Episode 47: How to Start a Business After Divorce with Kari Heron

Acquania Escarne 0:03

You are listening to the Purpose of Money podcast, a podcast where we talk about ways to build wealth and create more freedom in your life today. I am your host Acquania Escarne .

Hey guys, welcome back to the Purpose of Money podcast. I'm your host Acquania Escarne. Before we hop to this week's episode, I want to share with you a awesome update. I did a pretty big thing recently, I partnered with She Can Work. It's an online school that teaches women to build and maintain wealth. We help women achieve their long term and short term financial goals and impact their future through building a legacy. The platform officially launches in January 2022. And I've been chosen to be a live course instructor. And I'm also going to have some pre recorded courses on a platform to I'm going to focus on life insurance of course, as well as smart goals and budgeting. I'm super excited about She Can Work because the founder and CEO Tiara Abu is a big thinker. She's also a member of my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta. And she is so inspiring. Ever since we first met, I've been moved by her mission, her enthusiasm, her passion for women, and building wealth is so amazing. I know that together, we're going to change the lives of millions of women worldwide.

And I'm super excited to announce that we have our flagship course ready and out for you to take. It's called Writing a New Money Story. And I think this is so essential to anyone who is looking to reframe their mindset around money and to change their relationship with money. Because before you can build real wealth, you have to wrap your head around what is impacting your current relationship with money. So if you have a second, please check out the course Writing a New Money Story. The link is in the show notes. Or you can also check out the purposeofmoney.com slash money story, the purposeofmoney.com slash money story, it'll give you my money story as well as some more information about the course. And I definitely think you need to check it out or share it with anyone else that you think would benefit. But without further ado, let's hop in to this episode.

Hey guys, welcome back to the Purpose of Money podcast. I'm super excited today because on the show, I have chef Kari Heron, who is a content queen and lifestyle consultant, who is bringing good food, wellness and a lifestyle brand to everyone across the globe. She is currently living in Aruba, and we had the pleasure of meeting each other when I went to the happy Island. But she has lived in several countries becoming an award winning chef, also a radio and TV personality and the host of Thrive with Kari. She has a wonderful story we're going to talk about how she built wealth after divorce. And as a single mom has managed to maximize and monetize her talents and has the power to never give up. Because honestly, Kari is Oprah Winfrey, B. Smith, and Martha Stewart in one. A woman led by the Holy Spirit, with the amazing ability to bring families and friends together over good meals and quality time.

Kari, welcome to the Purpose of Money podcast How you doing today.

Kari Heron 4:06

So happy to be with you. Thank you for having me.

Acquania Escarne 4:10

Yes, this is such a pleasure because we had a great time together in Aruba. And I have to be honest, you were one of the best chefs I've ever hired for my family vacations, but you are more than a chef so use this time now to tell my listeners more about the woman behind Kari and your lifestyle brand.

Kari Heron 4:33

Well, you know I start, I moved into this space almost accidentally. I started I was born and bred and fed in Jamaica so I'm a Caribbean girl through and through. And I my premier background is actually in communication. And so I started out learning those acts doing that developing those skills. And so that was really the foundation, but I've always loved food. And I moved from the Caribbean, I went to Turks and Caicos. And then I moved to the United Arab Emirates to Dubai, to get married to my ex husband. And one thing that brought us together apart from inaudible was that he was an executive he was a chef. And it was a food our passion for food as well, that was that was rather rather exciting. And I created that brand Chef and Steward in Dubai , and it was a merger of our interests and our skills. And it was really about helping people serving people that good life, because I have found that food was a really great way to create that common denominator. Even in situations where people are coming from very different angles, speaking different languages, like the tone of Babel, you know, not being able to understand each other. But the common language that we have as human beings is that of sitting, breaking bread eating together. So food for me is not just a means to an end. But it's also a passage to be able to help people to find build connections, and to build and strengthen relationships. So I use food to do those things.

