Meet Shannon Guzman

We were lucky to catch up with Shannon Guzman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shannon, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I don’t think you really overcome imposter syndrome. It is very real. You definitely have moments where you doubt yourself or your ability to be in the position that you’re in. Questioning if you’re good enough, or talented enough. I think the only way I deal with it is just knowing I am different in my own special and unique way. I bring something different to the table, my flavors are different, the quality and time I put into my work is different. I don’t take short cuts and really put a lot of love and effort into my work and I believe it shows. I just try to remain confident and only focus on what I’m doing and not paying attention to what others are doing.

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 have been Catering for about 13 years now. I am also a Private Chef. I absolutely love being a Private Chef and meeting new people from all walks of life. It really doesn’t feel like work because it’s just so much fun working with a group of people who get to watch you work and are always so excited to see the final result/presentation.

Right now I am working on expanding my business and gaining new clientele. I am also working on a cookbook that is almost complete and putting out my spice blend, so stay tuned for that!

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?

Number 1 you must be resilient because entrepreneurship is far from easy. You will want to quit many times. A lot of people do quit and that’s what separates the strong from the weak. Number 2, educate yourself. Have a plan on what you want to do and how you’re going to get there. This is never ending, as in any job you must embrace change. If you want to be a Chef you must always be willing to learn new things, you have to work quickly without sacrificing quality. Even though we make it look easy, it’s extremely hard work. You must be able to manage time! Also failing helps you succeed. We learn so much from our failures and shortcomings so don’t ever be discouraged by that. It’s only helping you grow into who you’re meant to be.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I would love to collaborate with other Chef’s. I have hired other Chefs to work for me and I love being able to learn from them since we’re all so different. I also love being able to teach. I have had people reach out to be mentored by me and I’m always open to letting them work for me and teaching them.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: FoodWithBenefits2020
• Facebook: Food With Benefits
• Other: ChefShannon_Guzman