Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Brown-Wood.
Hi Robin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Spent a large part of my life in food and beverage industry–front of the house and back of the house. Took those experiences and started my catering company, 17 years going now.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Is any entrepreneurial venture ever ‘smooth’? Smooth is always nice but I realized the things I knew–cooking, connecting w people and the things I didn’t know—the business side of things. I enrolled in a 3 year business course through the local business development center and talked with a LOT of people who gave me wisdom and guidance as I created my business.
Being in a smaller community but large enough with potential business helped. Being a woman of color and a Veteran also helped, to some degree, as there seemed to be enough financial incentives to help with investing in a small business.
COVID definitely had a negative impact; business pretty much came to a halt for a period and I took that down time to pursue other creative interests.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My catering company is an off-premise, full- service catering company. We have no brick & mortar but travel to wherever the event takes us. We travel all over Lane Co and provide catering for 20-300 people. Our area is rich with raw ingredients, produce, proteins, small food vendors, beverages so we try to collaborate with and support local as much as possible.
I was born in the South and raised in a very culturally diverse area so my exposure to food was all over the map. Each of my menus are custom created–no 2 are ever the same—because I want our clients and their guests to feel really pampered. My love of my roots combined with my love of exploring other cultures helped me to focus on ‘fusion cuisine’. Alma Catering prides itself on offering unusual items and dishes that can’t be found elsewhere. Other caterers have set menus but we purposely don’t because we want to keep eating soulful, sexy, fresh and fun.
We consistently get feedback on the quality, flavors and presentation of our food and many times are told that what we offer takes guests back to their own roots. My staff is well-versed in customer service for any kind of event and are groomed to take care of our clients and their guests as if they were family.
We have regular requests for gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and vegetarian dishes which are no problem for us (not all caterers want to accommodate such dietary requests). I’ve created quite a collection of dishes that address those limitations and am happy to take care of those who have genuine sensitivities.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
If whatever you want to pursue is truly your passion then do it. Don’t get in your own way with the what-if’s and the why nots. The ‘how’ will come when you manifest the ‘why’. Ask questions but be careful whose advice you solicit. Your life is YOURS and no other person can determine what is right or wrong for you. Don’t let ‘fear’ be an obstacle—-visualize the end result every step of the way and it will come to fruition. Realize that you only have this one life and the only way to become the best ‘you’ is to grow. That growth comes from challenge–whether self or other imposed because there will be challenges. See them as opportunities to reaching your goals, not blockades. Stay positive, persistent, and patient.
I was raised that ‘if you’re going to work really hard, then you might as well do it for yourself’. I took that advice and applied it many times over the years to many entrepreneurial efforts. Food and beverage had always been a constant in my life when all other industries didn’t cut it so I went for it. I wouldn’t trade much that got me here 17 years later—every experience, good or bad, was there to teach me more about myself. I just got smart enough to listen—FINALLY!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://almacatering.net
- LinkedIn: Alma Catering
