[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"nav-categories":3,"article-from-mortgage-crisis-to-million-dollar-soul-food-empire-how-rene-johnson-turned-her-grandmother-s-recipes-into-success":70},{"data":4},[5,37,57,64],{"name":6,"slug":7,"categories":8},"Productivity","productivity",[9,13,17,21,25,29,33],{"id":10,"title":11,"slug":12},17,"Branding","branding",{"id":14,"title":15,"slug":16},19,"Marketing","marketing",{"id":18,"title":19,"slug":20},20,"Work","work",{"id":22,"title":23,"slug":24},34,"Community","community",{"id":26,"title":27,"slug":28},21,"For newbies","for-newbies",{"id":30,"title":31,"slug":32},24,"Investment","investment",{"id":34,"title":35,"slug":36},22,"Finance","finance",{"name":38,"slug":39,"categories":40},"Tech","tech",[41,45,49,53],{"id":42,"title":43,"slug":44},28,"Technology","technology",{"id":46,"title":47,"slug":48},32,"Artificial Intelligence","artificial-intelligence",{"id":50,"title":51,"slug":52},26,"Security and protection","security-and-protection",{"id":54,"title":55,"slug":56},31,"YouTube Blog","youtube-blog",{"name":58,"slug":59,"categories":60},"News","news",[61],{"id":62,"title":58,"slug":63},18,"quasanews",{"name":65,"slug":66,"categories":67},"Business","business",[68],{"id":69,"title":65,"slug":66},16,{"post":71,"published_news":97,"popular_news":153,"categories":224},{"title":72,"description":73,"meta_title":72,"meta_description":74,"meta_keywords":75,"text":76,"slug":77,"created_at":78,"publish_at":79,"formatted_created_at":80,"category_id":69,"links":81,"view_type":86,"video_url":87,"views":88,"likes":89,"lang":90,"comments_count":89,"category":91},"From Mortgage Crisis to Million-Dollar Soul Food Empire: How Rene Johnson Turned Her Grandmother’s Recipes into Success","Here's a polished, engaging English article based on Rene Johnson's inspiring story:","Armed with nothing more than handwritten family recipes and memories of watching her grandmother in the kitchen, Rene launched Blackberry Soul Catering","No shortcuts. No pre-made mixes. Everything prepared exactly as her grandmother would have made it for her own family.","\u003Cp>When the mortgage industry collapsed, Rene Johnson found herself at a crossroads. After nearly two decades building a career in telephone sales and mortgage processing — including as a young single mother without a college degree — she needed a new path.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>She turned to the one thing that had always brought her family together: her grandmother’s cooking.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>“I never really liked the food that much as a kid,” Johnson recalls. “\u003Ca href=\"https://indianapolisrecorder.com/rene-johnson/\">But I loved how it brought everyone to the table. It was about celebration, connection, and love\u003C/a>.”\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cpicture>\u003Csource srcset=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/0001/photo_2026-04-22_11-16-17.webp\" type=\"image/webp\">\u003Cimg alt=\"From Mortgage Crisis to Million-Dollar Soul Food Empire: How Rene Johnson Turned Her Grandmother’s Recipes into Success\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"196\" src=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/0001/photo_2026-04-22_11-16-17.jpg\" width=\"300\" />\u003C/picture>Armed with nothing more than handwritten family recipes and memories of watching her grandmother in the kitchen, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.blackberrysoul.net/about\">Rene launched \u003Cstrong>Blackberry Soul Catering\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>. She started small, preparing classic Southern soul food dishes the old-fashioned way: peach cobbler, red beans and rice, homemade biscuits, and other comforting staples made entirely from scratch.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>No shortcuts. No pre-made mixes. Everything prepared exactly as her grandmother would have made it for her own family.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>From Humble Beginnings to Feeding Tech Titans and Celebrities\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cpicture>\u003Csource srcset=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/0001/image-2026-04-22t112520509.webp\" type=\"image/webp\">\u003Cimg alt=\"From Mortgage Crisis to Million-Dollar Soul Food Empire: How Rene Johnson Turned Her Grandmother’s Recipes into Success\" class=\"image-align-right\" height=\"447\" src=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/0001/image-2026-04-22t112520509.jpg\" width=\"300\" />\u003C/picture>What began as a side hustle quickly gained traction in the San Francisco Bay Area. Word-of-mouth spread, and soon Blackberry Soul was catering high-profile events for some of the biggest names in tech, sports, and politics.