Acquania Escarne 6:16

I love it, I love it. And you've built a growing business, Chef and Steward is celebrating 10 years, and five countries being a mom and going through a divorce. So you said that you launched your business in Dubai, when you were married to your husband, what was it like for you as an entrepreneur to have to transition to running it alone and going through a divorce at the same time?

Kari Heron 6:47

Well, Chef and Steward was really It was it, the brand was both of us, but it was one person was always doing the work behind the scenes anyway, so that part hadn't changed. But in terms of the positioning, I found that I had to ease myself, you know, reconfigure the positioning in terms of Chef and Steward because I started out he was a chef and he had become an executive chef during the duration of our marriage as well. And I was a steward so when when that chef position was no longer there then what happens what becomes an existential crisis that we have even when we get married as well as when we uncoupling in divorce because everything changes so what is Chef and Steward what is what is the whole thing about and so I had to to look at what it is that the brand meant. And I created this brand it was created with with with all the right intentions. And you know, at the point when we started because this is our 10 year anniversary Acquania so Chef and Steward started at the point where I actually had a miscarriage and it was the vehicle that helped me to get through that process it was a creative process and also it was from Chef and Steward I was able to get contracted by working with to one of the largest kitchen and table fine retailer it's like the William Sonoma or the Bloomingdale's of kitchen department of the Middle East and so I had directed marketing for them as well I had things like Martha Stewart coming to the store and we had live tweets and so on was like 10 years ago you know like that was wonderful.

So you have all of these things how do you adjust that no, in from plural to singular to a lot of things I had to look at that's one of the great things about actually going and developing my skills and getting trained as a coach and I did that really to coach myself because leadership is leveling yourself further than that because once you become the example then others can follow.So I went and I invested heavily in Dubai to become a certified coach as well as an NLP practitioner because I wanted to get the skills to be able to carve my board and so one of the things I did was I look at what Chef and Steward really meant and what how it would transition from that to plural to that singular and that mission still continuous the word still continuous I mean, do we give up simply because life changes no we move on and and that's the essence of this thing, no matter how hard it gets. As long as there's life. There's hope

Acquania Escarne 9:38

I love that as long as there's life there's hope that's beautiful and I agree with you. And I know that you have some other motivation You are a mom. So how does your son feel about you running your lifestyle brand I've even seen on social where he sometimes helps you cook in the kitchen. But what other valuable lessons are you teaching him as a mom who is also in an entrepreneur.

Kari Heron 10:01

Im teaching him about money, I'm teaching them about wealth. And that's mindful. If I'm doing something I'm there's, there's money to be collected, I let him collect the money, I want him to be able to hold the money to receive the money. And if there's change to begin, I want him to put the change away. I also give him He's so he knows, in fact, what was really very interesting. And this is the power of being the example to children rather than teaching them the skills. I heard him say to somebody who had lost his job, did you ever think that you don't have to look for it in a pandemic? Did you ever think that you don't have to be looking for a job that you could actually create your own job at seven years old. In fact, he probably was six at the time. Not coming from me. But it's what I witnessed his mother doing the ingenuity, the ability to actually create, work, and get paid in the process.

So yes, he, he is my biggest why. And that's one thing, I think that motherhood, give it motherhood gives us a different kind of motivation. You know, when our kids need us in a specific kind of way, we have to, we have to emulate the ability that God given ability, the Proverbs 30, will not be able to show up in the ways that it really matters to our children. And so we just have to step into those roles. And so yes, he has been learning about wealth, learning about generating income learning about, I'm teaching him also about saving money.

So he wants to get inaudiable And I said, Listen, I don't want your money now. I want you to invest, I'm giving you money. Now, when I give you money, that money is for you to invest. When you invest your money. He says he wants a property wants to buy a property must buy a property for his friends, which is this new toy that? I said, What about you investing in the public company and becoming an owner of a public company, as opposed to you wanting to buy, buy, buy, buy, buy, so the whole teaching him about money, because a lot of parents give kids money for buying things or buying candy, I give him money to teach him to save to invest, I'm still going to start now just going to start teaching him how to actually be able to spend a little bit on himself so that there's a little bit of balance. But the the primary relationship I wanted to send make with him was the ability to invest a inaudiable to to get joy from seeing money activity, rather than looking at the emptiness you know, from one to one. So yeah, these are the things that motivate me.

