Today we’d like to introduce you to Kolby Chandler.
Hi Kolby, 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 started my culinary journey, like many others, as a kid in the kitchen with my parents and grandparents. That’s when I realized I loved cooking. As the years went on I put all my focus into sports and cooking started to take a backseat, but it was always something I did for fun and for family gatherings. I graduated college and began working in the corporate world, until COVID hit and the work-from-home phase began. I started to come up creative ways to stay busy and got back into cooking.
My Cousin, Cameron, came to me one day and asked if I knew about food Tik Tok and I had never even heard of the app. I downloaded the app and it was long before I made it on the food side of TikTok. I decided to give it a try and made my first-ever Tik Tok video. After a few videos, my viewers and followers started to rise and my first viral video of chicken fried steak hit. My following grew from 1k to 10k to 100k to half a million, and just like that, I was back doing what I love on a regular basis.
I was then approached by Top Chef casting for a spin-off cooking competition show, Top Chef Amateurs, where I went on to win making a chicken fried chicken using only the ingredients guessed correctly in a blind taste test. My cooking journey had truly begun and from there I quit my job and came out with my own cookbook, started my now social media channels, have worked with huge brands like Kroger, Johnsonville, and Pepsi, and one of my biggest accomplishments I now have my very own seasoning company, Bayou City Seasonings that we launched in August of 2022.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As an entrepreneur, the road is not always smooth, ups and downs are inevitable. My biggest struggle is that the responsibilities of owning your own business is that it doesn’t allow for time off. I went from working a 9-5 to working 24/7 and that can be stressful at times, but you learn to adjust and it becomes easier. In the end, everything you do is for the betterment of your brand and business so the hours and the hard work are truly a blessing and totally worth the effort.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a content creator, entrepreneur, author, and reality TV personality. I launched my very own seasoning company in August of 2022, BAYOU CITY SEASONINGS. and in this short time, it has already made a name for itself in the foodie world! We have to bold flavors including: All purpose and Garlic Pepper
I also provide easy to follow recipes for everyone on all of my social media accounts. My goal is always to show that cooking can be fun and easy if you want it to be.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My family and friends have been a major support system for all of my dreams and endeavors. I could not do what I do without them. My grandpa, Paw Paw, joins in on some of my videos to show off his culinary skills and southern recipes at 92 years old…the audience loves him! He is my biggest inspiration in most things but definitely in the kitchen.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kolbykash.com, www.bayoucityseasonings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefkolbykash/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chefkolbykash/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kolbykash92?lang=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC36KAAAB78rUONPxgQiVekQ?app=desktop
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kolby_kash
Image Credits
Kolby Chandler
Right Time Solutions Photography
