We had the good fortune of connecting with Camille Corales and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Camille, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?

Being Asian, I was raised to value work second right after the family.

Every year in college, I had an internship, a job, and a side hustle (like being a brand ambassador for Amazon) plus classes and leadership positions in student orgs. Originally, I was always on a “hustle 24/7” mindset because of the way I was raised. As a young professional, I did something similar – I worked a 9-5 and tried to start a start-up on the side, then launched Hibachi To You on top of all that in Year 2.

While it’s all fun and games in the beginning, I got burnt out pretty easily and repeatedly. I noticed myself getting addicted to caffeine because I always needed to have my “brain on.” For a few years, I was so focused on my goals, I was unaware that it was taking a toll on my mental, emotional, and physical health – gaining 50 pounds in the process.

Thankfully, when everything slowed down during lockdown, I came to a realization that the lifestyle I had before was not what I wanted to live for the rest of my life. I noticed I never had boundaries for a work-life balance and started being stricter on the hours that I would work. Additionally, I got pickier on where my time was spent – dropping my first start-up in 2020 and now in 2022 leaving my 9-5 to solely focus on owning a business. The lockdown in 2020 completely changed my mindset about work-life balance. In 2020 I realized that there is a better way to balance work with life.

Now, I put myself first, have better boundaries rather than always picking up the phone to be there for my clients & staff. I finally started doing things that I was putting off because I was too “busy.” For example, I now have a morning routine of walking or yoga before my day gets busy.

2020 has really opened up my eyes that I can’t be the best version of myself if I always put myself last. I honestly think that’s how projects/businesses flourish – it’s because people take the time to fill up their cup, so they can fill up everyone else’s.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

I have always had a passion for bringing people together. I love the way people get to connect, network, and build relationships off such a simple moment in time.

That’s why we started Hibachi To You. At the beginning of the pandemic, everything was shut down and everyone was on lockdown. We wanted to provide a way for people to continue celebrating special events (engagements, birthdays, Christmas, etc) while still being in the comfort of their own homes and helping them feel safe. We realized that people needed a way to feel more “normal” at gatherings. We got the idea as another business did the same to help us celebrate my dad’s birthday.

Our concept is simple: we bring the restaurant, servers, and chef to your chosen location. Houston’s backyard Hibachi catering company.

In the beginning, it was challenging since I still worked my 9-5, so I had to work more than 70 hours a week. I was at almost every event for the first 6 months. It was also challenging finding people to work the first few months because we weren’t marketing our job description correctly. At the 6-month mark, I got burnt out & did not feel supported, so I actually left & sold my shares to the 2 co-owners (at that time).

My original plan was to start a new Hibachi business in another city in Texas, however in June 2021, there was an opportunity for my brother and I to buy the business out, so we took it along with adding Vicky Hsu as a co-owner. While I co-founded the business in 2020, I don’t think I fully stepped into my true entrepreneur role until I bought the business in 2021.

Even with a few hiccups along the way, owning this business has taught me so many lessons. It’s taught me the power of perseverance, how to motivate myself and others, & learning how to manage accounting & finances. I have grown more professionally & personally these last 2 years than I have anywhere else in my life. It truly is a blessing to be here.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
What we would do on a weekend in Houston TX:

Friday –
– go to POST Houston to have dinner & watch the sunset

Saturday –
– Morning Coffee at the Annex
– early AM walk around the Clay Eastern Glades at Memorial Park
– have brunch at Urbe
– go shopping at the galleria
– Bar hop in the heights area

Sunday –
– head to NASA to top it off (usually visitors of Houston want to see that)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
When it comes to recognizing who I am now – I know that there were a handful of people that have helped me get here & a handful of opportunities that crafted my perspective and vision.

From college, I would like to thank the members of the American Marketing Association (AMA) for allowing me to work on my creative side by re-branding the organization. I’d also like to thank the staff of Bauer whose opportunities have helped me gain more experience. I would like to thank mentors like Dean Kelley from Bauer and Robin Tooms from AMA/Savage Brands who have answered every question I had about marketing, leadership, and life.

From my young professional career path, I would like to thank Gartner for allowing me to make mistakes as a sales associate, teaching me how to be better at sales, and providing the best training I could have to become a manager. It was everything I learned here that helped me continue to make Hibachi To You better.

As for life as a whole, I would give all credit to my friends and family who never once doubted my direction or intentions. They were the ones who motivated me to work harder and supported me by helping me start Hibachi To You.

Website: www.hibachitoyoutx.com

Instagram: @hibachitoyoutx

Linkedin: Camille Corales

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HibachiToYouTX

Other: Tik tok: hibachitoyoutx

Image Credits
Mon Corales – Editor

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