Meet Lonnie.G

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lonnie.G and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lonnie.G, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking risks & improving my mindset have been two major things that changed my life. The life of your dreams is on the other side of your fears. I had to learn to get out my comfort zone & stretch my imagination, do things I never done. I went vegan in 2017 due to a shift in perspective & it was something that not many ppl were doing then. I knew internally it was the best move for me. I was misunderstood by those around me but I knew it made sense. In 2018 I moved out my parents home & went on my own. That was very risky but I knew it was time for me to venture out on my own & that changed my life. 2019 I was still in culinary school taking classes & working in restaurants. I knew in the future I wanted to work for myself. I learned a lot in school but dropped out with one class left. I was confident in what I learned & took that’s chance to bet on myself & start my business. Which was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a Private Chef that makes plant based/vegan food. So that sets me apart from the traditional style of culinary. My overall approach to the craft is artist meets professional. I named myself the “Master Generalist” due to my versatile yet focused personality.

That comes out in my creations. I have a Carribean background my family is from the islands my Mom’s side Jamaican & Pop’s St.Kitts/Trini Tobago so that has a heavy influence on me. I grew up eating a lot diverse food like Black American staples & Carribean. Cooking & baking is something many of us do in the family the men & women.

I’m proud of the fact I’ve been able to leave an impact utilizing my skills. I’m proud that I’ve been able to travel the world globally off my creativity & have a career through it. I look forward to innovating more recipes, traveling more, & connecting with new ppl.

As a youth I was heavily inspired by watching Food Network shows. I started cooking around the age of 10-11. I was that great but I was destined to become great. I always had multiple passions & interests but something about culinary stuck with me. In highschool is when I started taking it more seriously. I used to sell baked goods & snacks like $2 brownies & cookies to my classmates. It started taking off & everyone was loving my food. Fast forward I went to a technical college in Atlanta & thats where I studied culinary arts. I went for my Associates Degree in 2015 & finished in 2019. During that time I was working at restaurants & bakeries learning & refining my skills. Also I switched to a vegan lifestyle in 2017 while in school. This was a major decision, but I wanted to start prioritizing my health more. After school I decided to make my Instagram page & start posting my food. I created the name “Chef Lonnie.G” & decided to build my brand. I started selling plates, & doing meal prep, & personal chef gigs in 2020. I started gaining more traction with my brand & more exposure.

Over the years I started doing pop ups & different events. Bridal showers, birthday dinners. In 2023 I had the opportunity to cook for a NBA player & his friends that was amazing really a dream come true. 2024 I had the opportunity to work a Yoga Retreat for 7 days in Costa Rica that was such an experience.

I have had my woes & tough moments as well. Being a solopreneur your mental is definitely tested at times. Due to the unpredictability of life. Having to still balance a 9-5 at times, having a social life, still doing hobbies & having personal time for self could definitely be alot. I had to really learn boundaries & how to not overwhelm myself too much. I’m very ambitious & I always strive for excellence in everything I do. But teaching myself grace & to appreciate the journey has helped me alot. Having supportive peers & community also helped alot on my journey. I had my moments I wanted to quit & just give up due to being frustrated. But I always remind myself of why I started & how far I’ve come.

I had to learn to be more disciplined & organized on my journey something culinary school really taught me. My natural ability to be flexible & adaptable has been a clutch superpower as well for me.

I want the world to know about me that anything is possible you can 100% manifest your dreams. Staying dedicated despite what people say & having fun with it is so important. I’m one of the greatest vegan chefs & the world will know my name. Health is Wealth & matters so much, always invest in yourself.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Personally I would recommend: Full Bloom Gourmet Vegan immaculate fine dining place 10/10. Love Life Cafe another one of my favorites really good their pizza is fire really the whole menu 10/10. Brickell has some great scenery & bars in the city. Planta is another great restaurant their plantbased sushi is fire 9/10.

The Yellow Green farmers market is great they have a variety of vendors I enjoy it over there. Wynwood is a vibe good spots & bars to chill catch the game or do some shopping for records/clothes & if you have an appreciation for art.

Coral Gables has cool shopping area & Barnes & Nobles. Can never go wrong with the beach either whether it’s South Beach or Bal Harbour always a vibe to get a pub sub & chill by the water.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to mention my chef instructors from school Chef Blocker & Chef Patridge they taught me so much not just culinary but life in general I really appreciate them. I want to give a shout-out to the vegan & conscious communities on Twitter, IG & TikTok, & in real Atlanta. Many ppl there have supported me a lot on my journey over the years where I shared my work. I want to say thank you to Joseph Murphy for writing the book “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” that book opened my eyes & really changed my life. I also want to say thank you to Garyvee, Les Brown, Eric Thomas, Youarecreators they all taught me a lot about mindset, self development entrepreneurship on my journey. I want to say thank you to my peers & friends who purchased & tasted my food in the early stages before I even had a true brand. Back when I was selling $2 brownies & $20 plates at popups. I want to give a shout out to my family even though our connection is different now between us I appreciate the support I received years back.

Website: https://linktr.ee/Lonnie.G?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaagdTlbKkOFBwCQbXceAcgs6_LnGAFOP9J303Eg66filzpq5uSX6HdhYhY_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheflonnieg?igsh=bzRqaXE5bXltYjYw

Twitter: https://x.com/geminisoul777?s=21

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@geminisoul777?si=-RBDoxy46hiKD2HB