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

Hi Kirsten, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
It is important during this period in history to document our hearts through our passions. I have always been a creative person and participated in dancing, cooking, painting, poetry, and acting. I also know as a Black woman, it is important to set a spiritually grounded foundation for himself and the family I plan to build. I want my children to see that their Mother was not afraid to be herself and pursue her passions. I want them to know that you can build the world you want to live in, and it starts inside. Being honest about yourself, what you enjoy, what you won’t tolerate. Using what drives you to express yourself through your chosen mediums. I want them to know that entrepreneurship and ownership are the cornerstones of a free life. Seeking financial independence early will be a requirement as our economy continues to evolve, as well as our politics. I believe in legacy as well and one of the many ways I want to leave a legacy for my children is through my work. A legacy of thoughtful, authentic, and fruitful excellence will propel them and their children and their children’s children. They will know that they come from artistic and technical people who know how to bridge intrinsic creative thought with high level business acumen. Whatever path they choose, They will succeed because the path set before them will encourage them to embrace themselves and their own ideas. I am also propelled by my experience in corporate America. I learned so much that I eventually was able to discern that it isn’t for me long term. There is an intricate web of inherent mean spirited competition that is baked into the corporate experience, and my creative and sensitive side broke through the concrete of corporate suppression long before I knew it was time to leave. The constant need to look over ones shoulder, or even observe management endlessly to ensure fair treatment became too daunting. I didn’t want to stifle myself for the rest of my life. I know my path is not the easiest, but it works for me. That is ultimately why I moved forward with producing my creative projects.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the founder and owner of @HaveOneMoreBite, a private event agency that is food centric. We assist with taking our clients from their vision to reality. You can customize an event with us or use one of our a la carte services to enhance your own event. We set ourselves a part by bringing southern charm with modern taste. We ensure that we serve all dietary needs and take the utmost care in preparing our guests to not worry about any details. We are most proud of our extensive food menu, our shaved ice services, and in house design team. @HaveOneMoreBite started Sno-Nuff, a New Orleans inspired mobile shaved ice stand, as a way to share our love of cold treats with our customers. We have all kinds of flavors available with our favorites being Peach, Green Apple, Grape, Tigers Blood, and Watermelon. We are looking forward to welcoming people to share this treat throughout summer 2020, socially distancing of course! We are super excited about continuing to grow in Atlanta and eventually San Diego. Atlanta is home, but San Diego is where we have found even more opportunity to expand our palate in business and creativity. The immersion of cultures there provide a landscape to explore a wider range of culinary styles. We have gotten to this point by ensuring we provide great service, vetting our clients, and creating memorable experiences. The road has not been easy, but we have so far to go and that is super exciting as a small business. We hope to expand our services and our imprint into multiple facets of the event planning and private catering industry. The biggest lesson we have learned is that consistency is how you win. Never be attached to an idea because there is always room to evolve. Above all else, be authentic, it’s very hard to stay consistent when you don’t believe in your own products & services. @HaveOneMoreBite wants the world to know that we are here to build next level experiences with people who have vision, love food, and respect small businesses.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
If a friend was visiting Atlanta, I would start with getting them a drink. Hartsfield is a super crazy airport and most people want to relax when they arrive. If I didn’t have time to make a @HaveOneMoreBite custom cocktail, I would take them to The Pinewood in Decatur. I love their craft cocktails and how thoughtful the team is about building tasty, modern drinks. Our next stop would be Arepa Mia to get them an Arepa with chicken, avocado, cheese, plantains and all the other great toppings that are available. It’s a great meal on the go, very filling, full of flavor. For dessert, I would likely take them to the dessert bar at Your Dekalb Farmers market. They have some of the best fruit tarts and sliced cakes ITP. At different points during the week, we would explore more food, nature, and history in Atlanta. I would have to take them to Busy Bees Cafe and Ms. D’s Cafe to explore homegrown, Black woman owned southern cuisine. Since these both are on the west side (the best side), I would also take them to Cascade Nature Preserve and Trammel Crow park. Then before leaving the west side, explore the Herndon Home, a mansion that belonged to one of Atlanta’s first Black millionaires. In Old Fourth Ward, we would hit Krog Street market for Suzy Siu’s Baos and Makimono. Grab some Jeni’s Ice Cream to go and then visit Big Lou the Emu at Lake Claire community land trust. Before we leave, we would hop over to the Auburn Avenue Research Library to relax and learn about historically significant figures in Black history. We have to go to Buford highway to have El Rey Del Taco’s Al Pastor tacos on fresh, handmade corn tortillas. We also need to grab dessert at Sweet Hut, my favorite is Thai Tea with double honey boba, 75% sugar. Then end the night at any of the awesome karaoke spots nearby. At some point, we are driving down to Southern Belle Farms to pick whatever is in season, hopefully strawberries. Grab a strawberry shortcake with strawberry ice cream and kick back on their porch in one of the rocking chairs. If not, we can drive up to Mercier farms and pick apples and doe a tasting at their cider room. Georgia has wineries that are within a 2 hour drive as well, y favorite being Montaluce Winery near Dahlonega, GA. We love ramen, so we would take them to Buckhead to have some ramen at Jinya. I love a good bowl of Creamy Vegan ramen, no tofu, extra green onions, extra garlic, thin noodles, butter, and as much spice as I can handle! Since Midtown is easily accessible, I would then take them to Cafe Intermezzo for dessert and let them choose whatever their heart desires. On their last day, @HaveOneMoreBite would cater a beautiful brunch with Plantain Stuffed French Toast, Creamy Shrimp & Grits, and our custom bar. We like to jazz things up, so we provide Champagne & Prosecco with a choice of fresh strawberry purée, fresh lemonade, and tangerine juice. We would take a walk at Sweetwater Creek park, and send them back to the airport with a slice of our special Million Dollar Poundcake.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to thank @NadiaAnochiePhoto, @NicSpitz, @ColiHearts, @Dani_Vita_, @YoIndigoArt, @VisuallyOffBeat, and @JaJasBakes for supporting and encouraging me throughout my entrepreneurial journey. It has been amazing having Black women who are ambitious, driven, and consistent around me to keep going. I want to also thank @BazaarEgo for making dope candles that help me during my creative sessions. Lastly and most important, the love of my life @MisfitComics for being the Sun in my sky on cloudy days.

Instagram: Instagram.com/HaveOneMoreBite
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstenmnsirim/
Twitter: Twitter.com/KirbyNsirim

Image Credits
@HaveOneMoreBite for all photos