We were lucky to catch up with Luvenia Mayo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Luvenia, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
My optimism comes from my faith! Knowing I can do ALL things through Christ who strengths me, Philippians 4:13. Believing in something bigger than myself and knowing what’s meant for me will never miss me! NO ONE, can stop what God has for you. Its already written!! I also found optimism through empathy and self compassion. Reminding myself that even though I may encounter trails or setbacks, its only temporary. I had to learn to give myself grace, because mistakes are inevitable. I’ve recognized I can make the best out of whatever circumstance I’m in.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Flair Cuisine is a on/off premise caterer focused of providing meals that not only nourish the body, but the taste buds! As our slogan says “Foods’ essential, Flavors’ a choice”. The exciting part about what I do is creating dishes! To some it may not sound like it, but being able to experiment with sauces or seasoning is essentially the same as playing around with colors on a painting. All of our recipes are original and tailored to our client’s needs: However it’s quite energizing to freshen up dishes by putting my own spin on it, or what I like to call a “Flair”. It started in my childhood cooking with my Mother for her business, then cooking for my children at home. It later transformed to cooking for family gatherings, and has now blossomed into what it is today. To be able to bring together and connect a community using meals cooked with love and infused with intention has truly been rewarding.
As a brand it is important to us to also be a food source that is reliable and trust worthy. We’re working on several projects to expand our operations, and be able to provide the finest dishes in ways that are more accessible. I don’t want to spoil all of the surprises, but I’ll let you in on one. Flair Cuisine’s food truck will soon be enroute! For the other ways we’ll be expanding, you’ll have to stay tuned!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Having courage, discipline, and persevering has been the most impactful on my journey. I had to dare to believe in myself. I had to have the courage to keep chasing my vision, what I wanted for myself, and my business; To even start. Taking control of my career, has felt like getting behind the wheel for the first time.
Improving your courage, discipline, and determination is one of those things you improve with time and experience. Especially the tough times. When life seems to be throwing curve balls or set backs, welcoming it is one of the best things you can do. It’s easy to resist the things we don’t want but not the things that are out of our control. It can feel like it’s taunting you and waving around in your face. It’ll be what it is, and welcoming it is the first step to having courage to know you can endure whatever it is. The discipline to pay attention to your thinking, you have to choose to be positive. The perseverance to keep at it but maybe make adjustments (after all, you can learn from every experience). Final advice I would give an entrepreneur is to stay true to who your are, trust your gut instinct, and Ask a lot questions.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
There several things I do when feeling overwhelmed, very similarly to creating optimism! First I seek refuge in my faith by praying and ask for guidance and clarity. I’ve learned to walk by faith not by sight, what you see isn’t always what it is. I also rely on my support system, and confide in friends and family that I can trust.
Advice I offer to anyone who is overwhelmed is to slow down! Get back into your body, do breathing exercises, engage your senses. What do you see, taste, smell, etc. You have to find and build a system that regulates you, whether it be writing it all out, saying it all on a voice memo, or talking to others to get out of your perspective. Your feelings carry a message for you, especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Try asking yourself what you need in that very moment. Do you need to eat, or maybe take a break? I hope one of those help!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.flaircuisine.com
- Instagram: flair.cuisine
- Facebook: Flair catering 15
- Other: Tik Tok- Flair.cuisine
Image Credits
Rezzolutionz Media-Terez Beauford
