A 23-YEAR-OLD FORMER WAITRESS SHERANE CHEN, EARNS SIX FIGURES AS A RESTAURANT MARKETER

At just 23 years old, Sherane Chen runs a remote, six-figure business she started to break into the restaurant marketing sector, according to Insider.

While many young people could feel too intimidated to start a marketing firm, hire talent, guide clients to rebrand their businesses or develop new strategies or increase profits, Chen takes on these tasks with vigor. The entrepreneur meets the needs of 17 clients, sometimes by using Zoom to chat with them.

Her virtual handshake can be found on her website where she explains that marketing for restaurants online is her forte, as well as helping them to make more dollars with customers.

Chen may be young, but she does possess experience in the food industry. Her journey to find her professional place began as a 16-year-old waitress who landed a job at Steak ‘n Shake. She worked in more restaurants, while attending the University of North Florida and after graduating. Then, Chen took a step to accept employment in marketing at Oceanside Grill. She learned the restaurant business from an operational standpoint at that time.

Experience and guts led Chen to start from scratch to boldly build up her clientele, by literally knocking on doors.

“I would say, ‘hey I found your social and saw you weren’t active and I wanted to give you some tips on how you can get more customers in the door,’” Chen told Insider.

It is easy to imagine that more restaurants who can budget for marketing help may want to find Chen’s website, or place a call if she ever decided to make in-person business pitches again, to consider giving her timely services a try.

For businesses like Dino’s Famous Chicken in Los Angeles, thinking ahead to get started with takeout options like DoorDash was a saving grace before life was locked down in 2020, due to the pandemic. Wings were added as a menu option. And now, rebranding and being creative is necessary to keep the restaurant’s  doors open.

For Chen, a situation like this could be an opportunity waiting to happen.

“I’m working toward seven streams of income to be a millionaire by 2025,” she said. “Just keep your focus on what you’re working hard for,” said Chen. “If you want it bad enough, you’ll make it happen.”