Everything is harder in 2020, especially writing this end of year top ten. Every time I start to think back on the year, I feel like I am getting assaulted with everything we have faced this year. It is like being hit with snowball after snowball – in the face. I am sitting at my actual desk for the first time in months writing this, by myself, with just a small lamp, hot cup of tea, great music on, no distractions – the perfect setting to write a blog. I have been staring at my screen for 30 minutes and now have come back to trying to write this blog for three days. How do you put into words in a one-page blog what this year has been like? How do you explain surviving as a company in a year where you were forced to cease doing the very thing that your business is about? How do you properly recognize the resiliency and amazing teamwork our team has shown this year to survive?
Catering by Michaels – A Top Ten
My name is Lisa Ware and I am the Director of Business Development & Special Projects at Catering by Michaels. I have been writing each week about our journey through COVID-19. This is about my personal experience as we have been living through COVID-19 in our business. If you have not yet read the previous episodes – be sure to start from the beginning!
Catering Sales Concierge, Isabella Ospina, Employee Spotlight
Catering by Michaels comprises a spectacular team of employees who we love to brag about in our blog. We sat down with Isabella Ospina, Sales Concierge, to learn more about her role and life outside of work.
What did you do before working at Catering by Michaels?
Before I worked here, I was a student at UIC studying business management. I was working in various student employment jobs at the university (data analytics was one role).
I was at UIC for two years, then I took a semester off and transferred to Roosevelt University. Towards the end of that semester, I found work at Catering by Michaels.
Employee Spotlight: Alex Rufus
We love showing off all the wonderful people who work at Catering by Michaels. When we all work as a team, we are all Michaels!
This week, we’re talking to Alex Rufus, our Delivery Manager, who shares some of the details of his role with us… as well as some things he enjoys outside of work.
Q: How long have you been with Catering by Michaels?
A: It’s been 4 years now! I’ve worked for multiple different companies prior to this job but this is the first company I’ve dedicated this much time to. The management here is different than what I’ve been used to — they truly care about employees, even outside of the workplace.
Q: What do you do for Catering by Michaels?
A: I’m one half of the delivery management team. Along with another delivery manager, we run the delivery department.
Q: What brought you to Catering by Michaels?
I’ve worked with food in the past, which is what made me look into Catering by Michaels in the first place. I started here, liked it, and stuck around.
Q: What part of your job makes you proud?
A: The ability (and choice) to provide excellent customer service — I like seeing people in a good mood. It brightens my day! I like being part of making sure everything goes well.
Q: What company values best align with your own?
A: I think the Catering by Michaels value that best speaks to me is that of Pride. In every aspect of my life, I like to be the best I can. I believe that at this company, everyone tries to give their best and I strive to do the same.
Q: For your birthday, what would you have Catering by Michaels deliver to your home?
A: The white cheddar mac and cheese is my favorite thing. But I also love the Chicken Vesuvio. So, I’d pair that with the mac and a salad for the perfect birthday treat!
But my favorite food ever is pizza, hands down.
We Are All Michaels
Catering Alchemy
Recipes succeed when perfect ingredients meet perfect skill. Meals achieve memorable status when simple ingredients join to become more than the sum of their parts. We love this catering alchemy: when all the elements of preparing a perfect dish, meal, menu, or event come together magically. And we know this alchemy is only possible when all of us subscribe to this same philosophy.
It is because of this mindset that Catering by Michaels has gained the reputation for being one of the very best catering companies in the Chicagoland area.
We Are All Michaels
Catering by Michaels is more than just a collection of talented people. We are a team. We are a family. It’s what we think about every time someone asked the (obvious) question, ”Who is Michael?” The elegant and fulfilling answer is, “We are all Michaels!”
One of our greatest assets is the camaraderie we all share. For us, it’s about so much more than just the food: it’s about the people behind the food and service.
We are fortunate to have a collection of dedicated people who all bring unique—and integral— skills to work everyday. We succeed as a company because we thrive as individuals. Our unity, our desire to work toward the same goals, our mélange of skills, perspectives, and personalities all combine to make Catering by Michaels flourish.
At Catering by Michaels, you can really taste the difference this combination makes. We owe it to all the “Michaels” who care about the quality and care that goes into every menu item and every event booked.
We are proud of who we are—individually and as a whole—and we want to share this pride with you.