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Her clients have included:\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cul>\n\t\u003Cli>Google co-founder \u003Cstrong>Sergey Brin\u003C/strong>;\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>NBA superstar \u003Cstrong>Steph Curry\u003C/strong>;\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>Then-presidential candidate \u003Cstrong>Kamala Harris\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\u003Cp>The company has scaled to serve thousands of guests at once — including cooking for 2,500 people at a single Google event.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Despite the glamorous client list, Johnson stays grounded in her roots. The secret to her success, she says, is the same principle her grandmother lived by: \u003Ca href=\"https://www.mashed.com/612854/chef-rene-johnson-talks-all-about-soul-food-and-how-she-makes-it-different-exclusive-interview/\">\u003Cstrong>do everything from scratch with care and authenticity\u003C/strong>.\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>“That’s what makes the difference,” she explains. “People can taste the love and the tradition in every bite.”\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cpicture>\u003Csource srcset=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/0001/image-2026-04-22t112522242.webp\" type=\"image/webp\">\u003Cimg alt=\"From Mortgage Crisis to Million-Dollar Soul Food Empire: How Rene Johnson Turned Her Grandmother’s Recipes into Success\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"268\" src=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/0001/image-2026-04-22t112522242.jpg\" width=\"180\" />\u003C/picture>Also read:\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cul>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/death-tech-in-china-family-creates-ai-clone-of-deceased-son-to-protect-elderly-mother-with-heart-condition\">Death Tech in China: Family Creates AI Clone of Deceased Son to Protect Elderly Mother with Heart Condition\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/the-500-000-corporate-retreat-from-hell-plex-s-survivor-trip-in-honduras-nearly-killed-the-team\">The $500,000 Corporate Retreat from Hell: Plex’s Survivor Trip in Honduras Nearly Killed the Team\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/ai-office-warfare-in-china-employees-train-ai-to-replace-colleagues-then-fight-back-with-sabotage-tools\">AI Office Warfare in China: Employees Train AI to Replace Colleagues — Then Fight Back with Sabotage Tools\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/china-just-gamified-school-with-digital-pets-and-kids-are-begging-for-more-homework\">China Just Gamified School with Digital Pets — And Kids Are Begging for More Homework\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>The Hardest Lesson: Learning to Let Go\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cpicture>\u003Csource srcset=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/0001/image-2026-04-22t112518128.webp\" type=\"image/webp\">\u003Cimg alt=\"From Mortgage Crisis to Million-Dollar Soul Food Empire: How Rene Johnson Turned Her Grandmother’s Recipes into Success\" class=\"image-align-right\" height=\"372\" src=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/0001/image-2026-04-22t112518128.jpg\" width=\"250\" />\u003C/picture>Success didn’t come overnight. For years, Rene tried to do everything herself — cooking, planning, managing operations. The business hit a ceiling until she finally followed her own advice: \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cuisinenoir.com/chef-rene-johnson-blackberry-soul/\">\u003Cstrong>let go of control and build a real team\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Once she hired people she trusted to handle the day-to-day routine, Blackberry Soul truly took off and grew into a million-dollar business.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Today, Rene Johnson not only runs her thriving catering company but also mentors other entrepreneurs, teaching them how to scale their own passion projects without burning out.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Her journey from mortgage broker to celebrated chef proves that sometimes the best business ideas aren’t revolutionary — they’re deeply personal. In Rene’s case, it was simply bringing her grandmother’s table to the world’s most powerful tables.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>And the legacy continues: every peach cobbler, every perfectly seasoned pot of red beans and rice carries the warmth of family gatherings from generations ago — now shared with tech billionaires, athletes, and political leaders alike.