Today we’d like to introduce you to Lanicia Wilson
Hi LaNicia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started in the restaurant industry at the age of 15, guided by my mother who wanted me to understand responsibility beyond my passion for basketball. After basketball practice, I would head to work at Taco Bell in Forestville, MD. Initially, it was just a job, but I grew to enjoy it as I became familiar with the operations.
Upon graduating, I joined Uno’s Chicago Bar and Grill, where I progressed from hostess to front-end manager. Juggling multiple jobs while attending Morgan State University, I developed a deep love for food and coffee, and a passion for experiencing different cultures and cuisines.
My journey continued at Vapiano in Washington, DC, where one of my regular customers offered me the opportunity to be his family’s private chef in Potomac, Maryland. This role was both fun and interesting, especially since they spoke French, allowing me to practice the language.
After some time as a chef, I transitioned into management with Nando’s Peri-Peri. I loved my time there, feeling connected to the culture, art, people, and food. Following my tenure at Nando’s, I relocated to Atlanta and was contacted by a recruiter for King of Pops while working at Corner Bakery. I remembered my first visit to Ponce and enjoying a Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade, not realizing it would come full circle and lead to my role at King of Pops.
I’ve been with King of Pops for three years now, building relationships and creating a Pop-tail making class for fun gatherings, date nights, and team-building activities
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Some of the challenges when working in the food and beverage industry is staff retainment , consistency, training, and overall gaining profit. There are times you have to come back to the drawing board and make some detours to capture sales in a different approach. Which all comes down to managing down, up, and across.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
On the backside of things what I really do is training and development while capturing sales. Do I love what I do? Of course I do. I love how can train, coach, and mentor my employees at the same time. There are few things I am proud about is completing a challenging project or different tasks successfully. Also, overcoming a personal obstacle or adversity. Last but not least seeing a class I started last year come to fruition and more customers participating in the class
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
With success comes failure. I have failed plenty of times and got up, dust myself off; to go harder at what I needed to achieve. It’s all about how much work you are willing to put in and how dedicated you are. Nothing happens overnight. Overall, success is nothing but happiness once you’ve put in that hard work.
Pricing:
- Pop-Tail Making Class $35.00
