Interview with the founder Kitchen Butterfly - A culinary expert doing food research and developing recipes across the globe...

1. Chef Ozoz Sokoh
14/08/18
Founder Kitchen butterfly
- Chef Ozoz
Can you pleases introduce yourself and tell us about your background -
Family/ educationalbackground/business/ years in biz/ and why this
business?
Kitchen butterfly–
My name is Ozoz Sokohpopularly 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, which served as an escapefor me. I researched
and explored 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 Nigeria
in 2014 and resigned from my job same year to run my business full time.
I am involved in a number of things: I cater, write content, food photography,
menu consulting, food styling and recipe creation.
When did your aha moment come that you thought ‘I cando this’ ……why
did you get into this business? Why did you choose this particular business
and product?
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’ conceptand grow it because I needed to
spend more time with my kids and also needed flexibility and not being tied down

2. 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 purposeand I
sleep better now without the fear and stress of paid employment. This has been a ‘9
years in the making’ decision but I had researched and built expertise before being
confident enough to take this to the next level.
Can you describe your typical work day?
Kitchen butterfly–
I wake up in the morning, do the usual, and go for meetings. For days I’m out of
meetings, I work on upcoming projects and event, research and write for my blog,
and do some assessment. I’m not doing this just for the popularity but see my
brand as a home grown brand that will serve the quest of the wider world.
Are you more of the researchor cooking?
Kitchen butterfly–
Cooking is my therapy but it varies. Sometimes, I’m in my ‘testkitchen 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–
I am someone who neither started as a caterer nor attended a culinary school.
I got a catering contract to make 18 different dishes but I underestimated the
amount of time and capacity it will take to create each dish. We had agreed to
deliver the dishes in 3 batches but the last batch got to the customer about an hour
late. To say the least, I let the customer down as well as myself. Worse still, I got
the costing wrong so it turned out a financial loss. I have since then adjusted my
pricing and limited my event catering service to just 6 items.
What is the worstentrepreneurial moment you ever had and how did you
recover?
Kitchen butterfly–

3. 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.
 Unwillingness to put in hard work and 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 intellectualproperties?
Kitchen butterfly–
I think from the ‘get go’; I never worry about my recipe 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.

4. The most influential book you have read and can you recommend a book and
a source of info for you or as resource?
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 SchoolCompilation)
https://www.amazon.com/Harvard-Business-Managing-Yourself.../dp/159139970X
Charlotte Watt Health
https://www.charlottewattshealth.com/