Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexander King.
Hi Alexander, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Raised in a devout structured religious household, my future was pretty much preprogrammed. As I became an adolescent, I began to observe the hypocrisy and double standards common in most organized religions. I had the desire to be genuine to myself.
I made the decision as a young adult to follow my own desires at the expense of being exiled from my family for choosing to leave their religion. It was been 15 years since we have embraced. I battled own feelings of despondency and loneliness and young adulthood. Poured my trust out of bottles and developing unhealthy relationships.
I decided to take a trip and go therapy. I went to Cairo, Egypt alone for a week to remind myself of the greatness that we came from and the responsibility I have to achieve the best version of myself. Once I returned from Egypt, I had just three therapy sessions. It was from that point from where I learned to accept reality and gain the confidence in myself, knowing that I developed the tools to make my own destiny.
Continuing with the journey of self-care, I decided to cut fast food. This discovered my passion for cooking and hospitality. For me, it is watching others enjoy a meal or cocktail that I’ve prepared while watching how God’s love shows up thru food and gathering. Today AKS_smallplates has traveled the country bartending, catering, pop-up shows, and even placed top 25 of 500 for a major TV network competition show. My next endeavor is to own a food truck and open a culinary school.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I had sure imagined that it was going to be. However, at 22, I decided to leave the religion of my upbringing. (Jehovah’s Witness) It is their practice to exile and excommunicates you from anyone that is from the religion. This even meant my parents, siblings, nephews, and every single friend from my childhood. I woke up overnight, totally cut off from everyone feeling like God was mad with me.
This sent me to a deep depression with feelings of guilt, shame, and worthlessness. This spiraled into overdrinking and poor relationship decisions. Yet and still, multiple evictions, repossessions, and terminated jobs were still not enough to get me to change; I just learned to survive and pretend happy. Three years ago, I met someone that became a best friend that changed my life and showed me the power of manifestation. Two years after we met, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and died months after the diagnosis. Losing someone that saves your soul and helps bring you out a dark space hurted me a lot. I decided to go to therapy to help myself grieve. This was a life-changing experience!
Once I changed my onlook on life, valued my beliefs, and practiced my craft in cooking my life began to change for the better. Now I feel myself beginning to soar with the eagles.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a cardiographic technician. I specialize in heart rhythm interpretations and data analysis. I report to a cardiologist the cardiac activity of their patients. I’m proud to have an uncommon skill that fills my with joy knowing that I am entrusted with such a vital task. I am known for being the advocate for my patients and for my co-workers and for constantly looking for new ways to effective.
What sets me apart is that I genuinely 100% enjoy people and can adapt to all social environments. My life and work experiences from being “perfect” in religion in a domestically violent home, then being shut out, I have to other desire then to aspire for peace and greatness.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I was the captain the saxophones in band class. I still want to be the next “Kenny G” one day. So far from it however! And for some reason, it really surprises people when I tell them that I eat pickles in my tacos. It really delicious. 😋
Pricing:
- $150/hr bartending
Contact Info:
- Instagram: aks_smallplates
