Who is (Name/Nickname)?
Chef
Ivana Smith, MPH is an exemplary chef, event specialist, &
CEO/Founder of Dainty Delights by Ivana LLC, a full-service catering
& event planning company in Los Angeles, CA.
What has contributed to your personal growth?
Hardships
of every kind have been the greatest contributors to my personal
growth. At a period in my life when I was under a great deal of stress, I
became very ill physically, and it was my first real wake-up call that
life is something to be cherished, and living a life devoid of passion
and meaning was a life that I wanted no part of. I made really
significant decisions that made me really uncomfortable and disrupted
the stability that I worked so hard to create for myself as a young
adult, including ending a long-term relationship, dealing with physical
illness, and giving up lucrative and reputable employment opportunities
to follow my passion of focusing full-time on opening a catering and
event planning company, although that had NO guarantees of real success
or becoming anything I could rely on financially. These experiences
really helped me stretch and grow as a person, removing toxic people and
places from my life that challenged my happiness, personal growth, or
professional endeavors. For lack of a better expression, it really
helped me grow a backbone and a spine, as I've shaken off much of my
passivity as I've learned to assert myself and defend my happiness. I'm
grateful for the hardships I've endured as I've grown as a person
because they've humbled me and taught me that life is something to be
lived with passion and zest, and I don't have to tolerate anything less
than that.
In the next 5 years where do you see yourself going?
In
the next 5 years, I envision Dainty Delights by Ivana LLC as a
well-established, family-oriented, catering and event planning company
in the Los Angeles community, known primarily for outstanding aesthetic
presentation, delicious food, & unmatched client satisfaction. As a
private chef, I hope to travel across the U.S. and internationally,
bringing quality hospitality experiences to various cities and
communities, hosting private catered social events, & providing
event planning consultation services to hospitality, music, &
entertainment professionals.
What are the 3 images that best describe your growth?
What message would you like to provide those people who have hit a road block with their personal growth?
When
I felt really down and unsure of what move to make next in life, I
would think of the Bible scripture Psalm 30:5 that states that "Weeping
may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." It reminds me
that storms don't last forever and this storm that I'm in will also
pass. You naturally feel happier in the morning when you see the
sunlight creep in through your window, hear birds chirping, and wake up
in a bed that's warm. That's all a blessing, and I remind myself of that
when I feel stagnant. This experience is preparing you for your
ultimate "Glow-Up Season," because hardships aren't given to people who
are not supposed to do meaningful work during their lifetimes.
How would you like to be remembered?
I
would like to be remembered as a genuine, passionate, and authentic
person who brought joy to others through service, love, and laughter in
everything I did and every avenue I pursued in life.
What are your current ventures?
Currently,
I'm working on building the Dainty Delights by Ivana brand and
increasing the notoriety of the Dainty Delights within Los Angeles and
online. We have some exciting projects in the works and will be getting
our Youtube Channel up soon, featuring new and past content of events
we've coordinated in the past, cooking demonstrations, and much more!
You can follow Dainty Delights by Ivana and our journey to spread love
& positivity through quality culinary & event experiences at www.iwantdaintydelights.com, IG: @daintydelightsbyivana, and FB: Dainty Delights by Ivana LLC.
Additional information about Ivana
Fun Facts!
I earned a BA from UC Berkeley & Master's in Public Health from UCLA prior to opening Dainty Delights by Ivana LLC
My parents are from Panama and taught me strong values of family, education, and great hospitality growing up in their household
I
enjoy dancing, reading, listening to R& B & hip-hop music,
& spending time laughing with loved ones in my spare time
Prior
to becoming a full-time chef & event specialist, I worked for
several years in HIV/AIDS research with incarcerated men and transgender
women
I'm a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
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