Today we’d like to introduce you to Faith Short.
Hi Faith, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My journey with food started long before I ever called myself Chef Faith. Cooking has always been one of the ways I show love and take care of people. What started as a passion eventually became something I knew I wanted to take seriously and build a life around.
I’ve been cooking professionally for about 17 years. Early on, I was inspired by chefs like Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, Emeril Lagasse, and Guy Fieri. Watching them helped fuel my love for food, creativity, and the idea that being a chef could become something much bigger than simply cooking a meal. But some of my greatest influences came from the chefs who personally poured into me, especially Chef Dyer and Chef Jerome. They helped develop my skills, challenged me, and taught me lessons that I still carry into the kitchen today. I eventually attended the Culinary Institute of Virginia College, where I earned my degree in Culinary Arts.
My career has taken me through several sides of the food industry, including hospitals, schools, senior living, catering, and culinary leadership. Today, I’m an Executive Chef in senior living while also building my own business, Flavored Creations by Faith.
Flavored Creations has been a dream of mine for years, but the road hasn’t always been easy. I actually started pursuing the business after culinary school, but financial setbacks and life caused me to put parts of that dream on hold. I never completely let it go, though. Over time, I began again with plate sales, meal prep, catering, private events, and simply allowing people to experience my food. Little by little, the vision started growing.
One thing that has become very important to me is understanding that my journey doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. I’m a wife, a mother of three boys, an Executive Chef, and an entrepreneur, so there are a lot of hats being worn at the same time. Building a business while raising a family and working full-time has taught me patience, discipline, and how important it is to keep going even when the timeline changes.
In 2026, I also had the opportunity to compete in the Favorite Chef competition and make it into the Top 10. That experience reminded me just how many people believe in me and what I’m building.
My brand motto is “Purpose Over Popularity,” and that really describes where I am today. I’m no longer focused on trying to move at someone else’s pace or simply becoming known. I want to build something with purpose—something that represents my faith, my family, my creativity, and the years I’ve invested in this craft.
I’m still building. My ultimate vision for Flavored Creations by Faith is bigger than where it is today, and I’m excited about that. I want to continue growing my catering business, expand into a food truck, and create something that my family can be proud of and that allows me to serve my community through what I love most: good food made with love, flavor, and purpose.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. I’ve had to put my dreams on pause several times throughout my journey. Sometimes it was because I didn’t have the confidence in myself that I needed, and other times it was because my family needed me to make a sacrifice—and family has always come first.
There were times when I tried to step out on faith and pursue my business, including selling plates, but I quickly learned how difficult it can be to fund and operate a food business on your own. The cost of ingredients, supplies, packaging, and everything else adds up quickly, and at the time, it became more than I could realistically carry by myself.
Then COVID changed everything. My husband and I moved our family to another state with our two children at the time, away from the support system and familiarity we were used to. I had to focus on helping my family adjust, creating stability, and continuing to grow professionally while my own dreams took a back seat again.
But I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that a pause doesn’t mean the dream is over. Every time I had to step away, I gained something that I needed for the next season—more experience, more maturity, more confidence, and a clearer understanding of what I wanted Flavored Creations by Faith to become.
There have definitely been moments when I questioned myself and wondered whether I should keep going, but I always found my way back to food. That’s how I knew this was more than just something I enjoyed doing. The journey hasn’t been straight or easy, but every detour has played a part in getting me where I am today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Flavored Creations by Faith is exactly what the name says—it’s food created with flavor, creativity, and a little bit of Faith.
I specialize in catering, private events, meal preparation, and customized menus. I don’t necessarily put myself into one culinary box because I love being able to create. You may see Cajun Chicken Pasta, Tuscan Salmon, or one of my signature Cinnamon Roll Cobblers on one menu, and something completely different on the next. I enjoy taking familiar dishes and adding my own touch while still giving people food that feels comforting and approachable.
What sets Flavored Creations apart is that I genuinely care about the experience attached to the food. For me, catering isn’t just dropping off pans and collecting a payment. Whether I’m feeding 10 people or 100, I want my clients to feel like their event matters. I listen to what they want, work with their vision and budget when possible, and create a menu specifically for the occasion. Some of my favorite opportunities have come from clients simply giving me a theme or an idea and trusting me to create from there.
I think my professional background also sets my business apart. I’ve spent about 17 years in the culinary industry and have worked in several different environments, including healthcare, schools, senior living, and catering. Those experiences taught me much more than how to cook. They taught me about food safety, consistency, organization, budgeting, large-volume production, dietary needs, leadership, and most importantly, taking care of people through food.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of what Flavored Creations by Faith represents. My motto is “Purpose Over Popularity.” I’m not building this brand just to be known or to have a large following. I want to build something with substance and longevity—something that reflects my faith, creativity, work ethic, and love for serving others.
I also want people to know that Flavored Creations is still growing, and I’m proud to say that. I don’t feel like I have to pretend that I’ve already reached the finish line. I’m building while working full-time as an Executive Chef, being a wife, and raising three boys. My vision is to continue expanding my catering services and eventually grow Flavored Creations into a food truck and beyond.
Ultimately, I want people to remember two things after experiencing Flavored Creations: how the food tasted and how they were treated. If I can create something delicious, make someone’s celebration a little easier, and leave them wanting to call Chef Faith again for the next event, then I’ve done what I set out to do.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I would definitely consider myself a risk-taker. I’m not necessarily fearless—I’ve just learned how to push through the fear. If I believe there’s an opportunity on the other side of something, I’m usually willing to try it, even when I don’t know exactly how it’s going to turn out.
One of the risks that stands out to me was putting myself out there in culinary competitions, especially competitions that depended heavily on public voting. Entering was one thing, but asking people to show up for me was another. I was putting my talent, my story, and honestly, a little bit of my pride out there for everyone to see.
With a voter-based competition, there’s only so much you can control. I could promote myself and give it everything I had, but ultimately I was counting on people to believe in me enough to vote, share, and keep showing up. That required a different kind of vulnerability, especially because there have been times throughout my journey when confidence was something I struggled with.
Making it into the Top 10 of the Favorite Chef competition showed me that people would show up for me—but it also reminded me that I have to be willing to show up for myself first.
That’s really how I approach risk in general. I don’t wait until I’m no longer afraid. I move while I’m afraid. I’ve moved states, started over, pursued leadership opportunities, built a business, entered competitions, and continued putting my name and my food in rooms where there was no guarantee of what would happen next.
Of course, being a wife and mother means I have to consider how certain risks will affect my family, so there’s still responsibility behind my decisions. But I never want fear to be the reason I don’t try something. Some things work, some things don’t, and some things teach you that you’re capable of much more than you thought.
For me, taking risks is less about being fearless and more about having enough faith to say, “I’m scared, but I’m going anyway.”
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flavoredcreationsbyfaith?stkn=eDJnenc1b242cXc%3D&utm_source=qr
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