Freshbox Blog

Meet Keyetta: Freshbox Employee

Keyetta has got to be the most spunky, outgoing employee to ever grace the doorway of Freshbox (and that’s saying something).  If Keyetta’s in the kitchen, you know it; she can be heard singing her favorite gospel songs from just about anywhere within a half block radius.  Thanks to Keyetta’s time growing up in Mississippi, she brings some Southern style and flair to the kitchen.  Her home state also explains her penchant for po’ boy sandwiches and gumbo.  Check out Keyetta’s profile for more information about what this Southern gal is up to in Ohio and what she hopes to do next.

How did you hear about Freshbox?
A lady at the shelter told me about it.  We were having a housing meeting and I said I was looking for another job because my first job wasn’t bringing in enough income.  She suggested Freshbox.  I wrote an essay about why I should be able to work at Freshbox and set up an interview.  After my interview with the team, they called me back a day later to let me know that I could start work.

What were your first impressions of the job?
It looked pretty easy.  It was a fun environment.  Joe and Kelly were funny and I talked a whole lot so I got to know everybody.  I got to taste-test all the sandwiches. I started off wrapping pickles and the first thing I did on the line was meat dispersing.

What’s something that sets Freshbox apart from other jobs you’ve had in the past?
It’s a good atmosphere, the people are laid back.  You get to know each person on a personal level where on another job you wouldn’t have that opportunity.  We have regular meals together, pizza parties…plenty of those.  We all get free sandwiches for lunch every day.  Our SOS sessions¹ are good; if you’ve got something on your mind or want to congratulate someone on a job well done, you can get it out during SOS.  Even though there are a lot of women, there aren’t a lot of problems that you’d think there would be.

What Pandora station do you pick when it’s your turn in the kitchen?
I like oldies and the blues.  Billie Holiday, BB King, and some old Marvin Gaye and Luther Vandross songs.

How would you describe yourself?
Funny.  Moody.  Very loud.  I think that sums me up.

What are you looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to hopefully passing the ServSafe test² because it will be something that I can always fall back on.  Hopefully keeping the friendships from Freshbox; keeping the people I met here in my life.  I am a backup singer for a gospel group and we leave June 2^nd to go to Detroit, Atlanta, and Tennessee for a short tour.  After that I’ll be back at Freshbox.

What are some challenges you’ve faced?
I’ve two jobs right now just to maintain a decent living and I’m still below the curve.  I go from Freshbox to Golden Corral and I get off from there at 12:30am, and I come back at Freshbox by 6am.  It’s challenging because it’s still hard to pay the bills.  I got in trouble back in the day and I still have to pay that off.  The majority of the time I can’t seem to come out on top financially but I don’t let that get me down.  If I did I’d just be moping all the time.  I keep a positive attitude, I keep my head up.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Hopefully back on track.  Owning my own business. I have a couple of business ideas.  I want to open a rec center for troubled teens.  When I was growing up my dad kept me on a tight leash…there was nothing nearby for him to let me do so I had to stay home.  But if there was something like a rec center with responsible adults, if we had that, then maybe my childhood would have been a little different.  I want to give that opportunity to other kids so that they can do other things like play sports.
I also want to open a business like Freshbox to give other people second chances.  Tell them about new trades and opportunities.  That’s why I thought Freshbox was a good idea.  I told you I might steal this idea when I go back home to Mississippi.

If you could invent a totally new Freshbox sandwich, what would it be?
I like po’ boys.  They’ve got a thicker bread and the majority of the time in the South we take shrimp, crawfish, catfish, seafood, whatever we’ve got, and fry it.  We put whatever we want on it.  I put mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Fun facts:
I love to swim.  I used to be on a swim team in high school from junior high through graduation.  I used to do track too, but you can probably see that I don’t do that anymore.

I write poetry, mostly about my feelings, but a couple of love ones too.

I love to cook…it’s one of my favorite hobbies.  My favorite dish that I make is seared steak, sautéed shrimp, and scallops.  I learned to make it by experimenting.  My favorite dish that I make from home, that I could eat all the time, is my homemade chicken pot pie. My mom used to make it for us in the winter when we were younger and I just kind of developed my own recipe based off that.  In my family you don’t teach each other your recipes; you just watch and develop you own taste buds.  I remember when I was 3 or 5 years old and my dad used to cook, I would stand in a chair next to the stove watching him.

¹SOS sessions – SOS stands for Successes, Opportunities, and Solutions.  The employees at Freshbox participate in an SOS session at the end of each workday to reflect on what went well in the kitchen that day, what could have gone better, and what could be improved in the future.  It’s a great way to show appreciation and encouragement for each other, and to make sure that we’re always improving our product.

²ServSafe test – Employees in their third level of employment, Customer Rep, have an opportunity to take the ServSafe training and test as an elective to our training system.  ServSafe is a food safety training and certificate program administered by the National Restaurant Association.

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