From Pandemic Hustle to Growing a Food Business | Yummy J | Season 3 Ep.2

In this episode, we had the privilege of sitting down with Chef Joelle Grijalva, also known as “Yummy J,” to hear the inspiring story behind building her food business from the ground up. Born and raised in Fresno, California, specifically in the 93722 area, Chef Joelle shares how her passion for cooking turned into a business during the pandemic. Starting with little more than determination and belief in herself, she handled every part of the process on her own — from cooking and baking to packaging and personally delivering orders to customers. She opens up about the challenges of being a one-person operation in the beginning, the sacrifices it took to keep going, and how consistency and community support helped her business grow into catering events and preparing customized meal orders for clients today. This episode is all about resilience, entrepreneurship, and turning passion into purpose.