![\"Kiauna](\"http:\/\/pdxpeople.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Kee.jpg\")
<\/a>Are you looking for some inspiration? Do you sometimes feel like life is too hard amidst a swirl of failure or lack of success? If so, you need to hear Kiauna Nelson\u2019s story. It\u2019s a story that begs to be heard; a tale to think back on when you\u2019re feeling down. <\/span><\/p>\n Kiauna begins our interview in a very blunt fashion, getting straight to the point.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Kiauna Nelson, I am thirty-six years old and a single mother of four children,\u201d she pauses before continuing. \u201cI am not any assistance, though it wasn\u2019t like that a year ago,\u201d she finishes in as frank a fashion as any.<\/span><\/p>\n Although life was a struggle for Kiauna, she has overcome it all. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve beat every statistic,\u201d she says with more than a hint of well-earned pride in her voice. <\/span><\/p>\n The beginning of her new journey started one year ago, when she rented a lot and opened her own food cart, <\/span>Kee\u2019s LOADED Kitchen<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt sort of blew up from there,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n Today, her food cart is hugely popular, although her business has grown to such a point that she technically doesn\u2019t even need the food cart anymore. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve done around sixty to seventy catering jobs in this first year of business,\u201d she explains, \u201cfrom the county to schools and office parties. If I wanted to, I could not even have the food cart anymore because the catering is so successful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n So, why does she?<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy interaction with the customer does a lot for me personally,\u201d she asserts. <\/span><\/p>\n She also employs two people at well above the minimum wage, and she is quite proud of that. <\/span><\/p>\n Born and raised in Portland, Kiauna is especially happy to operate a business on MLK, in the neighborhood she grew up in. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s not many black businesses there anymore,\u201d she says with a hint of sadness in her voice. \u201cSo, to be in the heart of the community right where I grew up means a lot to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Although she is proud to cater to a local crowd, she can count on business from just about anywhere in Portland Metro. Word of Kiauna\u2019s prowess over the flame has spread across Portlandia. Her food cart\u2019s Facebook page boasts almost 3,000 followers and her menu \u2013 which changes daily \u2013 routinely has people lined up to find out what new delicious, and nutritious, dishes she conjures up.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI buy all organic vegetables and organic meat,\u201d she proudly states. \u201cYou get a whole meal for a low price. I literally have people on the edge of their seats ready to meet me there when we open.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Judging by the sound of her most popular item, it isn\u2019t hard to see why people are lining up at the door. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur loaded baked potato is something extraordinary,\u201d she says before putting words to the assertion. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an extra-large baked potato with fresh cracked pepper, cheddar, broccoli, marinated grilled flank steak, marinated grilled chicken breast, thick-cut pepper bacon, green onion and sour cream, topped with baked beans\u2026\u201d she pauses, her voice trailing off before she begins again with an, \u201cOh! There\u2019s some jumbo prawns on there as well,\u201d as though jumbo prawns are a mere afterthought.<\/span><\/p>\n If that isn\u2019t the baked potato to end all baked potatoes, we don\u2019t know what is. With menu items like this, lining up on the edge of your seat sounds quite plausible. <\/span><\/p>\n And beyond her mouth-watering dishes, Kiauna\u2019s inspiring story makes the whole thing even sweeter, or shall we say, more savory. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI am very, very thankful and so humbled,\u201d she says before she concludes the interview with, \u201cnow I\u2019m gonna\u2019 get back in there and slice that brisket!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Yes, go do that Kiauna, because we hope to stop by sometime and get a taste of it. And thanks for providing yourself as a truly inspiring <\/span>PDX Person<\/span><\/a>, proof that anyone can achieve anything if they set their mind to it. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n William Bessette<\/span><\/strong> \u2013 PDX People Contributor<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Follow William on: <\/span><\/strong> Facebook<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0, Twitter<\/span><\/u><\/a>\u00a0 Connect with William on:<\/span><\/strong> LinkedIn<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>William Bessette is a journalist and freelance writer who has been covering politics, entertainment, culture and travel for over thirteen years. When he\u2019s not profiling Portland-area restaurants and residents, you can find him reporting on national and international travel and eco-tourism through his travel brand, <\/span><\/em><\/strong>Floppy Hat Adventures<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
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