Eight years ago, a chronic illness gave me two choices: close my catering business or build it completely differently. I chose differently, and discovered the systems that let me run two six-figure companies while working 20 hours a week.
I was drained. In pain. Having meltdowns after every event. Getting hospitalized back-to-back because my body was screaming that something had to change.
But I didn't listen. Because that's what we're taught in the hospitality industry: push through, work harder, sacrifice your body for the business.
I grew up in the industry. My mother owned restaurants. I went to culinary school, did my apprenticeship, worked my way up for over a decade. I knew how to cook. I knew how to manage operations.
But culinary school taught me to be an operator, not a founder.
They taught me to work in the business. To be the chef, the cook, the bottlewasher, the delivery driver, the marketer, the accountant, the everything.
They didn't teach me how to own a business. They taught me how to be owned by one.
When I could no longer physically show up for 80-hour weeks, I had two choices:
Close the business. Or build it differently.
I chose differently.
I stopped doing it all. I started delegating. I built systems. I became laser-focused on what actually produced revenue: branding, messaging, positioning, pricing, and my ideal client.
Everything else? I hired for it, partnered for it, or automated it.
And something unexpected happened:
My businesses didn't just survive—they scaled.
I built two profitable six-figure catering companies simultaneously. District Boards and Green Panther Chef. Both still active today.
Not by hustling harder. By building soft systems—feminine leadership frameworks that let me run both businesses from the driver's seat while working 20 hours a week.
What "Soft Systems" Actually Means
This isn't about working less because you're lazy. It's about working strategically because your time, energy, and focus are your most valuable assets.
Soft systems are:
✓ Delegation-first operations (not doing everything yourself to "maintain quality")
✓ Strategic focus (only touching what moves the business forward)
✓ Leveraged partnerships (using other people's strengths instead of DIY-ing everything)
✓ Elegant frameworks (systems the big players use, scaled for boutique businesses)
It's leadership. Not hustle.
What I Focus On Now (And What I've Let Go)
What I personally touch:
- Partnership activations
- Profit & loss strategy
- Branding and creative direction
- Quarterly business outcomes and theme goals
What I've delegated/automated:
- Day-to-day operations
- Event execution
- Client communications
- Scheduling and logistics
- Payroll and admin
The result?
I work 20 hours a week, if that. I have an assistant. I use AI tools. I've streamlined services to focus only on what's profitable and aligned.
And because of the reduced stress, my health is managed. I still have hard days, but I know the world won't fall apart if I can't do the thing.
That's the power of building from the founder's seat, not the operator's grind.
Why I'm the Right Person to Teach This
I'm not a business coach who's never run a catering company.
I'm not a consultant selling theory from a classroom.
I'm a hospitality-trained founder who's built two active, profitable businesses while managing a chronic illness—using systems that work whether I'm there or not.
I know what it's like to:
- Work through the pain because you think you have to
- Pretend you can operate like "healthy" caterers
- Sacrifice your body, your relationships, and your sanity for the business
And I also know what it's like on the other side:
- Running two companies simultaneously without burning out
- Commanding premium pricing because your operations are flawless
- Leading from strategy instead of execution
- Having actual time off where the business doesn't fall apart
The Truth About Hustle Culture
There's no glory in the grind.
Hustle culture doesn't make you more successful—it makes you burnt out, sick, and resentful.
I learned this the hard way so you don't have to.
There are seasons to life. And when you overstay your welcome in the "do it all yourself" season—when you ignore the signs and don't grow—life will force you to evolve.
Don't let life smack you in the face.
Slow down. Build from the place of a founder. Your ideas are enough.
And there are people willing to work with you and execute the vision, if you build the systems that let them.
What You're Getting in This Masterclass
This isn't a course about shortcuts or hacks. I don't teach "just post on Instagram and make money from your home kitchen."
I teach the real systems that let you:
- Position yourself as the premium choice
- Price for profit (not survival)
- Delegate without losing quality
- Build operations that scale without you
- Lead like a CEO, not an exhausted operator
Every system, framework, and template I use to run two businesses while working 20 hours a week—it's all here.
You don't need to spend a decade making the mistakes I made.
You don't need to wait for a health crisis to force you into building differently.
You can choose to systemize now.