\u003C/p>","from-mortgage-crisis-to-million-dollar-soul-food-empire-how-rene-johnson-turned-her-grandmother-s-recipes-into-success","2026-04-22T09:27:00.000000Z","2026-04-26T03:17:00.000000Z","26.04.2026",{"image":82,"image_webp":83,"thumb":84,"thumb_webp":85},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/kxougXzpvneyztKMomkJXmBeF63aQvsd4rxrWPiI.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/kxougXzpvneyztKMomkJXmBeF63aQvsd4rxrWPiI.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/kxougXzpvneyztKMomkJXmBeF63aQvsd4rxrWPiI.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/kxougXzpvneyztKMomkJXmBeF63aQvsd4rxrWPiI.webp","small",null,64,0,"en",{"id":69,"title":65,"slug":66,"meta_title":92,"meta_description":93,"meta_keywords":94,"deleted_at":87,"created_at":95,"updated_at":96,"lang":90},"Business Growth Hacks: AI Startups, Solo Ventures & Strategy | QUASA","Business is a battlefield. In QUASA MEDIA you will find all the most useful articles on how to do business and not screw up.","Business, earn money, business strategy, business process","2021-08-03T10:59:17.000000Z","2026-04-22T15:18:15.000000Z",[98,111,123,136,139],{"title":99,"description":100,"slug":101,"created_at":102,"publish_at":103,"formatted_created_at":80,"category":104,"links":105,"view_type":86,"video_url":87,"views":34,"likes":89,"lang":90,"comments_count":89,"is_pinned":110},"44% of All New Music on Deezer Is AI-Generated — But Almost Nobody Is Actually Listening to It","According to Deezer’s own data released today, 44% of all tracks uploaded to the platform in recent months are AI-generated. That’s roughly 75,000 new AI tracks every single day.","44-of-all-new-music-on-deezer-is-ai-generated-but-almost-nobody-is-actually-listening-to-it","2026-04-22T10:46:48.000000Z","2026-04-26T11:29:00.000000Z",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":106,"image_webp":107,"thumb":108,"thumb_webp":109},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/wskvsp2FNCu1jBf6vRXozVOrRdR81ZcZ2HxNtqnQ.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/wskvsp2FNCu1jBf6vRXozVOrRdR81ZcZ2HxNtqnQ.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/wskvsp2FNCu1jBf6vRXozVOrRdR81ZcZ2HxNtqnQ.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/wskvsp2FNCu1jBf6vRXozVOrRdR81ZcZ2HxNtqnQ.webp",false,{"title":112,"description":113,"slug":114,"created_at":115,"publish_at":116,"formatted_created_at":80,"category":117,"links":118,"view_type":86,"video_url":87,"views":54,"likes":89,"lang":90,"comments_count":89,"is_pinned":110},"DeviantArt Bet Big on Generative AI — And It Paid Off Handsomely","For years, DeviantArt was written off as a relic of the early internet. As users migrated to Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok in the 2010s, and especially after the platform embraced AI-generated art, many predicted its inevitable decline or even death.","deviantart-bet-big-on-generative-ai-and-it-paid-off-handsomely","2026-04-22T10:09:55.000000Z","2026-04-26T09:54:00.000000Z",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":119,"image_webp":120,"thumb":121,"thumb_webp":122},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/bRozQMoqjGsC2vlLJdXxc5YwrSOI37nqJObC76ov.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/bRozQMoqjGsC2vlLJdXxc5YwrSOI37nqJObC76ov.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/bRozQMoqjGsC2vlLJdXxc5YwrSOI37nqJObC76ov.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/bRozQMoqjGsC2vlLJdXxc5YwrSOI37nqJObC76ov.webp",{"title":124,"description":125,"slug":126,"created_at":127,"publish_at":128,"formatted_created_at":80,"category":129,"links":130,"view_type":86,"video_url":87,"views":135,"likes":89,"lang":90,"comments_count":89,"is_pinned":110},"The Rise of “Neuro-Slop”: American Companies Are Flooding Documents with AI’s Favorite Corporate Phrase","“It’s not just a buzzword — it’s a revolution.”“It’s not an expense — it’s an investment in the future.”“It’s not innovation — it’s transformation at scale.”","the-rise-of-neuro-slop-american-companies-are-flooding-documents-with-ai-s-favorite-corporate-phrase","2026-04-22T09:42:52.000000Z","2026-04-26T06:31:00.000000Z",{"title":19,"slug":20},{"image":131,"image_webp":132,"thumb":133,"thumb_webp":134},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/QZwjrl2n9BBhF1ZBGkPtLbWo1nYEoaB4M9NaH4Ez.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/QZwjrl2n9BBhF1ZBGkPtLbWo1nYEoaB4M9NaH4Ez.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/QZwjrl2n9BBhF1ZBGkPtLbWo1nYEoaB4M9NaH4Ez.