Acquania Escarne 12:39

I absolutely love that I love the tips for how you're educating him about money and keeping him involved in the business. I tell people all the time, the way that you can really get your children to understand wealth and entrepreneurship is to put them in the center of it all. What let them see you working, let them see you operate and give them small roles that they can accomplish, so that they feel like they contributed to the family's success. I also appreciate what you said about encouraging him to have balance between saving and investing. While he spends a little bit too, I think kids definitely need to learn the importance of spending money because you don't want them to feel like they can't live, they can't, can't use the money they work so hard to get. But at the same time, when you balance it with saving and investing, there's a gratification process that they learn, you know, learning how to be delayed in some time, so that you can have more at the end of the journey. So that's really important. And the earlier you do that, the better. Because I noticed a lot of kids today they want it now they want it yesterday, and they're not used to waiting, they don't really understand the value and working hard to accomplish something because so much is just readily available the internet, you just Google it? And the answer is there, you know, and that's just not how life works.

So those are amazing, amazing techniques that you're using with your son. I want to pivot a little bit to talk about your lifestyle brand and how your amazing website I went to it. I look at the food I get hungry. But then I also just feel you in everything that's there video, the pictures, because I know you're a photographer too. You're just a creative being. How did you really transition your business to market it to bigger brands? I want to give some tips to some of my listeners who are struggling to understand how did they take their blog and turn it into a lifestyle blog that other businesses would like to invest in?

Kari Heron 14:51

Well, that's a really great question. And because I started out in communication and I started off in marketing I was I already had agency side community brand experience and public relations and marketing, as well as brand side working within the brand. So I was able to understand both and coming as well, from journalism, understanding how to deal with media, how to petition for all of those things. The first thing I did when I created Chef and Steward was it was important for you for me to display my skills, my skills in writing my skills in photography. And from then I pitched to two publications in the UAE, the Gulf News publication and inaudiable times and I got the both editor were interested in actually having me on board as, as a contributor for food and lifestlye column, which I had named when, When Hunger Strikes, which is like, you know, tongue in cheek When Hunger Strikes, and and what one gave me one, I wanted a weekly column. So I sent inaudible becasue they were operating weekly. And so I did that for seven years. And what that did was it allowed me to create credibility in a, in a journalistic context in a new territory, already had established journalistic integrity in the Caribbean having been in media since I was 16. And, you know, president of the International Association of Business communicators by 2017 overseas, but this was a new territory, territory to me, I was a woman of color, who is not known by anybody but myself, right. And so I put my work out there, and I allowed my work to speak for my itself.

And we also had a very small but very close, food loving community. And so what that happened, what once that happened, and then I started approaching brands, because then it was a step where I had the blog to show the display of that because I was applying for jobs, nobody was responding, give us a middle of the, that's when the crash had just hit 2009 in the UAE. And people were leaving cars at the airport in droves, and just leaving on their bills running from from being locked up in debtors prison. So I had just arrived, everybody was clamping down, I had to show people who I was, as opposed to just telling them what I could do. And that's what the blog created that open door for people to see my portfolio that was in live and in living color in ways that I could not portray it in a resume. Once I got the column, then what I did was I reached out to I was a one approached inaudible first and I approached them as a consultant. And after six months of working with me, I had to redefine your whole digital marketing. Because then by then I had experience in blogging and digital marketing plus all of the experience that I had coming in with communication, and so on in marketing and so I completely rebranded their online force and helped to market and position them as a foodie haven of the Middle East and that was so successful that after six months, they were like listen, Kari we need you on board full term. And so they brought me on board. So that's that was a first and so the first association was a consultancy, then they took me on board and then my blog started to get in the background because I was busy building their brand. And while I was doing that, I was happy to do that because it's happened to be able to actually feel because I'm a I'm a working girl and entrepreneur I want to be like I'm adding value and my talents and skills and education I spent a lot of time and effort in are being used effectively. But I also realized that I was building somebody else's brand again. Again,

