<div>Due to consistent financial strain, trying to outfit a 1,000 sq ft cottage for lunch service, indecision, and a bit of over-giving, <strong>I will be moving on from the locations at Lake Ella.</strong>

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Initially a brick-and-mortar used to sustain my private chef business, these historical cottages kickstarted my career. Despite acquiring a second cottage, we were limited by the building size.

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Although financially unprepared, we opened Leon’s at Lake Ella. Due to startup expenses, equipment breaking, plumbing issues, and a motley of other reasons, the business never hit profitability, despite historically low overhead. The volume became too much, and every dollar went back into capacity building and staff retention, yet every effort fell short due to consistent growth.

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>I never crowdsourced while operating this business because I wanted to prove myself. But I need to be transparent: <strong>I need a reset.</strong>

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>The cost of this journey was high. My personal vehicle was totaled in 2023; I now only drive my work vehicle, and it is slowly deteriorating. I owe friends and family who helped me. I have student loan debt. And right now, I have no food in my fridge.

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>I have seen nonprofits raise $4,000–$13,000 for a single dinner with me. I’ve seen a documentary team raise $15,000 off my story without me seeing a dime. I’ve dealt with theft, harassment of staff, and the immense pressure of a DCF foster care youth work development program. I feel like I should be farther than I am.

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>The Future:

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>This week is a fundraiser for my next venture. By shifting to a private chef model, cooking classes, and social media, I can build the capital and the work-life balance necessary to return stronger.

</div>

<div><strong>The goal is clear: I want to operate a restaurant here in Tallahassee in 2027.</strong>

</div>

<div>But to get there, I need to survive now. I need to build out a staff to help with my private chef and social media journey so I’m not doing it alone. This shift allows me to pursue a Michelin standard, finally write my cookbook, play dance games, and actually play with my dogs.

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>My mission is bigger than Lake Ella. If enough funds are raised, Leon’s could sustain, but right now, I need to get food in the fridge and secure the foundation for the future.

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Where the Funds Will Go (The Benchmark)

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Phase 1: The Reset (Survival &amp; Transportation)

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Goal: Immediate groceries, rent, student loan payments, and repaying personal debts to friends/family.

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Impact: Stabilizing my personal life and repairing/replacing the deteriorating work vehicle so I can actually travel to private chef jobs professionally.

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Phase 2: The Build Out (Staff &amp; Content)

</div>

<div>Goal: Hiring a support staff for private events and a media team (editor/videographer).

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Impact: Visual focus for the brand. It allows for consistent revenue through high-end private dinners, cooking classes, and content monetization.

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Phase 3: The Education (Cookbook &amp; Merch)

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Goal: Production costs for the first cookbook, official merchandise, and recipes.

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Impact: Documenting the story and creating products that let you take a piece of Leon’s home.

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Phase 4: The Vision (Tallahassee 2027)

</div>

<div>Goal: A protected savings fund for the future brick-and-mortar location.

</div>

<div><br />

</div>

<div>Impact: A proper buy-in for a restaurant space that fits the vision and the volume, slated for 2027.

</div>

TONJA Ward

Anonymous

Hope Karnik

Deborah Fletcher

Sue Massa

Kara Irby

Donna Tornillo

Lauren S Weingarden

Kiera Lindsey

Cecilia Roe

Vishal Padalia

Knick Cherry

Tanner Heinberg

Gregory Solomon

Allison Sampson

Esther Koutnik

Help Leon Brunson Reset and Rebuild

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

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OneTrust next-app audience

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NextDoor Share Option Users

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Mark Rieth IP Address

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Fund is in English speaking country

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Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

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Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

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Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

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AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

NPO upsell education category

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

NPO recommendations prod

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

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Native 11.3.0 and above

ai_title_page

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openai

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Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

NPO upsell animals category

NPO upsell disaster relief category

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

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NPO upsell essential needs category

NPO upsell medical category

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Localized Currency

NPO upsell cancer category

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

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Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

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challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

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CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Just $700$ to go! Make an impact.

Help Leon Brunson Reset and Rebuild

Just $700 to go!
Make an impact.