“I never felt connected to the value I was creating.” Kevin Curry speaks about his experience in the corporate world. Now fully transitioned into building his own social media empire, Fit Men Cook. DW caught up with the fit chef to discuss his journey to millions of followers across the globe.
Curry looked deep to figure out what was his lane–the space where he thrived. He recounts a friend’s advice, “In order to grow, [I needed] to take my hands off.” When life, business, or the brand gets overwhelming, Curry says that is the sign that he needs to expand. First through personnel–hiring an assistant and manager. Then through partnerships. Both, however, he has to understand what he can control and what is out of his control. Many entrepreneurs, Curry explains, want to have their hand in every aspect of their business. “It seems counter intuitive,” he explains. “My hands got me here but my hands [alone] can’t sustain me.”
Curry’s brand, Fit Men Cook, now has over 1.6 million followers on Instagram alone, product offerings including spices, downloadable fitness-focused recipes at fitmencook.com, brand collaborations and appearances on television and across the web. While the Dallas-based entrepreneur understands he’s reach a level of success, his circle of friends and close confidants keep him humble. “I don’t take myself very seriously. I take what I do very seriously…if your friends don’t clown you and humble you on a consistent basis, then you don’t have real friends.”
Despite his accomplishments, the Dallas-based entrepreneur says his motivation is still “the small stories in between about people that I can influence with my story–just sharing it publicly.” Curry has received DMs and letters from followers saying they aren’t dependent on heart or diabetes medication, they have given up meat, or started working out because of his content. The chef-preneur continues to grow his platform and business, but not without trials. He closed our interview recounting words he received from his pastor, “Sometimes, Kevin, you have to trust and tremble at the same time.