Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Alanna with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Being the only child of entrepreneurs, my work ethic & resiliency come from my parents. My mother started a sewing & alterations business in my early childhood. My father started a lawn service in my early teenage years. Entrepreneurship is what I know and love. I grew up watching and working with both of my parents. Both my maternal & paternal grandparents re-enforced those same values. They all had labor intensive day jobs, like factory workers, domestic workers, nursing assistants, & custodial staff members, but they also were farmers, pastors, & cooks.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I absolutely LOVE feeding people GOURMazing food! My business, Alanna’s Gourmet, is a private chef & catering company, We work with a variety of people on all sorts of events, but I most enjoy private dining with tour groups that come to visit Montgomery. Meeting people from all over the world and introducing them to my version of Southern Cuisine is what I love. I am presently expanding dining and hands-on cooking experiences. Our dining experiences offer guests a fine dining experience, complete with dedicated waitstaff and custom developed & designed menus.
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?
The three qualities or skills I think were most impactful are my dedication to a quality service/product, my tenacity, and my work ethic. The advice I would give is: 1. Research your discipline. Know the ins and outs of what you are offering, and ask every customer what you could have done to improve their experience. Learn from those experiences, because there is always room for improvement.
2. Never give up. When people tell you what you cannot do, look for an alternative route. If you can’t go through, go over, or under, or even around. Just don’t allow anyone to steal your ambition.
3. Practice. Learn. Do. Repeat. Until it is second nature. Until you can do it in your sleep. Then teach someone else to do the same.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always looking to collaborate. I love to incorporate food in unexpected ways with all types of events. If anyone is looking to work with me, they can download my contact information at http://contact.alannasgourmet.com . I have collaborated in a variety of demonstrations, multi-course meals, art events and more.
I am also currently in the running for Chef Carla Hall’s 2023 Favorite Chef. If you would like to vote for me, please visit vote.alannasgourmet.com . You can vote once every 24 hours! Please vote, and share with others. I also have a Facebook group, “Vote Chef Alanna 2023 Favorite Chef”, for anyone who wants to keep up with my progress!
Contact Info:
- Website: alannasgourmet.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/alannasgourmet
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alannasgourmetllc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alannasgourmet6126
- Other: 2023 Favorite Chef Facebook Group –> https://www.facebook.com/groups/votechefalanna2023favoritechef
Image Credits
The Institute of Black Imagination, Lush Photography
