Today we’d like to introduce you to Andra Harris
Hi Andra, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I discovered my passion for culinary arts and enrolled back in community college after dropping out of school a year prior. I worked in a variety of restaurants from fast casual to fine dine dining, large scale hotels, cake shops, bakeries, for catering companies and more. I worked solely as a savory chef. I made the transition to the pastry side, working as a head baker at my alma mater. There I was able to find my niche, elevated desserts. I continued on with my education, obtaining a BS in Event Management, A MS in Hospitality and Tourism Management, and am currently a doctoral student where my focuses are Black female executive chefs and the intersections of being Black and a woman, in a predominantly white male dominated field. While working in an educational setting, I discovered my passion for teaching. I continued my education to be able to teach in higher ed. I have taught and developed curriculum for culinary schools and four-year universities that focused on hospitality and culinary management. In 2019 I launched my consulting company, The Service Boutique, that focuses on providing front and back of the house support to new and existing independently owned hospitality organizations. In the middle of the pandemic, on my birthday, I launched my second business, Bougie Eats, which is an online pastry academy teaching novice cooks and bakers how to create elevated desserts within the comfort of their own home. I have been able to grow my brand to over 2,000 students from all around the world. I’ve also been blessed to be able to create for my favorite creatives such as Dave Chappelle, Robert Glasper, Questlove and more!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has been far from smooth. Everyone thinks owning a business is cute until it’s actually time to really run a business. I am a team of one, everything I have had to learn on the fly from creating email marketing campaigns, flyers, understanding google analytics and conversions, there’s just so much. The initial struggle was getting potential buyers to trust in my brand to actually purchase my classes. I just knew when I launched my business, I was going to make $100K in the first month and I was humbled very quickly. I did not make my first sale until over a month later. It took a lot of genuine engagement with my followers, consistent posting, networking and investing. It costs money to make money which was another struggle starting out as well. Creating content almost daily, paying subscriptions for your specialized website host, email marketing site and more add up. It’s why I highly recommend being a working entrepreneur when just starting out because you will need something to fund your business. Other struggles are just wearing all the hats within your business. It’s showing up for your brand, even when you don’t feel like it because no one else is going to come to your rescue. That first year of business was overall a struggle, finding my audience, learning the administrative components, being consistent with getting the word out, all while not succumbing to burnout and creator’s block.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
One thing about me, I love a BOUGIE DESSERT. When I first started out in my industry, I was doing everything, I had no identity as a chef and just blended in with everyone else. I knew I would have to find my niche if I was going to make it far in this industry and achieve the goals, I set for myself. I realized how much I loved making intricate desserts, playing with flavors that normally would not be paired together, with wild presentations. It has become what has set me apart from the rest. My elevated desserts are the reason why Bougie Eats Academy was created. I’m most proud of being able to not only create dope desserts but also teach others how to do the same virtually. I would say what sets me apart are my creations, my execution, how well I work under pressure in high volume settings, and my flavor pairings.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Creating for others makes me happy. My happy place is in the kitchen, with a lit playlist, completely locked in, making a dessert that has a variety of flavors and textures, with a dope presentation makes me so so so happy. Any opportunity where I can tap into my creative side, brings me happiness. Also serving others and being a part of their success also brings me happiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bougieeats.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bougieeatsacademy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bougieeatsacademy/
