Today we’d like to introduce you to Kriis Alyse Wilson.
Kriis, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up with a single parent, some of my first memories with food was with my mom taking us out to eat. Chips and salsa at our go-to Mexican spot, potato skins at Cheddars, or even if it was just the Play Place at McDonald’s, going out to eat was my favorite thing to do. I was so fascinated by the movement and flow of the restaurant. This same fascination held true when it came to cooking. I was the kid who used the Reddi Wip to create decorative stars, using the Hershey’s Chocolate sauce to Jackson Pollock the plate, all with a pop tart in the center served to my mother for a “Special Occasion” breakfast in bed. So, I suppose you can say that food has been an integral part of my life.
Obvious now, but it didn’t hit me that it was a passion until my first year of college while pursuing a psych-bio degree. I was completely struggling with Bio, and with it being the first time I’d ever struggled in school, I felt as if I was in a crisis. I couldn’t possibly be planning to stay the course through two more degrees, if I even made it through undergrad. My plans had to change because a career worth pursuing (IDK where I got this notion so young) needed to be something that I at least loved, even if it was hard. Bio, wasn’t it. Over the course of completing my first semester, and entering into the second, I began to realize that food WAS “it”; always had been. Speeding forward, that revelation prompted me to immediately look into culinary programs in Atlanta. I finished (and passed) my first year of college heading into my new pursuit which would start in the late Summer of 2009.
I graduated with a Bachelors’ or Science in Culinary Art Management and Hospitality. I have been really blessed along the way to have amazing work experiences. I started my business because I wanted to share the knowledge that I’d gained over the years while working throughout my industry. Plus, I’ve wanted to be an entrepreneur since I was nine (picture me hustling my extra happy meal toys for 50 cents during recess).
What were you like growing up?
I had to grow up pretty quickly. My mother was (is) a nurturing, kind, wise, and strong woman, who raised my sister, and I alone. I saw her struggle to give us the best life she could despite the obvious obstacles in our lives, countless criticism and backlash from others, while seldom receiving any help. Being the oldest, I saw the things that my mother went through and decided that not only did I want more for me, but for us. Before I fully knew what the phrase “career-driven” meant, I knew that I needed to do everything I could to be successful in one.
I feigned at interests in sports (a bit of volleyball and cheerleading), while in school, which did gain me access to the more popular groups. But when I think about who I really was growing up, I was the nerdy and awkward person who loved to learn so being in class made me happy, which made school and grades come fairly easy. Reading has always been my thing (ask me how many times I’ve read each Harry Potter book), and I’ve always had a thing for the music of all types. So, when I think about who I was growing up, I think of someone who was pretending to fit in, struggling with how to be strong for my family, and someone who was not yet confident on the attributes that made me, me. I battled with depression for quite some time because of this.
It wasn’t until my second year of college that I really began to like who I was. It was also during this time that I realized another passion that had been following me around all my life: food. Pursuing a culinary degree was one of the best decisions that I ever made. I never wanted to be a chef, but food has always been an intrinsic part of my life. I completely dived into every aspect of food, beverage, and hospitality once entering culinary school. From becoming a line-cook at a French restaurant, to curating a wine program in a fine dining atmosphere, to slinging wines out and about Atlanta through fine wine sales, to being a part of a leadership team who put together amazing events. (I also picked up a few wine certifications along the way). I wanted to learn everything. Gathering as much experience and information as possible so that I could start my own business in order to share this with others.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There’s definitely been challenges. I started off my endeavors with a partnership, with a completely different concept. A partnership in which very quickly turned toxic. The bounce back from that was both mentally and financially draining; however, I took it as a great “beginners lesson.” One in which has allowed me to move forward knowing exactly the types of people (clients) that I want to work with it, and who I don’t. Money or not, it’s not worth my peace. From there, I was able to move forward into creating the business I had been envisioning since college.
Word to the wise, “if you feel it in your gut that something is wrong about a situation or someone, it likely is”.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Collective Unlimited, LLC is a hospitality company that is comprised of a collection of various entities used to better help the consumer discover the numerous lanes within the food and beverage industry. My role is not only it’s Founder, but I also function as our Wine Specialist and Lead Hospitality Consultant.
I wanted to create a company that allowed for me to “download” all of the various work experiences and training that I have encountered over the years within hospitality. The Collective Unlimited, LLC, is an umbrella for two distinct platforms: Epulae Kitchen, a private chef service and K.a.W Hospitality Consultation.
With Epulae Kitchen, we focus on providing beautifully executed intimate gatherings through food, decor, and beverage. Through EK, we bring the glamour of a fine dining restaurant into your home by providing: the chef, servers, wine specialist (with wine), glassware, flatware, and table scape. The only thing we need from our clients is their kitchen! EK became the amplified yet condensed version of the restaurant I always wanted to open. Lower overhead costs than a restaurant, yet still being able to give our clients the essence of what a restaurant experience is.
With K.a.W Hospitality Consultation, I knew that I wanted to share my education and experiences to help others build their businesses. Creating comprehensive services that best fits the client’s needs. Showing passionate individuals that you don’t need to be seen as an expert in order to start and execute a successful F&B or hospitality business. What you do need; however, is knowledge whether from an experienced partner, or an educated, trusted source (that’s where we come in). I wanted to provide the tools, knowledge, and insight that are necessary in order for an F&B-Hospitality business to succeed.
I think what has allowed the “formula” of TCUnlimited to be successful is due to having a team of qualified, certified, trained, and experienced individuals. We all love what we do, within the industry that we work in. Although TCUnlimited is an amplified version of my college business plan, I would not be able to perform or succeed without working with an awesome team. …Also, shoutout to my husband who has been super supportive through all of it. Supportive in my passion, both financially and emotionally even when it was trying. He saw the success in what my vision was long before I did (literally told me to follow through with my vision 7 years ago when he and I got together).
Another word to the wise: You don’t always have to have a tribe of support, its ideal, but sometimes you just need that one key person who has more confidence than you do in who you are meant to be.
List of Services:
- Plated Dinners
- Small Gatherings: Petite Buffets, Passed Bites, Cocktail Parties, Bridal and Wedding Parties etc.
- Wine Dinners, Seminars, and Tastings
- Wine Cellar Organization and Wine Buying
- Hospitality Consultation
- Recipe Costing
- Menu and recipe creation
- Staff Trainings
- Food Photography
- Busines Plans & Pitch Decks
Contact Info:
- Address: 384 Northyards Blvd NE #100, Atlanta, GA 30313
- Website: http://www.thecollectiveunlimited.com
- Phone: 4044802041
- Email: info@thecollectiveunlimitedllc.com
- Instagram: Kriis Alyse
- Facebook: collectiveunlimited
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