Meet Frida Coronado | Small Bites Caterer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Frida Coronado and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Frida, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Starting a Business takes a leap of faith that is quite scary when you take the time to process and analyze all the details. Which is why i truly didn’t let myself over think it. I had an idea and I followed it through within a week of hyper fixating on it. It may not be the best strategy but in the moment it worked for me. My father is an Entrepreneur, I have seen him win and lose money, he has started businesses that completely failed and left him discouraged, but he always rose above and didn’t give up. I think that seeing his journey truly impacted my life. When deciding to launch my business I told myself I would give myself half a year to see results, the worst that can happen is I get rejected and don’t get any orders but at least I tried. I gave it to God and asked him for One order every single week and sure enough without exaggeration to tell a good tale, i went 60 weeks straight with at least one order. Whether it be a $30 small box order or a $2,000 event. I have ADHD, which I truly think contributes to my success in this business, risk taking is a bit exhilarating regardless of the outcome.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I believe my business is growing at a good rate at the moment, I am very grateful for how far I have come, but I do have goals to fulfill more orders, work with more Corporate Companies and Cater more Weddings,Baby showers, Luncheons and events. I believe that my best is yet to come, I improve every time and learn new tips and tricks in the trade. Food is art, and my way of expressing myself is constantly evolving. Ultimately I hope to some day create some Branding Boxes for a Company such as Netflix,Target, Makeup Brands launching new products etc.. I’m excited for that to happen but truthfully I am excited and proud every single time I set up a Grazing Table regardless of how big or small the event is. It’s always “Wow, they trusted me to do this, they thought I was good at what I do.” Being an event vendor is not always easy, it is alot of driving, prep, and behind the scenes work that many overlook. I got into the worst car crash of my life delivering an order, I was T-boned due to the lady running a red light at an intersection, my car spun, and I lost my hearing for a few minutes from the impact, I was about 3ft away from hitting a Street light which I know would have changed my outcome, unfortunately my car was totaled, it was a scary moment realizing that because I drive alot more, I am at risk alot more. Another challenge is having four little boys, having a work life balance is something that I did not learn to prioritize until a year after starting my business. I was soo consumed I feel like I lost track of my children’s lives for awhile. Thankfully life is all about growth and I was able to catch on before it was too late.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in California is definitely short of boring, I currently reside in Riverside County and Sleep over at my mamas house in La Mirada whenever I have an event in Orange or Los Angles County. I love San Diego Beaches,if my bestfriend was in the area for a week we would have to Visit Temecula for Wine Tasting (of course we have to bring one of my charcuterie boards). Visit San Diego and Kayak for a few hours, Visit Mission Viejo area, Eat at the Avocado House in Chino, PF Changs in Anaheim, go on a 6 hour hike in the San Jancinto Mountains and maybe if the traffic seems like a mission we want to take on, we would go to Los Angeles visit a Museum and enjoy some Tacos. Basically we would spend $300 of gas in a week.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I had a child at 18, being a single teenage mom really shaped my perspective in life. I knew from the start that I couldn’t let this tiny little baby in my hands down. 2% of teenage moms earn a degree by the time they are 30, this statistic really stuck with me. I had a little fire inside of me that said “bet” I will be graduating this December after 7 years of going to college part time. I owe my Success to that baby, my parents, my husband and most importantly God. Although we have had a rocky relationship, being raised by my Dad who told me weekly that I can do anything i strive for is truly what stuck with me. Without skipping a beat, I would get a lecture every single week in Spanish encouraging me, it was annoying at the time, but my fondest memory now as an adult. As a mother of 4, I know how important it is to encourage your kids and lift them up. Words can make you or break you and those words gave me the confidence I needed.

Website: www.itsgraze-y.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgraze_y/?igshid=3fmgasl0fn6h

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/frida-elizarraraz-1030031a2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Itsgrazey/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/it-s-graze-y-riverside

Other: Tik Tok: Itsgrazey