Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Johnson
Karen, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I began my journey to becoming a personal chef by first achieving my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition. I then relocated to Cleveland to obtain my master’s degree in Community Nutrition from Case Western Reserve and stayed in the Cleveland area to raise my family. I completed culinary school locally at Loretta Paganini’s professional ICASI program after having two children and before having my third. I am now a personal chef who specializes in nutritionally based medically prescribed diets. I help clients better understand how to manage the day-to-day of a new diet. Services include grocery shopping tours, pantry organizing to accommodate new dietary plans, menu design, and full-service meal preparation. Services are catered to the clients’ needs.
It wasn’t until my third child developed epilepsy at the age of two that I began my current business venture. My daughter was put on a strict medical Ketogenic diet in the hopes that it would stop her 50 plus daily seizures. Miraculously it did, but the four and a half years of maintaining the diet were difficult ones. I began volunteering through the Epilepsy Association of Northeast Ohio counseling other families who were considering the same course of treatment in the hopes of controlling their child’s seizure.
This grass roots effort began reaching people with other dietary needs. It was at this point that I began charging for my services. I have had many unique opportunities since then, rarely hesitating to take on challenging new clients, including professional athletes.
I did not grow up in a house that emphasized healthy eating and am not sure why I gravitated toward a career that involves improving clients’ health through dietary changes, but I get a true sense of joy from watching my clients reclaim their health and well-being. That is what motivates me to keep doing what I do.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are pros and cons to being your own boss, IIt is difficult to separate work and personal life when you are self-employed. The boundaries are not clearly defined. It is up to you to discover your own limits. You control your schedule, but everything begins and ends with you!
Putting your creativity out into the world is a very vulnerable but necessary step to success. Don’t be afraid to believe in yourself. It also helps to surround yourself with people who also believe in and support you and your mission.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I never considered myself a creative person, but after eighteen years of creating menus that meet clients’ dietary goals and that clients enjoy, I believe it is my creativity that has brought me success; my creativity and my people skills. I enjoy interacting with clients, getting to know them, and finding out what motivates them. That is what inspires me to create menus that meet their dietary needs that they will also enjoy!
I am uniquely qualified to create recipes and menus for medical diets. I get referrals from past/present clients, doctors, dietitians, and professional sports teams. I complete the link between doctor’s advice and practical application. My services include anything from explaining a new diet to a potential client, cleaning out pantries of unwanted items, grocery shopping tours, and preparing diet friendly meals on site to be enjoyed immediately or stored in refrigerator for later consumption.
The thing I most enjoy is developing recipes that meet the dietary requirements of my clients is coming up with delicious ways to prepare healthy sweet treats. Many of my clients avoid wheat, dairy, and refined sugar, and many of these clients also like to enjoy sweet snacks and desserts. I have developed many recipes for sweet treats that are vegan, gluten-free, and contain no refined sugar. Having these snacks makes it easier for clients to maintain their diet and improve their health. I also enjoy making videos of my recipes which can be found on Instagram (chefkaren_cle) and my website (ChefKaren.us).
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
1. If you have a true passion for doing something with your life, don’t be afraid to believe in yourself and go for it! It will be hard and challenging at times, but always worth the effort. I love being my own boss and being in charge of my own destiny!
2. Don’t take constructive criticism personally. There will be people who do not believe in your vision. It is possible to take their advice seriously without taking it personally. Challenge your goals, mission, or business philosophy, but do not take it as a personal reflection on you or your self-worth.
3. As your business grows and you need to hire, do your best to surround yourself with people you can lean on and who support you. Having a reliable support network is invaluable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chefkaren.us
- Instagram: ChefKaren_cle
- Youtube: @ChefKaren_CLE
