Local StoriesMay 22, 2023

Meet Dominique Benavidez

Local Stories

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Dominique Benavidez. Dominique was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Xiomara Urrutia.

Hi Dominique , we’re so thrilled to have you sharing your story with us today. Maybe we can kick things off by having you introduce yourself to our readers? We’d love to have you go into your story and how you got to where you are today.
My story starts when I was 17. I was taking care of my dad, he had cirrhosis of the liver and I had dropped out of high school in the 9th grade to become his caregiver. I had never had a job, didn’t have my high school diploma and besides taking care of him I really had no direction in life. My mom decided to put me into this cooking competition at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. I didn’t win but it lit a fire in me that I hadn’t felt since I was a kid playing sports. Cooking is very competitive and that’s what I loved about it, also I was really good at cooking. So she made me get my GED and put me in Culinary School. I loved going to culinary school but because I was doing that and taking care of my father, I struggled when it came to my grades. I was great in the cooking classes but the academic classes were hard. This was when I first met Xiomara. We had a few classes together but we hit it off right away. She excelled while me on the other hand, barely passed, but, I still graduated! I had a job while I was in school and once I graduated I had quit that job and continued to stay at home and take care of my dad. That has, till this day, been one of the hardest things I have done in my life. When he passed, I had to move in with my mom and I was able to find a restaurant job. Keeping these jobs was a different story. I went on a downward spiral after he died. I was ruthless in the kitchen. I talked back to my Chef’s, I had no filter, I drank and did drugs all the time. Any relationship I was in I ruined. I was so angry and sad from my father’s death that I self-sabotaged anything good in my life. Throughout the years it continued. I stayed in touch with Xiomara but we never really saw each other. I was in Los Angeles and she was in San Diego. A few years had passed and I decided I wanted a change. So I moved up to the Central Coast. I found a great restaurant job at a beautiful resort that was right on the beach. I found a place to live, had a car but my mind was still not right. I was still sad and angry and it had gotten worse. It took several years after that and a LOT of rock bottoms for me to finally realize I needed help. I tried therapy but that didn’t seem to help. I tried taking “breaks” from drinking, that didn’t work either. I remember one day talking to Xio and her telling me how she was out of the industry but she was coaching. It was business coaching and I was trying to figure out in my career what I wanted to do. At this point, I had been working in the restaurant industry for 10 years and the pandemic hit and shut everyone down. I literally had no idea what to do. I was dabbling in Real Estate with my mom but not fully invested. So, I called Xiomara and asked her more about her coaching. 2021 was one of the biggest pivotal years of my life. I started coaching with Xiomara. She started me with homework and lessons right away. She gave me tools on how to start my own business and how to sharpen my mind. Because of her I have been going strong on my sobriety and I have been able to deal with my traumas as well as run my own Private Chef business. I owe my life to her. She is delicate but firm and her intentions with her clients are more than what most therapists or coaches provided, they are real and give real results. I am a testimony of her work. I am so grateful for our friendship and for the 12 years that we have known each other but what i am most grateful for is her coaching. I am successful in all fields of my life. In my relationships, whether it’s family or friends, in my career, I got my Real Estate license AND a private chef business. And most of all in my addiction. She has allowed me to work towards the person who I am going to become. I am still a work in progress and I still have SO much to learn but because of her I was able to open my mind to it all.

Please tell us more about your brand, Agridulce Catering
I am a red headed Latina Private Chef in the San Luis Obispo area. What sets me apart is my passion for food and how I create it. I am proud of my brand because it defines me, Agridulce means “sweet and sour” in Spanish and as most people know me they know i can be sweet or sour or both at the same time.

So, as we mentioned to our audience earlier, you were introduced to us by Xiomara Urrutia and Ancla Consulting and we really admire them and what they’ve built. For folks who might not be as familiar, can you tell them a bit about your experience with Ancla Consulting.
I met Xiomara in Culinary School back in 2011. We were class mates and hit it off right away. We stayed in contact ever since and even if it we would go years without talking it never felt that way. I decided to start working with Xio because I came to a cross road in my life where I either got my life together or I would end up in a horrible situation. Working with Xiomara was tough. She gives you assignments and holds you accountable. She is kind but also stern. She makes you go through so many obstacles mentally. She has you work through every situation or problem that you think gets in your way and go through it head on. Yes, she is tough but it is because of that that you will succeed. In life, you WILL have ups and downs but it is how you preserver that defines you. She gives you the tools to be able to create an amazing business and be successful. Xiomara with give you the results you want. She will help you create the life you deserve and want. The results are undeniable, I am now very well known in my area as a chef and have grown a great cliental all because Xio was able to see the potential in me and help me push through the obstacles.