my catering company in July of 2019 and had steady business with small events but at the beginning of 2020, I found out I was pregnant, and then COVID happened. Once my daughter, Abigail, was born in September of 2020, I threw myself into motherhood and put my dream of becoming a chef on the back burner. I struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety and just didn’t have the energy or urge to get back in the kitchen.
Cooking has always been a comfort and peace for me. it’s what I do if I’m happy, sad, depressed, angry; but for a long time, I couldn’t get that spark back in the kitchen. Then New Year’s day of 2021 my grandmother died unexpectedly. It was a heart-wrenching blow to me and my family. She was the matriarch and backbone of our family. It really was devastating. So months after giving birth to my daughter I lost one of the most important people in my life, and the reason why I had such a passion for cooking in the first place. But I knew I had to make her proud and pursue the dream she helped create.
As you know, we’re big fans of Fabulous Feasts Catering. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Fabulous Feasts Catering is my catering business specializing in full catering services for weddings, parties, corporate events, and private dinners. I also offer weekly meal prep services!
I’m most proud of the fact that although I don’t have a team or staff in place yet, I still provide the best! I do all the prep work, cooking, traveling and marketing for my business. It’s not the easiest but my passion for what I do keeps me going. My goal is for my clients to experience my love for what I do through my food!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
The biggest risk I’ve taken is uprooting me and my daughter’s life to Greenville from Columbia. I quit my job as an assistant community manager and packed up our apartment at the end of April. We stay with my older sister and have only been here about a month and a half. Making such a drastic move was definitely me stepping out on faith. I know cooking is not only my passion but my calling as well. Other than motherhood, I haven’t felt fulfilled doing anything else.
I guess you can equate faith to taking a risk, but I firmly believe that if you step out on faith, and trust in the vision God has for you, then He’ll provide everything you need! It hasn’t been the easiest adjusting to a whole new city, especially only knowing one person here, but I felt I needed a fresh start for the relaunch of my business. In a short amount of time, I’ve made so many connections. And I owe it to myself, my grandmother, and my daughter to stick it out and make my dream a reality.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @fabfeasts
- Facebook: Fabulous Feasts Catering
