Today we’d like to introduce you to Chef Deb Oxman.
Hi Chef Deb, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I founded Savor Culinary Services in 2002, and Chef Deb Coaching in 2014. Today, Savor is an award-winning company that provides weekly personalized meals, catering and in-flight catering across the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and Chef Deb Coaching is a thriving coaching business that works with established food service, product business owners and CEOs across North America and the U.K.
I was originally a licensed physical therapist, but was inspired to switch careers after my son was diagnosed with high functioning autism and severe ADHD at age two that I found were improved (and triggered) by his diet. Two decades later, Savor has now worked with thousands of clients, won numerous awards, and remains dedicated to providing healthier ways for clients to enjoy the foods they love.
I trained at the Culinary Institute of America, the Culinary Business Academy and the Culinary School of Fort Worth. I’m a long-time member of USPCA (United States Personal Chef Association) and of IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals). I have owned seven culinary businesses, including a catering company, personal chef businesses, restaurants, and food product companies.
I consider myself a serial culinary business owner for more than 20 years. I’m also the author of So You’re a Chef Now What? And the co-author of Volume 1 and Volume 2 of Behind Their Brand.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not even close to a smooth road. Some of the struggles include a former friend that was my Kitchen Manager who worked for me for over three years and stole $40,000 from me. I had a business partner that had a mental breakdown, flooded my kitchen and threw knives at my staff. My longest term employee of seven years ended up stealing thousands of dollars in groceries. I had a dishwasher that overdosed in my bathroom and I had to give him CPR and he later died. I had a former chef hire his best friend (or so he thought) and to get back at his friend about something, he sabotaged all the food so it would look bad on this friend, who was my head chef. One of my chefs was kicked out of his home and I realized he was living in my walk-in room.
A homeless person broke into the building where the kitchen was and started busting out windows and I had to lock my staff in the kitchen. Due to one of my previous chefs’ drug addictions, he could not control his behavior and we were kicked out of a shared use kitchen with only two days’ notice. So yes, I have had some bumps along the way, but I am proud to say that both Savor Culinary and Chef Deb Coaching are still thriving businesses!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Savor Culinary Services is an award-winning culinary services company that I created in 2002 that provides weekly personalized meals, catering and in-flight dining across the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Savor’s chef-prepared customized meals and drinks are made to client’s preferences, food intolerances, dietary needs and special diets. The company sources organic ingredients, grass-fed meats, sustainably caught seafood, free range poultry, and local and seasonal ingredients. The meals are prepared without any seed oils or preservatives, and can accommodate any dietary need or preference, including dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan and keto. Focusing on sustainability and partnering with local farmers, Savor aims to bring the best of the culinary world to clients. I believe that food is MEDICINE. At Savor Culinary Services, we help clients live their best lives
through the power of delicious, elevated, healing food.
I founded Chef Deb Coaching in 2014, and since then it has helped hundreds of culinary entrepreneurs across North America and the U.K. stop spinning, start scaling, and build businesses that work for them. We specialize in the culinary industry and have an unmatched level of business and coaching experience, with a NO BS approach. We help our clients develop consistent income, build effective teams, and move from Behind the Stove to CEO®. Our mission is to help established culinary business owners create a life they love, doing the work they are inherently made to do while running a business that doesn’t run them!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory was going fishing with my grandparents. From the time I was 6 years old, we would go every summer. We would start out at 6 a.m. with sandwiches in a cooler and launch the boat. My grandfather would take us out to a remote spot somewhere in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. I had a pair of waiters that came all the way up to my armpits and we would stay out all day until dark, fishing. We would come back to fillet the fish and freeze it for our trip home.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chefdeb.com / https://www.savorculinaryservices.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefdebcoaching/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chefdebcoaching
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chef-deb/
