I love to learn how people turn what they are passionate about into a lucrative profession. I met a caterer today and my initial task was to improve her website, what I discovered was an artist whose medium was food and who’s canvas was the upscale clientele she catered to.

Her name is Carmen Cortez of Carmen’s delicious catering and I got more from the interview than just business related stories. She described a passion for connecting with people and how listening to her customers has enabled her to please a large group of patrons with varied tastes and distinct needs.

After asking what I would like for lunch and making sure I had no allergies or specific preferences, she made me a wonderful steak sandwich and chips with a ice cold bottle of Perrier with lemon. Maybe it was the fresh crisp vegetables and how the colors complemented each other on the plate or how the steak was perfectly cooked and seasoned or the atmosphere of the open space on a bright sunny afternoon but eating the sandwich was a wonderful experience in itself.

I was impressed with how and why she became a caterer. She had finished raising her children and ready for the next chapter of her life. She put together the two things she was good at-cooking and connecting with people, that mixed with her love of art and creativity and her catering business was born. We talked about how the foods from other countries became American staples such as beer from Belgium, and spices from India and other far away place. Her knowledge of people and places infused into her passion for food. We discussed her thoughtful process in perfecting her menus that changed monthly according to the freshest produce and meats she could find. As a fellow artist and foodie-I enjoyed being a spectator to the canvas and all I was required to bring was my interest and my appetite, mission accomplished.

I enjoyed a great conversation with a gifted caterer who found a way to infuse her love of food and art to bring people together for a meal, an occasion that her customers would not only enjoy but remember for a long time. Stay tuned for more interviews with other artists, photographers and others who live their lives and do their business creatively.