Ozoz Sokoh
Founder Kitchen Butterfly
@kitchenbutterfly
“I’ve evolved in distinct phases – like the butterfly. I am flighty. I am constantly seeking…. content with my life but still in search of more. I am big on combinations – cross-pollination and cross-fertilisation. I’m big on flavours and textures. I love pretty. And colour.” – Ozoz (http://www.kitchenbutterfly.com/)
Can you pleases introduce yourself and tell us about your background?
Kitchen butterfly–
My name is Ozoz Sokoh popularly known as Kitchen Butterfly.
I like to think of myself as an explorer. I had an education background in Urban and Regional Planning, then BSc. Geology (University of Liverpool).
I started cooking since I was 13. ‘Kitchen butterfly’ started in 2009. I started my blog while I was working abroad, and it served as an escape for me. I love to research and explore food history. As time passed, I began to get requests from friends and family to help cater for their events and special occasions. I moved back to Port-harcourt, Nigeria in 2011 and later in 2014, came to lagos and started a side hustle. I resigned from my job a few years later to run my business full time.
I am involved in a number of things: I offer catering services, write content, food photography, menu consulting, food styling and recipe creation.
When did your aha moment come that you thought ‘I can do this’
Kitchen butterfly–
Aha moment… there was no ‘aha’ moment per say. It just felt like the right time. I decided to take up the ‘Kitchen Butterfly’ concept and grow it because I needed to spend more time with my kids. I also needed flexibility of not being tied down to the 9-5 kind of job I had done for 15 years for the same company. I saved up enough and quit.
Fortunately, this business has given me a stronger purpose and I sleep better now without the fear and stress of paid employment. This has been a ‘9 years in the making’ decision for me but I had researched and built expertise before being confident enough to take this to the next level.
Chef Ozoz Signatures
Can you describe your typical work day?
Kitchen butterfly–
I wake up in the morning do the usual, grab an apple and pack my water bottle and am off to meetings. But for days that I’m am out of meetings, I work on upcoming projects, upcoming event, research and write for my blog and then I take time to do other assessment.
Are you more into the research of food or cooking?
Kitchen butterfly–
Cooking is my therapy but it varies sometimes, I’m in my ‘test kitchen mode’ where I experiment and develop recipes. I find it important to understand the history of each ingredient in a recipe.
Can you give us the most challenging experiences you have had?
Kitchen butterfly–
As someone who didn’t start as a caterer and didn’t attend culinary school, I got a catering job where I was contracted to make 18 different dishes. I underestimated the amount of time and capacity needed to create each dish, we agreed to deliver the dishes in 3 batches but the last batch got to the customer about 1.5 hrs late. To say the least I let the customer down and myself down. On top of that I also did not cost the job right so it was also a financial loss.
I have since then limited my event catering to just 6 items and and I have adjusted my pricing.
What is the worst entrepreneurial moment you ever had and how did you recover?
Kitchen butterfly–
That moment it appears you let yourself and the customer down. I remember having an Art exhibition after being persuaded by people. Guess what? I did the exhibition and only few people turned up.
Why do you think most food entrepreneurs fail in their businesses?
Kitchen butterfly–
Among many factors are:
- Underestimating the amount of work required
- Letting people push you into a business you are not ready for. I quit paid job when I was ready.
- Unwilling to put in the hard work
- Failure to make adjustment with new trends
- Failing to understand that ideas do not always turn out rosy; having this understanding helps to push the business better.
How do you treat recipes and intellectual properties?
Kitchen butterfly–
I think from the ‘get go’; I never worry about my recipe being stolen as I have always been a sharer and giver. Besides, my ideas are not in short supply and I keep developing new recipes. You can be assured that same actions may be taken but difference in intellectual property will be revealed.
What advice would you give your young self?
Kitchen butterfly–
- Ask for what you want and don’t be afraid of it.
- Be open to learning new things and put them into practice.
- It is very vital to understand that ideas do not always go rosy. The earlier that is understood, the better push the business gets.
Books Resource and recommendation:
Kitchen butterfly–
The act of possibility by Benjami Zander
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Possibility-Transforming-Professional…/B00N1KJ76E
Women Food & God by Geneen Roth
https://www.amazon.com/Women-Food-God-Unexpected-Everything/…/1416543082
On Managing Yourself (Harvard Business School Compilation)
https://www.amazon.com/Harvard-Business-Managing-Yourself…/dp/159139970X
Charlotte Watt Health
https://www.charlottewattshealth.com/
Key Points
- Ask for what you want and don’t be afraid of it.
- Be open to learning new things and put them into practice.
- It is very vital to understand that ideas do not always go rosy. The earlier that is understood, the better push the business gets.
- Underestimating the amount of work required may lead to business failure
- Don’t Let people push you into a business you are not ready for. I quit paid job when I was ready
- Unwillingness to put in hard work and failure to make adjustment with new trends leads to failure
