Marketing Consultation For Chef Sue Case Study | Embark Marketing
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Marketing Consultation Meeting

27 Mar Case Study: How One Consultation Helped Chef Sue Transform Her Business Strategy

Posted at 14:58h in Case Studies, Case Study, Digital Marketing by

At Embark Marketing, we understand that sometimes all it takes is one strategic conversation to change the course of a business. That’s exactly what happened when Chef Sue, the passionate owner of Leaf & Loaf and Fun with Food in Marietta, Georgia, reached out to us in April 2024 for a marketing consultation. After hearing our founder, Kim Beechner, speak at an industry conference, Chef Sue recognized that she needed guidance to bring clarity, structure, and strategy to her culinary businesses.

Our Strategic Assessment

During our consultation, we conducted a full review of Chef Sue’s current marketing efforts and quickly identified several key areas for improvement.

Recommendation #1: Defining Your Brand For Your Ideal Audience

First, we discussed her brand identity and helped her realize that her ideal clientele leaned toward a more upscale audience for her Leaf & Loaf brand & a more kid friendly approach to Fun with Food. With this in mind, we recommended a brand refinement strategy to better reflect a higher-end, luxury service she was offering for her main business and the separation of the two concepts to target her ideal audience. This included updating her logos, colors, and overall visual presentation to align with her target market and present a clear message to potential clients of the services she was offering.

Recommendation #2: Addressing Website Structure & SEO Errors


A deep dive into Chef Sue’s website revealed a major issue as her site was tagged “noindex,” meaning it couldn’t appear in Google search results. This critical error undermined all of her digital marketing efforts and prevented organic discovery from occurring on SERPs. We advised Chef Sue on how to fix this and recommended that she separate her two businesses into distinct websites and social profiles. This approach would allow both Leaf & Loaf and Fun with Food to stand on their own while cross-promoting one another strategically.

Additionally, we suggested updating her website copy and layout to focus on her most profitable services, particularly her private chef offerings, while incorporating SEO best practices to increase visibility and again attract the higher-end clientele she was searching for.

Recommendation #3: Enhancing Social Media Strategy & Paid Advertising

Once we addressed the foundational elements of Chef Sue’s brand and website, we turned our attention to her social media presence, which is one of the most powerful (and cost-effective) ways to market a culinary business. We discovered that while Chef Sue was active on several platforms, her content strategy lacked consistency and visual appeal. We recommended that she implement a long-term, intentional content strategy to build brand awareness, increase engagement, and ultimately drive traffic to her website.

Our recommendations included:

  • Consistent Posting Across All Major Platforms: We advised Chef Sue to maintain a regular posting schedule on key social platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Consistency helps keep her audience engaged and ensures that her content is being prioritized by social media algorithms

  • Professional Food Photography: One of the biggest gaps in her current social media strategy was the quality of her visuals. We stressed the importance of investing in high-quality, professional food photography that showcases her private chef dishes, cooking classes, and catering spreads in the most appetizing, visually appealing way possible. In the food and beverage industry, presentation matters and great photography instantly elevates perceived value.

  • Content Variety: We recommended that Chef Sue diversify her content to include behind-the-scenes kitchen moments, client testimonials, cooking tips, and highlights from her private chef experiences. This type of storytelling content helps humanize her brand and builds a deeper connection with her audience.

  • Community Engagement: Beyond posting, we encouraged Chef Sue to interact regularly with her followers by responding to comments, engaging with other local businesses, and participating in relevant food conversations online. Authentic engagement can significantly improve brand visibility and build trust.

  • Targeted Paid Advertising: To further expand her reach and attract new clients, we advised investing in targeted Meta ads (Facebook & Instagram). These ads would allow her to specifically target high-income individuals in her local service area who are more likely to hire a private chef, book a class, or order catering. With the right strategy, paid ads can amplify organic efforts and generate strong, measurable results.

Real Results & Client Feedback

After implementing our recommendations, Chef Sue began to see immediate improvements in the way her businesses were being perceived and engaged with online. She now has two distinct web presences for two business concepts, regularly posts on social media, & is looking forward to expanding her brand. She shared this heartfelt feedback about her experience:

“Oh my goodness. Embark Marketing and KIM BEECHNER are amazing!!! I was fortunate enough to have a marketing consult with Kim. By the time we had scheduled our call, she had already found all of my socials and evaluated my websites and company profiles. We had a wonderful chat on the phone about where my companies have been, where they are now and where I want them to go. With that information she put together a written document with some constructive comments on what was working and what needed improvement with my current approach. It all made a ton of sense and she picked up on so many things!!!! She gave me a roadmap of priorities to change the way my companies are found by others. I started implementing them, my socials already feel SO MUCH BETTER and I can’t wait to have Embark Marketing help me go even further with growing my culinary businesses!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND.”

– Chef Sue Snape of Leaf & Loaf and Fun with Food

Ready to Elevate Your Food Business?


Chef Sue’s story is proof that even a single, focused consultation can help uncover the gaps in your marketing strategy and set you on the path to growth. Whether you’re a chef, restaurateur, or food entrepreneur, Embark Marketing can help you clarify your brand, improve your digital presence, and attract your ideal customers.

Contact us today to schedule your marketing consultation and discover how we can help your business thrive.

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