Today we’d like to introduce you to ShaDonna Sanchez.
ShaDonna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My culinary journey started in Savannah, GA. As a kid in my grandma’s kitchen, everything fascinated me! It was there that the foundation was laid. Over the years, I developed a talent for the art, creating new meals from leftovers, or experimenting with spices and herbs to create distinct flavor profiles.
I have pursued many career paths throughout my life, from Dental Assistant to Paramedic, Army Soldier, to Philanthropist In my pursuit to fix the injustices of poverty and homelessness, I earned my degree in Social & Criminal Justice from the University of Arizona Global and started a community outreach organization by the name of Angel Hands Initiative.
However, my love for the culinary arts remained intact no matter what I did or how many ways I tried to escape it. I would constantly find myself catering events and voluntarily hosting all the family functions. Therefore, creating The Perfect Bite 719, small events catering service, and still, my purpose was unclear.
It is now that I’ve come to the realization, that my love for this industry isn’t just a hobby or meager interest, or means to gain capital that would support the operating costs of my outreach efforts; it’s my life’s purpose. It’s where I find peace when I’m baking in the middle of the night, It’s when I’m overwhelmed with joy from the smiles of others as they partake in the meals I’ve prepared.
Now that I know and have accepted my purpose, I’m proud and pleased to announce Palate Gourmet as a brand. The one stop shop for high-quality gourmet coffee, sauces, artisanal spice blends, infused balsamic, olive oils, etc.
Finding my purpose has prompted me to create something once again, but this time, I want the whole world to smile.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road to creating Palate Gourmet has indeed been bombarded with many obstacles. One of the main obstacles has been sourcing other companies for various tasks, such as label design & printing, co-packing, web development, etc. My experience has been, that many businesses are still struggling in the midst of the pandemic and are either short-staffed, or lack experienced employees to do the work. In turn, they lack competence, and fail to adhere to agreed upon schedules and deadlines.
Financing has also been an obstacle. As a woman of color and veteran, one would think that I check all the necessary boxes to obtain a small business loan, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, I possess all of those characteristics but they definitely don’t make the SBA loan process easier.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Palate Gourmet?
At Palate Gourmet we specialize in flavor. We are committed to sourcing the highest quality ingredients for our gourmet products. Our products are known for their flavor, and layered depth, which so elegantly describes our Flavor Profiles Spice and Sauce Collections.
What sets us apart is that there’s no limit to where we will go to find the best coffee beans, spices, herbs, or olive oils, if it means providing our consumers with quality products they can trust. Because the best quality ingredients create better flavor!
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
At no point in my life have I ever been a risk-taker. I was raised to walk the straight and narrow path and always obey the rules. That mindset is why it was so hard for me to make the decision to start Palate Gourmet. There were so many factors and questions in play. What if the economy shuts down again? if I invest my savings, will there be an ROI? What if the business is unsuccessful?
After many sleepless nights and a lot of soul searching, I realized I had many people who believed in me and that it was time to believe in myself. That meant I had to take the leap of faith and invest in myself to the same degree I invest in others.
Pricing:
- Black Cowboy Steak Sauce $15
- Boozy Bourbon Peach Glaze $15
- Pomegranate Sauce Piquant $15
- Georgia Love Spice Blends $12
- Black Cowboy Spice Blends $12
Contact Info:
- Website: Shoppalategourmet.com
- Instagram: @thepalategourmet
- Facebook: @thepalategourmet