I've worked on so many international brands by this point Blue Cross Blue Shield. So banks on different things. telecoms come in international communications and telecoms brands, and personal fascinating consumer goods, all of these things and I'm actually still not mine. I mean I want my own baby. And so what I've now come to do is to realize that I need to figure out what Chef and Steward wants to do. And then find brand associations that helps that will help Chef and Steward do what Chef and Steward wants to do while still positioning the brands that where they want to go. So you have to find brands that have synergy with yours. So I don't I don't go and integrity and integrity and credibility mean everything to me and that's from my journalistic background. Ethics is everything so I don't go and do something that I can stand behind if I can stand behind it. No, Baba, no not for a doller. I'm not selling my Gucci dress for cheap Jenna prices neither. So I'm not I will do stuff for free. I believe in corporate social responsible But it is my right to decide what I want to engage in charity activities, who doing work for exposure with brands who are getting paid is not for me.

So no, I don't work for free as well. And people will approach you and ask you to do stuff for free and it depends. If it's in a magazine where you're getting more or publication we're getting exposure, then that's that makes sense in terms of when I say exposure, in terms of literally you're being you're being your work is being used in a feature, then that makes sense to some extent. But not all the time, because depends on the context.

So I approach different brands, just yesterday, I started just this month, a new partnership with Do it Center Do it Best. And that's also a great synergy with my lifestyle brand, because they do everything from food to home, from renovation to groceries to decoration and everything, and send the content deal for the next six months with them. Because I was able to show them what I do how I've done it. who i've done it with the brands I've worked with in the past. And I have a track record that speaks for itself. And we cannot be intimidated to present. After I've done so many presentations. I've gotten so many doors close in my face. And I need to make that abundantly clear. I'm operating still in a foreign country as an expatriate. And there are so many things that people don't trust about foreigners because they don't know you. They don't know you they don't trust especially my space as small as I will go where people tend to go with people who they know who their grandmother cousins know and so on. So but you can't, you can't allow the noise to stop you. Because every door that close only leads you closer one step closer to a door that will open. So you have to have an indefatigable desire to really actualize the vision that God has given foir yourself.

Acquania Escarne 22:01

Amen to that, I can't agree with you more, because you only need one Yes, like you can have all these knows what that one yes could propel your business to the next level. And you mentioned how you were consistent. Utilize your expertise and education to really level yourself in a position where you could take advantage of brand partnerships, opportunities, and then prove to everyone that you were worth the investment. And I love the fact that you talked about using your blog and your website to build credibility. I talked about that a lot. And there's more than one way to do it. Some of my clients will build credibility through writing a book, or coaching and getting testimonials from individuals who've worked with them. There's so many ways that you can build your credibility. But once you have the proof, use that to your advantage to attract more successful partnerships.

So thank you for sharing those tips. Because I think that's really helpful for my entrepreneurs listening today. And it's also good for me, I do have one quick follow up question though. When it comes to you, you have the background in education and communications. But if someone doesn't have that expertise offhand, do you recommend that an entrepreneur invest in hiring several people to fill these same roles? Or is there another way they should go about it? Like say, prioritization, if you are on a budget, and you can't hire everyone at the same time? Where do you start?

