It’s been just about two years now since I woke up with the idea to start Elevated Gatherings. When we got into this, we didn’t think we would immediately quit our jobs and start living off the business or anything. We started small and chose our business model for a reason, because we know how hard it is to get out there as a new business. We know how many food businesses fail each year, statistically, and I don’t know if you heard but we also put cannabis in people’s food. That, we knew, was going to be a stumbling block for some people and we’d definitely be going after a different clientele than the traditional private chef service. That’s what we wanted, but we knew we weren’t going to be everyone’s cup of green tea, if you will.

So here we are, two years in, having a great time and delighting our clients with our service of bringing the restaurant into your home and doing all the work so you can relax and enjoy your own event. Of course, I would like us to be so busy we are turning people away, but I also think in many ways we’re a successful small business. You can ask different business people what they think, but to me, there are three key metrics every business should strive for: customer satisfaction, profit margin, and overall revenue. We’re crushing it on customer satisfaction (all of our Google reviews are five stars) and we are making a very healthy profit margin. Overall revenue, well, we’re not quite where I’d like to be, but again, it’s not like we quit our jobs to do this, so anything we make is a nice bonus because we are living just fine on the paychecks we are bringing home.

But…

I’ve been dreaming of owning my own business for years now. I know myself and know I do best when I’m doing something I want to be doing, not something I’m being told I should be doing. And thus the quandary of owning a small and profitable, but let me emphasize small, business. Do I stay the course, wait and see, keep chipping away and building our little empire, or do I make a big move, sink in some serious money, and really go for it?

If you know me you already know the answer to that question. We’re making the big move and sinking in the serious money. If you ask me in person I’ll tell you what we’re doing, but I’m not quite ready to write it down and make it really real, so for the purposes of this blog post we’re keeping it misterious.

Here’s what I can tell you. Something big is happening with Elevated Gatherings for 2026. We’re continuing with the private chef model where we bring the restaurant to you, and of course we’re continuing with the cannabis infusion for anyone who is so inclined. But, we know we can do more and reach more people. Our food is delicious and more people should be eating it. And we’re expanding in a way that will allow us to do just that, while staying true to what has brought us this far. Fresh and local food, prepared simply and deliciously. We’re still going to bring the restaurant to you, even if maybe it doesn’t go all the way into your house for this venture.

And now comes the uncertainty and random moments of panic. Can we really do this? Well, can I really do this? Clint has a full-time job and plans to stay there. The money is good, the benefits are good, and he likes it. So for the most part, this is going to be my thing with his support. I’m a risk taker and he is not and it’s been a winning combination for over 25 years, so we’re not going to mess with it.

It’s terrifying. I’m terrified. We’ve already picked out the necessary equipment and even applied for the loan, a loan by the way that is more money than I’ve ever borrowed except for when we bought our house. I feel good about our approval odds but If we don’t get it I’ll figure something else out. I may have to beg my mom for money. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that because I know she’ll give it to me whether or not she has it to spare. She’s my mom, after all.

Financing aside, there’s a whole maze of legal compliance I’ll have to navigate. My trusty spreadsheet accounting system that has gotten me this far isn’t going to cut it going forward. We might need to hire someone and then I’ll need to set up a payroll system. We’re going to need a POS. I’ll be ordering supplies at a volume I never have before. There will be times I’ll have to guess how much I need to order and prepare. I’ll get it right sometimes and get it wrong other times. And marketing, let’s not forget marketing. The list goes on and on.

It’s going to happen, I just know it. And it’s going to succeed because it’s something I’ve wanted to do for so many years. Plus, I’ve got decades of business experience so I do know what I’m doing, even if I wake up in the middle of the night convinced I have no fucking clue. Life is scary, but staying put is scarier. Put the fear aside and do it anyway.