Meet Stéphanie Guillemette, an entrepreneur with a passion for cooking, in this interview.

Entrepreneurship is a vast adventure, requiring as much passion as motivation. We had the opportunity to meet three inspiring female entrepreneurs who have given themselves the means to achieve success through this path. Between their journeys, projects, and advice, discover how they embody entrepreneurship!

Can you introduce yourself? What is your name and what do you do for a living?

My name is Stéphanie Guillemette, I'm 32 years old and I'm a nomadic vegetarian chef! I cook at home, including for long-term assignments, I give classes, I collaborate with restaurants in consulting and I offer a catering service for events or healthy retreats. A whole universe around my passion!

Can you tell me about your background? How did you get to where you are?

After graduating from high school, I enrolled in business school. A classic path, during which I moved from Normandy to Paris for my 5 years of study. With a degree in international marketing in hand, I obtained a permanent contract in an events company. I moved from job to job, notably in luxury perfumery and telephony.

After a few years of work and questioning, I understand. This life is not what I aspire to.

At the same time, I'm becoming more passionate about cooking every day. I particularly enjoy sharing my experiences and opinions about the restaurants I try on social media. The idea of getting behind the stove tempts me, and one day, I take the plunge in a coffee shop. And bingo, I get very good feedback! It's a real slap in the face for me.

So, for almost a year, I juggled office work during the week and cooking for yoga retreats on the weekends. And finally, I quit my phone job to devote myself fully to what had become a true passion: cooking. I set up a website, made business cards, and voilà: I'm a private nomadic chef!

Your business in 3 words?

FUN FACT: Don't get hung up on what you know! My cooking is vegetarian, which can scare people off. My job is to show them how delicious it is!

PERSEVERANCE: I'm self-taught, so I have to work hard to reach a level that satisfies me. I want to do things well and I have to give myself the means to do so!

KINDNESS: It is very important to surround yourself with good people, and to ensure that the work atmosphere is healthy and serene!

What is a typical day in your life like?

In my life, no two days are the same. One day I might be cooking for a private brunch, the next day I might be cooking for a yoga retreat, and the following week I might be cooking in Marrakech! In any case, if there are two elements that are omnipresent in my daily life, it's cooking and exercise!

What is your mojo as a female entrepreneur?

If I have one word in mind every day, it's "gratitude"! I'm lucky to have a job that I love and that I'm passionate about, it gives me the energy to be motivated and positive in every situation.

Obviously, there are days when things are good and others when you're a business owner. But I believe that sharing positive energy makes it contagious, so it's very important for me to have a very positive and open mindset, and to realize every day how lucky I am!

Why is it important for you to promote “healthy, delicious and colorful” cuisine?

What I try to do as a vegetarian chef is to seduce. The idea is to visually entice with dishes full of color and top ingredients to help people take the plunge.

There are a lot of preconceived ideas about vegetarian food, to which I want to respond: “I understand, but try it. Join the game and we'll discuss it again!” Formulating healthy dishes that are delicious and colorful is my way of promoting vegetarian cuisine with care and kindness.

You're currently training in yoga. What does it bring you, and what are your goals for this practice?

Working in a very emotional profession, with its fair share of positive and negative moments, yoga offers me a welcome respite. What particularly appeals to me is the combination of the soothing gentleness of yoga and the physical challenge it represents. As a very athletic person, I appreciate the calm and gentle side of yoga, while also meeting the physical challenge it offers. It's a kind of personal challenge that I enjoy taking on every day!

I enjoy it so much that I even undertook an anatomy training to better understand the intricacies of yoga. My teaching side pushes me to approach teaching yoga in my own way, to share this passion and help others discover the benefits of yoga!

Eventually, I would like to combine my passion for yoga with cooking. The idea of becoming a yoga instructor at retreats while also teaching cooking classes appeals to me enormously. My dream would be to have my own home with a dedicated yoga studio, a shala, and a beautiful kitchen to be able to harmoniously combine these two passions.

What advice would you give to women who, like you, want to embark on this inspiring adventure?

I have 5 in mind that seem important to me:

1. Don't be afraid: Starting a business doesn't involve any real dangers.

2. Don't compare yourself to others: Everyone has their own way of doing things, even in a saturated market.

3. Surround yourself with a healthy environment: Choose positive people and adopt an ethical stance. Avoid trying to crush others and stay aligned with yourself.

4. Question yourself, but not too much: Recognize your mistakes, learn from them, and lower your ego with maturity.

5. Work hard: Set goals, take it one step at a time, take the time you need, don't put too much pressure on yourself, but persevere.

If you enjoyed Stéphanie Guillemette's journey and vision, you can find more information on her website, and call on her for all your kitchen needs!