Meet Khaya Mathis

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Khaya Mathis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Khaya, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

My optimism comes from trusting in God’s plan for me. I can go through adversity and still be optimistic because my life is a true blessing. I know and experienced how it feels to fall and get back up with God. So I don’t fear the negativity, I just roll with life’s punches and trust that God will lead me somewhere better. I’ve faced rejection so many times in my life I think I just naturally know how to handle and deal with that. I’ve learned that it’s better to have faith & be optimistic than it is to not have faith and be pessimistic. Especially when you have a business…

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?

My business is called Khaya’s Chicken N Wafflez. I cook & sell soul food. I do full time catering & takeout. Cooked with love. My Mac and cheese is so delicious (I thought I’d say that haha). My name is inspired by Roscoe’s Chicken n waffles in LA. They have a variety of soul food dishes on their menu & that’s what inspired me to do something similar with my menu. My goal is to have a fast food soul food business. We need more of that here in the US.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I’ve always preached that starting your business foundation with God is so important. I couldn’t imagine having my business without God’s input, guidance and protection. I also believe that having determination is a good characteristic to have because you just gotta stay determined to win in order to continue growing your business. I remember I had a medical emergency which caused me to need emergency surgery the first year of my business. I recovered for about 2 months and then I started my business back up again. I had the determination to heal & start selling soul food again and I’m so glad I never gave up. Look where I am today! If I would have given up I wouldn’t be where my business is today. And finally, the last most important skill to have is hard work. Hard work is what is going to get you through the finish line. I promise you, hard work does pay off.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

I love this question. There are so many books that I have read. But nothing comes close to the knowledge & wisdom you seek from The Bible. Man, I feel like all of the wisdom I’ve learned comes from Bible verses & Bible study sessions. Having faith like Joseph, giving praise to the lord during sufferings like Job & having strength like Samson. It’s so inspirational. Genesis alone is so good to read. The Bible just teaches us how to live a righteous life & who to follow. I wouldn’t be the woman I am today if it wasn’t for reading the Bible.

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