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/QZwjrl2n9BBhF1ZBGkPtLbWo1nYEoaB4M9NaH4Ez.webp",47,{"title":72,"description":73,"slug":77,"created_at":78,"publish_at":79,"formatted_created_at":80,"category":137,"links":138,"view_type":86,"video_url":87,"views":88,"likes":89,"lang":90,"comments_count":89,"is_pinned":110},{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":82,"image_webp":83,"thumb":84,"thumb_webp":85},{"title":140,"description":141,"slug":142,"created_at":143,"publish_at":144,"formatted_created_at":145,"category":146,"links":147,"view_type":86,"video_url":87,"views":152,"likes":89,"lang":90,"comments_count":89,"is_pinned":110},"Death Tech in China: Family Creates AI Clone of Deceased Son to Protect Elderly Mother with Heart Condition","In a poignant and increasingly common example of “death tech” in China, a family has turned to artificial intelligence to shield an 80-year-old woman from the devastating news of her only son’s death.","death-tech-in-china-family-creates-ai-clone-of-deceased-son-to-protect-elderly-mother-with-heart-condition","2026-04-22T08:14:27.000000Z","2026-04-25T11:07:00.000000Z","25.04.2026",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":148,"image_webp":149,"thumb":150,"thumb_webp":151},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/eCGL1N69PAahxTbJqNJH7pcF8DfWS4DsVRHmZ7pC.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/eCGL1N69PAahxTbJqNJH7pcF8DfWS4DsVRHmZ7pC.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/eCGL1N69PAahxTbJqNJH7pcF8DfWS4DsVRHmZ7pC.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/eCGL1N69PAahxTbJqNJH7pcF8DfWS4DsVRHmZ7pC.webp",145,[154,167,183,195,210],{"title":155,"description":156,"slug":157,"created_at":158,"publish_at":159,"formatted_created_at":160,"category":161,"links":162,"view_type":86,"video_url":87,"views":165,"likes":166,"lang":90,"comments_count":89,"is_pinned":110},"The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur","Entrepreneur is a French word that means an enterpriser. Enterprisers are people who undertake a business or enterprise with the chance of earning profits or suffering from loss.","the-anatomy-of-an-entrepreneur","2021-08-04T15:18:21.000000Z","2025-12-14T06:09:00.000000Z","14.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":163,"image_webp":87,"thumb":164,"thumb_webp":164},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp",71704,2,{"title":168,"description":169,"slug":170,"created_at":171,"publish_at":172,"formatted_created_at":173,"category":174,"links":175,"view_type":180,"video_url":87,"views":181,"likes":182,"lang":90,"comments_count":89,"is_pinned":110},"Advertising on QUASA","QUASA MEDIA is read by more than 400 thousand people a month. We offer to place your article, add a link or order the writing of an article for publication.","advertising-on-quasa","2022-07-06T07:33:02.000000Z","2025-12-15T17:33:02.000000Z","15.12.2025",{"title":58,"slug":63},{"image":176,"image_webp":177,"thumb":178,"thumb_webp":179},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.webp","large",71484,4,{"title":184,"description":185,"slug":186,"created_at":187,"publish_at":188,"formatted_created_at":189,"category":190,"links":191,"view_type":86,"video_url":87,"views":194,"likes":182,"lang":90,"comments_count":89,"is_pinned":110},"What is a Startup?","A startup is not a new company, not a tech company, nor a new tech company. You can be a new tech company, if your goal is not to grow high and fast; then, you are not a startup. ","what-is-a-startup","2021-08-04T12:05:17.000000Z","2025-12-17T13:02:00.000000Z","17.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":192,"image_webp":87,"thumb":193,"thumb_webp":193},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp",69085,{"title":196,"description":197,"slug":198,"created_at":199,"publish_at":200,"formatted_created_at":201,"category":202,"links":203,"view_type":86,"video_url":87,"views":208,"likes":166,"lang":90,"comments_count":209,"is_pinned":110},"Top 5 Tips to Make More Money as a Content Creator","Content creators are one of the most desired job titles right now. Who wouldn’t want to earn a living online?","top-5-tips-to-make-more-money-as-a-content-creator","2022-01-17T17:31:51.000000Z","2026-01-17T11:30:00.000000Z","17.01.2026",{"title":19,"slug":20},{"image":204,"image_webp":205,"thumb":206,"thumb_webp":207},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.webp",43001,1,{"title":211,"description":212,"slug":213,"created_at":214,"publish_at":215,"formatted_created_at":216,"category":217,"links":218,"view_type":180,"video_url":87,"views":223,"likes":166,"lang":90,"comments_count":89,"is_pinned":110},"8 Logo Design Tips for Small Businesses","Your logo tells the story of your business and the values you stand for.","8-logo-design-tips-for-small-businesses","2021-12-04T21:59:52.000000Z","2025-05-05T03:30:00.000000Z","05.05.2025",{"title":15,"slug":16},{"image":219,"image_webp":220,"thumb":221,"thumb_webp":222},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.webp",42024,[225,226,227,228,229,230,231,232,233,234,235,236,237],{"title":23,"slug":24},{"title":47,"slug":48},{"title":55,"slug":56},{"title":43,"slug":44},{"title":51,"slug":52},{"title":31,"slug":32},{"title":35,"slug":36},{"title":27,"slug":28},{"title":19,"slug":20},{"title":15,"slug":16},{"title":58,"slug":63},{"title":11,"slug":12},{"title":65,"slug":66}]