Today we’d like to introduce you to Nigel Napolion.
Nigel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Tanika and I both work for unified school districts. Tanika works as a Special Education Assistant with over 10+ years experience and I currently work with schools as a Nutrition Wellness Coordinator providing nutrition programs for students. We decided to collaborate because together we both have over 20 years of experience working with children and believe nutrition and home economics is a vital skill to learn. We want to bring this skill to as many kids as possible.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
To say this is our first business, it has been a smooth road, yet we had a couple of challenges. My business partner, Tanika, and I had to grow into the mindset that a business doesn’t flourish overnight, especially when you’re providing a service and needing to build trust so customers know who we are. We were very optimistic and kept in mind it only takes one yes to get the business going. Our first client was Pretend City Children’s Museum in Irvine, Ca., in which we thank them for giving us the opportunity to showcase our program. To get our business out there, the class was free, so many kids with their parents ran in wanting to participate. At that moment we knew how special our class was. Looking back, it was a great experience and a great learning lesson for us for future classes. One other challenge was hearing the word no or not interested from customers. It did hurt in the beginning because we knew what we were bringing was beneficial to kids. However, we moved on to the next until we heard a yes.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the CrEATive Plate story. Tell us more about the business.
Our business is CrEATive Plate, a mobile kids cooking program. We teach kids ages 2.5-16 the fundamentals of cooking with a nutritional component. Students learn how to use measuring tools, cooking equipment, learn basic cooking techniques, and read recipes to create their meals. We introduce fresh produce to kids that may or may not be familiar with. In addition, we do our best to accommodate students that may have food allergies or dietary restrictions so they may enjoy the class and not feel left out.
As a company, we are proud of creating a safe and fun environment for students to learn and be themselves. It warms our heart when students joyously share their experience with their families. Our classes are hands-on, so many students like to take their food with them so they can share with their loved ones. Many of them return the following week stating they cooked the recipe and it was good. We also have the chance to see friendships develop between the kids and observe how well they all are able to work together. When the students leave with a smile, that’s when we know we’ve succeeded.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I believe it isn’t about luck but being prepared and waiting for the opportunity to present itself. It’s about putting in the work day and night to get what you want. The hours of studying or marketing the business, the thoughts about is this really going to work, and doing your best to stay positive and optimistic, and especially not giving up.
Contact Info:
- Phone: (323) 875-5202
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/creative_plate
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
