Born and raised in Blackhawk, MS, Chef OJ began her culinary journey at the age of 8 years old, while growing up in a family of cooks. In the late 1970s, Chef OJ's grandfather started a restaurant in their hometown where her grandmother was the head cook. After her grandfather passed, her mother, uncle, and aunt took over the family restaurant business along with starting a new barbecue business in Greenwood, MS.  By age 11, she began working with her uncle at his barbecue business. She started off as a help cashier and then began working in the kitchen alongside her uncle learning the family's cooking and business traditions. In her high school days, Chef OJ continued working in the family business as well as cooking up different culinary cuisines at home. In 2010, Chef OJ went off to college at Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, MS where she majored in Business Administration. Later, she pursued her Master’s in Business Administration in Finance. It was during this time that she met her husband, Rickey.

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After marriage, Chef OJ continued to create different culinary cuisines and cooking tutorials in her kitchen for an “invisible audience” imitating her favorite Food Network stars. In 2020, COVID-19 hit the nation and Chef OJ and her family were forced to stay home for several months. As time went on, Chef OJ's husband encouraged her to start putting her recipes on video and start a Facebook channel. She began doing cooking tutorial videos on Facebook and received several views and comments. After a few months, several viewers started asking if they could purchase the meals that she was making on camera which gave her the idea of starting a catering business. With faith in God, Gourmet Ministries, LLC was created and began “ministering love through gourmet meals.” Currently, Chef OJ has taken on the challenge of creating elegant dishes in a wide range of culinary styles that is signature to her customers and supporters. As she looks forward to her next chapter, the "always-energized chef" has been creating pop-up menus and experiences with clients and events in both the Oxford and Blackhawk areas.

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