Kari Heron 23:34

That's a good question. It depends on really where the where the inaudible. And that's, that's, that's also one of the things I bring to my coaching as well. Like I'm able to help people in so many fundamentally different ways. And I don't do a lot of coaching, because it's not necessarily the the foundation, the complete element of my business. What is the desire in me to teach, it's like a calling to teach and to be a mentor to others as well. But yes, if if you need to speak, your way to success in your on your thumb is tied, sometimes you need to help somebody to untie that thumb. You know, so we have to be able to gauge where it is that the needs are and to be able to actualize

Another thing I want to also point out and this is very important, especially for those of us who are operating small business is is the power of community and the power of that. If we can find really great groups of people with complementary skills and do for each other, barter our skills for each other. So for example, somebody is great in one area somewhat but not in another area. So we're building each other so the brighter could be it could be a trade work with cash when it could also be a trade with services so that we're able to help and build. And that's one of the things that I feel that we we ought to look into much more as well as a creative way of making investments in companies where we're financially strapped. So we want to improve our skills, but we're hands are tied in terms of the finances, how can we help each other to do so together, because you may have what I need, and I do have what I need. And so we can, you know,

Acquania Escarne 25:28

I definitely do. And I've learned so much through my network, I've even found opportunities through my network, because there's also the possibility that your network will lead you to paying business. So then you can pay the person you really want to work with. So sometimes we have to get creative and have those conversations and be transparent about what we need. I tell people all the time, people can't help you if they don't know what you need. And so you have to be in a circles, talking about what's most important to you, your business and even where your shortfalls are, and then allow that network to come to serve you. And in the same sense, you need to serve them. So if other people in the community make the same ask, and you can help them extend a helping hand.

So I love that because I have gained so many referrals in my business, from life insurance to partnerships, or even podcast guests. Because I've been very vocal in my community, where I'm like, I need this, I need that, like when I first started this podcast, I didn't know how to get started. But in my network, I had a podcast guru who was ahead of me in the game, and she knew exactly how to get started and who to work with. And she even was one of my first guests. So shout out to Danielle Desir , the host of The Thought Card, because she is now my business bestie. And we met at a conference, right. And so in the beginning, our relationship was purely let's get to know each other. And let's network together. So we even went to a networking event and we divided and conquered. And then we came back together and was like Who did you meet? Who did you meet less exchange their cards information, and even pitch them if they are better suited content creator for you, because at the time, I had a much larger freelance writing business. And so we traded freelance writing contacts, because there were some people she met, that I would be a good fit for. And there were people I met that she would be a good fit for. And I feel like women need to understand, especially that it's, it's collaboration is cooperation over competition, right? So let's collaborate, let's really build each other up. And so we all win, because there's enough money, there's enough people, there are enough customers, there is no reason why we cannot come up together. Right? So

Kari Heron 27:52

You are you are taking me to church, preaching today

Acquania Escarne 27:57

I always gotta drop a little word when I hear like, wait, this is a great moment.

Kari Heron 28:02

Absolutly, Because and I think that that's that's the key thing, that's actually stopping many of us from being able to scale because we need each other to kind of it's like, it's like that moment where the crabs in a barrel. And then we could we could all stay there. Or we could all decide that we're going to link arms and help one person out and they're gonna continue to pull, and then we all get to come out because we're all linked in arm up. And that might sound very utopian, or inaudible or bohemian or whatever. But I also believe that there's value in it when we realize that you're what you have been imprinted with. It's not something that I could ever hope to actually take or possess. But neither is what I carry something that anybody else can possess. So if there's something uniquely great for you and the people for you to reach, then I don't need to be threatened by you need to dont need to be threatened by me. And we actually, really, really, really do great things when we're able to be confident enough in what God has poured in us so that we can help others because listen to me. I've gotten a lot of times people paid clients as just you just suggested to people with whom I have done barters with because it's in the bartering process that they've been able to witness this like oh my goodness, but you're really really really brilliant at this.

In I just seen a complete transformation and a mind shift set. And, Wow, that's amazing. I have friends, I got to get my tribe in on this because I want my tribe to be able to go where I'm going. So I'm leveling up and bringing them within your inaudible . And so this is what happens. So we have to be willing to be able to be a resource to each other

Acquania Escarne 30:01

Yes, yes sis I love it. And that's why I'm so glad we have this conversation on the podcast today because I have to even say my line sister introduced me to you. My line sister and I met in college, but lived in Dubai at the same time. And I didn't have the pleasure of knowing you when I lived in Dubai.

