MADE Maven Special Women's Issue April 2018 | Page 25

MADEFEATURES putting in the hard work. I am putting my foot in everything and at the end of the day, that’s what I have to show for it. So whenever I’m feeling down or I’m feeling inadequate, I just try to remember those words. Another thing he told me was flavor and having a palette can’t be taught. It’s just something that’s inside of you. When you’re passionate about something and actually good at something, you know there are certain things that just can’t be taught, so I try to remind myself of that as well. MADE: Having a mentor is important and I love that Michael affirms you and is helping you cultivate your gift. Your hard work is paying off! With so many projects going on at once, how do you keep your passion alive? AC: I’m like a chicken with my head cut off right now! (laughs) In all honesty, there’s so much going on, but it’s making sure I set aside that time to get back to the roots, get back to the basics and get in the kitchen with my family because that’s ultimately where my passion stems from. There was a minute there where I gotten away from that and it was always work and I had to put into per- spective the foundation of where all of this started. Now I make it a point to make sure that I’m back in the kitchen with my kids and that they’re in there with me getting their hands dirty. It’s also important to take a min- ute for yourself for self-love, so I try to take a moment, early in the morn- ing and a couple times a week for myself to write down what it is I need to do or write down what it is I’m grateful for or write down a goal that I want to reach for that month and really take the time to just be with myself. I think that’s really important and it’s something in this day and age that we forget because we’re al- ways on the move. We’re always on the go. Work is in our pocket these days, we’re so accessible. Setting those boundaries for yourself is what keeps the passion alive. MADE: What’s your biggest piece of advice for women in entrepreneurship? AC: My best advice would be to not take “No!” for an answer. There are going to be several peo- ple who are going to tell you “No!” and you have to break down those barriers and push past those walls. Don’t let anyone box you in or let the no’s get you down. Within those no’s, there’s going to be somebody who says, “Yes”. There’s going to be somebody willing to teach you or take a chance on you and that’s all that matters. So, if you know that you’re passionate about something and you know that you’re talented and capable, that should be the only motivation you need. You don’t need anybody else to empower you. The empowerment comes from within yourself. Especially as an en- trepreneur and building a business around yourself. It has to come from within yourself. MADE: Speaking of entrepreneurship, let’s talk about your meal kit, Homemade. Meal kits are so popular today. What made you want to come out with your own meal kit and how did you differentiate yours from the others? #mademaven 25