Meet Me at the Table: Kameelah’s Belief, Heart & the Power of Vision

Sometimes you start something without realizing just how much it can become.

You have an idea. You take the first step. You figure things out as you go. And somewhere along the way, you look up and realize you're building something you never imagined when you started.

That's what came to mind when I met Kameelah Abdurrahim, the woman behind KuteNTheKitchen.

When Kameelah first started cooking out of her home, she didn't have a grand vision of everything it could become. She thought she'd be doing pop-ups.

But the vision kept growing.

Today, KuteNTheKitchen has grown into monthly brunches, monthly Soul Food Sundays, and savory cupcakes available daily with 24-hour notice.

But what stood out to me wasn't just how much the business has grown.

It was the person behind it.

During our conversation, Kameelah talked about how her growing business has connected her with different vendors and introduced her to people she may not have otherwise met. And instead of keeping those connections to herself, she began creating opportunities for other people to come into her space, mingle, network, and connect.

To me, that's what community looks like.

It's not just about building something for yourself. It's recognizing that as your table gets bigger, you can make room for someone else to sit down, too.

Your growth can become someone else's introduction.

Your connections can become someone else's opportunity.

And I think there's something beautiful about that.

We also talked about customer service and what it means to genuinely care about the experience you're creating for the people who support your business.

That part hit differently for me because I had actually experienced one of those moments with KuteNTheKitchen.

When I attended  her Sunday experience, there was a significant wait for the food.

And yes…we were hungry. 😂

There was some frustration amongst the people, but there was also an understanding that this was a business being operated out of someone's home, and we were doing our best to be patient.

What stayed with me was how Kameelah handled it.

She communicated with us.

She didn't disappear or pretend the wait hadn't happened. She acknowledged what was happening and continued engaging with the people she was serving.

Afterward, she reached back out to me and others and invited us back.

That told me something.

She was willing to listen to feedback and ask herself: How can I do this better?

Customer service isn't proven only when everything goes perfectly.

Sometimes it's proven by what you do when it doesn't.

Kameelah didn't allow one difficult experience to become the story of her business. Instead, she treated it as constructive feedback and an opportunity to improve.

And I respect that.

Because building a business means you're going to have moments where you don't get everything right. The question is whether you allow those moments to stop you or teach you.

Kameelah chose to keep moving.

Then we talked about where she sees KuteNTheKitchen going.

Her vision includes eventually curating dinners, creating intimate food experiences, and having opportunities to sit with some of the best chefs and allow them to experience what she creates.

Listening to her talk about it, I could see why she believes there is more.

She started thinking about pop-ups.

Now she's creating recurring experiences, building relationships, bringing people together, and continuing to dream bigger.

That's the thing about vision.

You don't always know where it's going to take you.

Sometimes the thing you start is simply the beginning of something much bigger.

And that's what kept coming back to me after our conversation:

What happens when you believe in yourself?

I think sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves to have the entire plan figured out before we begin.

But Kameelah reminded me that sometimes you just have to believe enough to start.

Then believe enough to keep going.

Believe enough to listen when something needs to change.

And believe enough to try again.

That's what I saw in Kameelah.

Not perfection.

Belief.

A willingness to serve. A heart for community. A desire to create something meaningful. And the tenacity to keep moving toward a vision that's still unfolding.

I don't know exactly what KuteNTheKitchen will look like a year from now. But I do know that the woman I met isn't thinking small.

And maybe that's the reminder we all need:

You don't have to know exactly where the vision is going to take you.

Sometimes you just have to believe in yourself enough to take the next step.

Come as Friends. Leave as Family.

There was another thing Kameelah said that stayed with me:

“You come as friends, but you leave as family.”

And I got to experience that for myself.

When you meet Kameelah, there's something familiar about her presence. There's a warmth that makes you feel like you've known her longer than you have.

And that's what I love about food.

It can start as a meal.

Then it becomes a conversation.

The conversation becomes a connection.

And the connection becomes a story.

That's exactly why I created Meet Me at the Table.

I don't just want to know what people are cooking.

I want to know why they're cooking it.

I want to know the vision behind the business, the people they're bringing together, the lessons they're learning, and what they're hoping to build next.

Because food brings us to the table.

The stories keep us coming back.

I'm grateful I got the opportunity to meet Kameelah, experience KuteNTheKitchen, and hear a little more of the story behind what's being built.

Come as friends.

Leave as family.

And keep watching what happens when you believe in yourself.

To Connect with KuteNTheKitchen

Instagram: @Kutenthekitchen

TikTok:@Kutenthekitchen

Facebook:Kameelah Abdurrahim

KuteNTheKitchen offers monthly brunches, monthly Soul Food Sundays, and savory cupcakes available daily with 24-hour notice.

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