Kirsten Pedersen - Strawberry Jam to a Thriving Catering Business: Building a Culinary Dream

Join Matt Levenhagen as he uncovers the inspiring story of Kirsten Pedersen, whose life was dramatically altered by a car accident, leading her from medicine to building a successful catering business. Kirsten shares the powerful moment that ignited her passion for cooking—a jar of strawberry jam—and how she turned it into a culinary dream.

This episode dives into the nuts and bolts of building food businesses, from finding your passion to scaling with food trucks and catering. Kirsten also shares insights into the importance of mentorship, focusing on strengths, and creating flexible foodpreneur paths without traditional culinary schooling.

Key Takeaways:

Resilience Builds Dreams: Life’s curveballs can lead to unexpected opportunities; Kirsten’s accident paved the way for her culinary journey.

Start Small, Dream Big: A simple jar of strawberry jam sparked a thriving catering business.

Building on Your Strengths: Focus on what you’re great at—whether it’s the product, marketing, or finances—and outsource the rest.

Food Trucks Are Flexible and Creative: A food truck business offers incredible freedom, branding opportunities, and strategic partnerships to drive success.

Mentorship Fast-Tracks Success: A mentor or structured program can save years of trial and error, offering practical blueprints for foodpreneurs.