Meet Nikki Rowland

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nikki Rowland. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Nikki, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I’ve always loved cooking. My family has always has a history of feeding others. My granddaddy was a mason in the Atlanta area, and would have bbqs and pig roasts for his mason brothers, their families and our family church. My granddaddy taught my daddy all he knew about bbq’ing and cooking. And as my daddy’s only child, he taught me. I was taught, at an early age, how to cook just about anything. My college best friend has always been my biggest encourager when it came to starting my business and becoming a personal chef and caterer. I’d cook something, she would eat it and immediately say, “you need to be getting paid to cook this!” My purpose has always been I just want to feed the world. The support from my family, my best friend/sister and my clients continue to help me pursue that goal. Knowing that people are always going to need and want to eat makes me want to come up with new items to prepare. Makes me love the art of cooking even more! I feel like I can never stop learning new items to cook and share with the world.

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’m a personal chef and caterer based in the metro Atlanta area. I also travel all over the world, by request, to feed my clients! My focus is FOOD! I specialize in food. Feeding people is one of my top love languages. Making sure my clients never need to pick up a salt or pepper shaker – because the foods I prepare are seasoned and flavorful. I’m adamant about serving my clients the same foods I’d prepare for my own family. Nothing canned or frozen. Even if that means running errands to various stores and markets to make it happen. Quantity is never an issue, and quality is always priority. I can prepare for a mama who needs a break from cooking for her family – so that she can just get home from work and warm up a home cooked meal for her family. I can prepare appetizers and a full course meal for a wedding reception of 200 people. I can also pack and bring my kitchen bag along for an international flight to prepare meals for a client away on location for a month. I love being able to serve fresh food to clients, at a reasonable price. I have a full menu – with pricing – on my website. My pricing is by the pan, because that is how I purchase ingredients. My prices listed gives clients of all walks of life a clear and concise idea of costs, to prepare for their event specific budget. Currently, I offer Sunday Soul Food Plates (for pick up in Atlanta only), for those who would like a tasting of my menu items. I’ll be doing a plate pop-up in Las Vegas at the end of July 2024. I also run specials for most holidays, like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc. Thanksgiving and Christmas are my busiest times of the year, when clients allow me to help feed their families for the holidays.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Most of the time people think a chef just needs to know how to cook. But TIME MANAGEMENT, CUSTOMER SERVICE/PROFESSIONALISM and ATTENTION TO DETAIL are the three most important qualities that I try to instill with every order. Time management meaning making sure my prep and cook times are aligned with completing an order. I often set timers for specific tasks. I make it habit to write out prep lists on index cards for each order. So I can cross off a completed tasks. I strive to make every client feel like they are my only client. Replying to messages in a timely manner. Communicating with clients with salutations and details, so there are no assumptions on my end or theirs. I also make sure to do “touch base” texts with my clients, to make sure we are on schedule and to let them know I’m on point on my end. When a payment is made, I confirm receipt with a text. Communication is key. My clients will tell you I’m not a “shallow pan chef”. Your pans WILL be full, and you WILL get your money’s worth!

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

One of my goals is to be more impactful in the lives of children, teens and young adults. I would love to partner with someone or an organization who have the same goals. The days of home ec in schools are few and far between. I’d love to offer a scholarship based facility and program to offer to children, teens and young adults who want to learn more about cooking, and also the business aspect of it. Why should they have to wait until they graduate high school to pursue their love for the culinary world? If they show a love for cooking early on, why not offer classes, programs and summer camps. Teens are the biggest group to NOT have things to do during summer months. Especially the age group who aren’t old enough to work. I plan to open a facility that gives the younger generations a place to go to to learn this beautiful art of cooking at an early age.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shecooksueat.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shecooksueat/