How I Built and Sold a Business I Knew Nothing About

Six years ago, if you told me I’d build and sell a thriving restaurant brand, I would’ve laughed.
I wasn’t a chef.
I had never worked in hospitality.
And aside from ordering extra chips at the local takeaway, my connection to food was purely customer-side.

So when my husband suggested we open a charcoal chicken restaurant, I said, “What restaurant? Do I look like a chicken lady?”
But like most transformational chapters, it didn’t begin with clarity.
It began with curiosity.
And a bold willingness to figure it out.

You Don’t Need All the Answers to Begin

I didn’t have experience in the industry but I had drive.
I had the ability to ask better questions, to adapt quickly, and to get back up when things didn’t go to plan.
That became my edge.

I didn’t wait for a business plan to be perfect.
I started with what I had and made decisions based on instinct, effort, and resourcefulness.
That’s the truth about entrepreneurship:
It’s not about knowing it all.
It’s about backing yourself when no one else has a blueprint for you.

You don’t need to wait until you're “qualified.”
You need to trust that you’ll figure it out as you go.
And that’s exactly what I did.

Resilience Is Built in the Bounce-Back

Behind every successful business is a long list of things that went wrong.
Mine was no exception.

I launched ideas that didn’t land.
Made expensive mistakes.
Hired the wrong people.
Faced tough decisions that kept me awake at night.

But I kept getting back up.
Because resilience isn’t built when things go well.
It’s built in the bounce-back.
In the quiet moments when no one is cheering and you're questioning everything.
In the resolve to keep going, not because it’s easy, but because you’re committed.

Those challenges didn’t break me, they shaped me.
They strengthened my decision-making.
Sharpened my leadership.
And taught me that persistence is the real success strategy.

Resourcefulness Is the Real Advantage

People often ask how I jumped from coaching to hospitality and then back again.
The answer?
Resourcefulness.

When I didn’t know something, I researched it.
When I hit roadblocks, I found mentors.
When systems broke, I figured out new ones.

We live in a time where tools, information, and support are more accessible than ever.
Success is no longer about knowing everything
It’s about knowing how to find what you need.

You don’t need another degree or a perfect resume.
You need the mindset to adapt, to solve problems, and to ask for help when it matters.
That’s what kept our business running and ultimately, what made it sellable.

The Real Growth Came From the Challenges

Yes, we had wins.
We built a strong brand.
Created loyal customers.
And eventually sold our restaurant to a hospitality group ready to take it further.

But the real growth?
It didn’t come from the wins.

It came from the chaos.
From the days when staff called in sick and systems crashed.
From the uncomfortable calls, the hard conversations, and the long hours when I felt out of my depth.

That’s where I grew the most.
Because growth doesn’t come from what goes right.
It comes from what tests you and what you do with those tests.

Don’t Let the Starting Line Stop You

When we opened Vasco’s Chargrilled Chicken, there was no roadmap.
Just a decision to start.
And a belief that we could figure it out.

So if you’re sitting on an idea whether it’s a new business, a career change, or a bold pivot stop waiting for it to feel safe.
You’ll never feel 100% ready.
And that’s okay.

What matters isn’t having all the answers.
It’s having the courage to take the first step.

That one decision?
It changed the entire trajectory of my life.

Final Thoughts

I didn’t know anything about the hospitality industry when we began.
But I said yes anyway.

And that yes led to a business I was proud of, a successful sale, and a deeper belief in what I’m capable of.

So whatever you’re thinking of doing whether it’s a business, a reinvention, or a bold leap into something new remember:
You don’t need to know it all.
You just need to start.

Your edge isn’t perfection.
It’s your resilience.
It’s your resourcefulness.
And it’s your decision to believe in what’s possible… even if you don’t have the manual.

Because everything you need?
It’s already within you.

You just have to trust yourself enough to begin.