Meet Carlton Brown | Owner of a Catering Company and a Gourmet Condiment line

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

Hi Carlton, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Whew…This is a tough one. My company (Occasional Occasions by Carlton Catering) is celebrating 30 years of business this year, 2024. For the majority of those 30 years, I was a solopreneur, meaning I wore all of the hats and tried to grow my business as a solo business owner. It is very hard to grow your business while in the trenches daily, trying to meet the demands of the business.

I’ve learned over the years that that is almost an unreachable goal because to grow your business, you have to have time to work on it and not in the business. So my lifestyle for many years was working in/on my business 24/7. That is what I thought was required.

My business became my friend, husband, lover, date night, and my whole life. It was a recipe for disaster in relation to my social life (which I did not have). About 2 years ago, I merged another catering company into my company and gained a business partner. But not even just that. My partner has always been a firm believer in work-life balance and instilled this ideal in me. We made a commitment to definitely dedicate our time to our business, but also to play hard as well.

That new outlook has definitely changed my business and my life. As entrepreneurs, we work very hard as it is, but many of us do not reward ourselves or take the time to step away and refuel ourselves. This is a critical step in creating a balance that will ultimately make you happier.

If you realize that no matter how hard or long you work on your business, you’ll never be able to clear your to-do list. It’s just not going to happen; that being said, why not accept that and employ some of the things into your schedule that will give you solace and revitalize you?

Work-life balance is a critical part of the growth of your business and your personal health. I encourage every entrepreneur to incorporate this method into their life and business, if for no other reason then your sanity.

What should our readers know about your business?
I started my business off in a bubble. I started a catering company, but honestly, I was not certain what a catering company did. I had no prior experience, so I started my business more based on how I thought it should be run as opposed to industry standards. That was a favorable decision regarding setting my company apart, but also a challenge because some of the industry standards are there for a reason. I am, however, most proud that I have built and maintained a company celebrating 30 years of service.

How I got to where I am today has honestly been because of relationships. That is the one thing that I preach to new entrepreneurs. You can stay in a cocoon and see how far that gets you, or work on building relationships because, as the old saying goes… it’s not what you know, but who you know.

I also am a firm believer in continued education. If I had not invested my time and money in education, like national catering conferences, I would not have had access to the knowledge that many of the very successful catering companies had. This opened up a new world for me in terms of growing my business.

I was afraid to raise my prices in earlier years for fear of clients abandoning the ship. I quickly learned that chicken is chicken, but how you present that chicken can make a difference in charging $5 or $45. I also knew that if your goal is to acquire a clientele with disposable income, then pricing your product cheap is not going to do it. Someone with disposable income would rather pay more for an item than less, because of the concern of quality. It took me a long time to learn that from my educational sessions at national conferences. That gave me the courage to take a leap and increase my prices. As I held my breath, I noticed that my sales did not decrease but increased. WOW.

To summarize this, make sure that you invest in relationships because it may not be a benefit upfront, but long term relationships can transform your business. It may take time…but what else do you have on your calendar? LOL. Also, try to learn as much and as often as you can because simply put, you don’t know what you don’t know.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had out-of-town guests, I would take them to Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Georgia. Ponce City Market is a converted shopping center that used to be, I believe, an old Sears and Roebuck factory, but mostly known as an adult food court with very creative restaurants and food selections in a very cool vibe.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to attribute a great deal of my success to my business coach, Diane Conklin of ‘Complete Marketing Systems”. Diane has single-handedly changed my perspective on marketing, business, and my own mental roadblocks and mindset. I have seen my business flourish with her tutelage.

Website: www.OccasionalOccasionsCatering.com www.BonAppetitYallByCarlton.com

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