Meet Shaday So | Private Chef, Catering Operations

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

Hi Shaday, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
I think that is within the person but to keep going is always the way. You may have to change directions, step back to leap foreword but giving up is and entire other thing. Building a business is tough especially in the first stages; you can learn and anticipate many things through research but there is also a huge amount of “learning as you go” that will occur. Business practices change, demographics and needs change, laws and regulations change… I think it is a process of keep finding the door out of each next step. If you can make it passed that point and through the the hurdles than you can reap the rewards of not having given up.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What sets Sohteyd Kitchen apart is the ability to share culture through food and allow different people to experience and fuse cuisines they want to try. My interest in spices and global cuisine along with my cultural background has allowed me to really step outside of the boundaries of one type of cuisine and create experiences for our customers.

This business started as a passion that I usually did for free as I was always nominated to cater for any functions for family and friends since college. I’ve always know I wanted to have my own catering business and have a gourmet food truck but was afraid to initially turn my passion into a business as I was afraid to fail. I found myself venturing in other sectors and learned business building there, and even though I was not successful there however, it gave me the tools and understanding to build the business I have now in the field I am passionate about.

I’ve learned and can confirm that the first year in a small business is tough; it is initiation level with obstacles that make for learning as you go. You need focus and persistence and to really be flexible in learning and adapting because plans change, especially in any service business because of variables. Launching is the hardest part; I feel like a lot of us who are really close to our work become our own hardest critics and therefore stall ourselves from release work. I want people to know that any big name started somewhere, as a small business of some sort that had to adapt, evolve and grow.

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.
I think Atlanta has some amazing clusters of areas that are amazing. My first suggestion for an evening lounge restaurant vibe with good music and great food would be Rock Steady, I think the two floors gives you the options of either experiencing more of a sit down dinner or a mingles and dancing upstairs. My no frills go to right from the ATL airport is Spondivits; its a great dive bar with seafood and friendly staff that have been working there forever! Definitely a locals favorite that I love to bring people to. It is a great place to meet people including local celebrities who seem to like the spot; and travelers on layovers since is close to the airport, good mix of people and conversations.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been incredibly blessed friends that became sisters whom I met at through College at Morgan State University . My shoutout goes to these amazing women who since listened to projects, proofread papers, supported, loved, picked me up, encouraged my endeavors, cheered for my accomplishments and rolled up their sleeves and helped be my ladder to hold my dreams in place when I felt I was loosing my footing. I continue to be grateful for the forever support so thank you Ebonnie Duncan, Kalora Burns, Crys Philip and Cherise Davis.

Website: www.sohteyd.com

Instagram: @sohteyd

Facebook: Sohteyd

Image Credits
Photos – Liam Hudson Studios by Chris Shepard Photos – Leo Shot It Photography