Meet Letoiya Jones | Founder & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Letoiya Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Letoiya, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
As far back as I can remember, I have always been a creative artist. From drawing to painting to story-telling to poorly singing in the shower, I am an artist ( and I sensitive about my ish). I tried to follow the path laid out for me; college, career, & retirement, but after a five year stint of being a stay-at-home-mom, I took advantage of the opportunity to become an entrepreneur.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Southern Garden Kitchen is the perfect partnership of education and food. I actually started it as a blog educating people on the benefits of a vegan lifestyle, but it turned into people being curious about how vegan food tasted, so I started providing weekly meals that were familiar to the community. I’m most proud of being able to show people that vegan food is flavorful and much more than a plate of grass.

Being in business for yourself is not easy at all. Don’t let social media fool you into thinking that working a 9-5 is no longer cool. When you are your own boss, you are 100% responsible for every victory, as well as, every failure. You are accountable for EVERYTHING; insurance, taxes, bills/debt, marketing, customer service, customer retention, etc.

The biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way are: stay in my own lane and stop comparing my business with other similar businesses. What God has for me is for me and there are enough customers for everybody. Also, you have to be ok with criticism because everybody is not going to like you.

I want the world to see my brand as an achievable lifestyle. Veganism is no longer synonymous with rich, thin, white women. Veganism comes in all shapes, colors, & sizes. Veganism is affordable. Veganism is not difficult. Veganism is not boring. Veganism is not restrictive.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, since I live south of Atlanta, if I had a friend visit in for a week, we would secure an Air B-N-B in the city and a chauffeur. We would check out local festivals, grab drinks at Bar Vegan ATL, hang out in the West End, check out a comedy show, enjoy a spa day, and practice yoga in Piedmont Park.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My village has been the backbone of my success. They cheer on and support all of my crazy ideas, but they are also in my corner when I deal with bouts of doubt.

Website: www.southerngardenkitchen.com

Instagram: southern_garden_kitchen

Facebook: Southern Garden Kitchen

Youtube: Southern Garden Kitchen

Image Credits
Daphne Register, iDAP Marketing