Kari Heron 30:22

No we were there together

Acquania Escarne 30:23

Yeah, we were there together, but I never met you. But it wasn't our time. That's what I say it wasn't our time. But when I went into my line sisters Facebook group, for traveling black women, I put a post and said anyone knows Chefs in Aruba. I'm planning a family vacation and I really don't want to cook on vacation. And she immediately since her name, Instagram profile and raved about you and the rest is history, right? You created wonderful meals for my family over a holiday vacation. That was absolutely memorable. My family is now hooked, you've done it. Now they always want to chef on vacation and I sort of have to balance out expectations. But I do love the touch and I love the the ability that you were able to bring your culture and a little bit of local culture taste and flavor into our kitchen. So now it's my favorite part of the show because the name of the podcast is called the Purpose of Money. So I always ask my guests my signature question, what is your purpose for money

Kari Heron 31:32

It's to create freedom it's to create the freedom to be able to not only tell my money where to go and what to do, but to be able to be a greater resource where where I see that because the same thing we just talked about about you know people being on the verge is someone people with promise people who have something special that's certainly seen as a inaudible, and they're working hard and you want to be able to say Hey, sis, you're working on this, what's your mortgage, okay, here's six months mortgage payment, good, you know what I mean? Go do it, go do it. Or it's the ability to you're able to give more when you're able to have more and I I also teach my son a lot about giving as well and this im working on teaching him that even in the process of giving you also have to be able to build wealth in order to give more so you can't just give everything you have. So it's really the freedom that I want to have and so that's also why I'm focused now on scaling my business because I cannot operate it as a single mother I only have 24 hours in the day and I have a child to raise and I've got a person to take care of my whole self.

So so like for example I know have my my online cooking classes that your line sister took here in Aruba. I know offering those as corporate team building classes so that so corporate teams as well as B2B and B2C clients could be booked for these classes as well and I'm going to also be offering courses online as well because we have to be able to scale in order to be able to build not only my own generational wealth, but being able to be that much more of a great to help in the community as well, I can't wealth in terms of money, I give wealth in terms of service and myself. And so it is from purpose of really seeing people maximize what it is that God has put into them.

Acquania Escarne 33:53

Absolutely beautiful one of my best answers so this is your opportunity to let my listeners know where can they find you How can they follow Chef and Steward drop all your handles and your website please.

Kari Heron 34:05

Absolubtly, I'm Chef and Steward everywhere, Chef and Steward except on clubhouse where I'm at Kari Heron . The blog is ChefandSteward.com you can book online cooking classes for groups or family reunions for your B2B B2C clients, get people together from different countries from all over the world or all over the United States wherever you are, together safely reunite the relationship because you know in long distance relationships sometimes you don't feel a passion anymore. That's what one year of being a part one and a half years during this pandemic has don't just work business relationships. So these cooking classes are a way for you to come together and have fun that's you know, creates a little challenge and so on and so forth in a way together. You can't You can't hate the person anymore because you have to eat with them. So it's it's team building that doesn't feel forced. So it feels really good and authentic and so you can book those classes at ChefandSteward.com as well and you can find me on Instagram and Facebook and I'm you know Tic Tock I'm tic and tocking over here and I Chef and Steward everywhere even so, yeah,

Acquania Escarne 35:16

Love it guys. Don't forget to check it out Chef and Steward is everywhere but I will make sure to drop all the links in the show notes. As usual. If you love this podcast episode, don't forget to like subscribe and leave a five star review, and I definitely want you to share it with anyone who could benefit from the content. Until next time, keep building generational wealth.

Thank you for listening to the Purpose of Money podcast. For more resources and information, check out my website the purposeofmoney.com And while you're there, please sign up for our newsletter so you have the latest information on new episodes and blog posts. Until next time, keep creating freedom in your life today.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai