We were lucky to catch up with Darris Cue recently and have shared our conversation below.
Darris, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I believe I got my resilience from dealing with some traumatic experiences in my life. I realized once those things happened to me and I didn’t fold, Like I could have given up and just said “eff it,” but I realized this doesn’t have to be the end for me. Granted grief is a sneaky and painful thing but I believe with my craft and work it has made life bearable. To backtrack, I lost my mom and my girlfriend within a 4 year span. Sitting on the front row of a pew during a funeral twice is not a seat I would offer to anyone. So those two ladies in my life have been part of my inspiration and the foundation of my resilience because I know I am making them proud with my passion for food.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I always enjoyed cooking for loved ones and friends and I miss the restaurant industry. For years I had tried to figure out how I could get back into that world. A close of friend of mine, who is an amazing chef, gave me a chance to help assist with a private engagement and it took off from there. I provide food services from everything to girls nights, romantic dinners for two, baby showers, birthdays, or just because they love my food. I have traveled from everywhere from Pigeon Forge to Atlanta to Baltimore to feed people my amazing food. I plan to travel more this year and hopefully by the end of the year someone I see on TV or film will try my food.
I love the feeling when people try my food and they are so impressed with it. I have always been selfless (so I been told) so this is a rewarding experience for me. This journey has opened so many doors for me and I feel like the sky is the limit.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One skill is the ability to learn. Sometimes I do not mind learning from other chefs/peers to see what I can improve on. Having dialogue with those in the industry can definitely can assist getting your creative juices flowing. Also my resilience has definitely helped during my journey. There are times where everything doesn’t go your way and off script. You have to be prepared for the worse at times and have a plan in place. Also another important skill is communication. Make sure you are detailed with your intentions for your client and make sure you find out exactly what they want. Keep them abreast of anything that comes up. Ask questions to your client, especially when they are indecisive and need direction. Also communication is important in the kitchen as well. Being loud and clear is essential to avoid safety issues and to make sure you are one page when you share a kitchen with someone.
How would you describe your ideal client?
My ideal client is someone who wants to challenge me to do something amazing and outside of the box. They trust me to provide a beautiful spread and also provide the vibes. The ideal client gives me the creative freedom to execute exactly what they envision. Also ideally they would like to be a repeat client.
Contact Info:
- Website: tbwloversnfriends.eventbrite.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/tbwf_cue
- Facebook: facebook.com/darris.cue
