This month, we are featuring the person at the center of our #DreamTeam— our owner Becki. An inspiring woman business owner with decades of experience, Becki Annastas has made Dream Events & Catering what it is today.

She says what makes Dream stand out is our personality and thoroughness because “we have a history, and that means we are not practicing on our clients. Our clients are getting seasoned, experienced professionals.”

When Becki isn’t working, she seeks mindlessness to relax away from the office and “achieve the opposite” of what her life at work is like— and we don’t blame her, being as hard-working as she is! She spends time on her land, reading, cooking, planting, or sitting by a fire. 

Read on to learn about her advice for women in the industry, her favorite Dream dish, and how she leads others!

What’s a typical day at Dream like for you?

There is no typical day (because that would be B-O-R-I-N-G), but every day my first priority is to go in and connect with the team. Being split between different locations now makes it more challenging, and I miss seeing the whole team every day. My main responsibility right now is business development. So, every day the focus is building the business through client relationships and team development.

How do you stay on top of everything? Any organizational tips or tricks?

I don’t know that I do it well and that is what often leads to longer days and weeks, but the key is to make sure each person understands what piece of the puzzle is theirs. OWNERSHIP. If people OWN the piece that is theirs then everyone should be able to work together to get the job done. I couldn’t live without Google Calendar and Notes. 

Describe your leadership style. How do you lead others?

Firm but fair. People work for people, not for companies. My door is always open, but you need to be part of the solution. We are adults and need to take responsibility for ourselves, how we interact with others, and our responsibilities. There is never an excuse for something not being the very best we can make it. We have an abundance of intelligence, passion, and talent around us. We would be remiss not to put our best foot forward every single time.

Have you encountered any specific obstacles related to being a woman business owner? How did you overcome them?

As a female business owner, I have seen a few things over time, but I am excited to say that, in our industry, this question is becoming harder to answer, which is very exciting news. Our industry has fought hard for more equal opportunity. We are certainly not there yet but this industry demands more and more diversity and equity, and this is just another reason I feel so fortunate to have fallen into this line of work.

As far as obstacles that I personally have encountered, certainly there were more earlier in my career as I was moving up from the bottom and learning and mastering every single aspect of the restaurants, and then just moving into catering. As I have learned more and seen more, I believe the obstacles (my obstacles) are mine to remove, less about my gender and more about the general state of humanity or the state of business at this point in time. I see everything as a challenge and opportunity. I do not play the victim well. Pick yourself up and let’s get going!!

What is your favorite Dream menu item?

Right now it is the Peach Chipotle Chicken. I haven’t seen it as much lately, but Chef Anthony made it the other day and it re-sparked my love for it. It is just gorgeous, vibrant, and still unique. I also love Chef Mary’s Portobello Butternut Napoleon. It is a breath of fresh air. So fresh and clean. It is bursting with flavor and texture and so filling. 

What advice would you give to other women aspiring to grow their own business, particularly in the events and catering industry?

Buckle up and find your squad. It is so important to find your village that will support you and let you be authentic. You need people that you can ask REAL questions to that might be stupid but they won’t judge you. You need people around you that will build you up, encourage you, and also let you have moments of struggle but not let you get stuck there. They will keep reminding you why you have to keep going, and pushing, and fighting forward because most days are amazing, and the hard ones are really hard, but there is always another really amazing one right around the corner. This is an incredible industry, if you are lucky enough to get bitten by the hospitality bug!

If you could cater an event for any celebrity or historical figure, who would it be?

I would love to cater for my late grandmother. She never got a chance to see what I became, and I am proud of what I have done and continue to do. I think that would be more fulfilling than a celebrity.

I would love to sit and have a cocktail with a few celebrities more than cater for them. I would have a beverage with Gloria Steinem, Oprah, and the late RBG. We have been lucky to cater for a lot of celebrities over the years, and it has been nice, but mostly because it has validated more about Nashville and how they can just be normal people here. I love that they can just be at an event and be a regular guest or client. 

Have you ever felt imposter syndrome, and if so, how do you navigate your way through it?

Of course I have. I believe every entrepreneur has at one point and, most of us, many points. Whether or not they ever tell you is another story. Every entrepreneur is moving forward wondering what they are doing and hoping/praying it is going to come together at some point. But they have this thing inside them that tells them to go forward, and that what they are doing is right. After a while, you hone your skills and resources. You build that village that I mentioned earlier, and you rely on the intelligence you have gathered and the data you have collected, and eventually you do know what you are doing. You always find a way to buy and throw a new wrench/screwdriver/drill into things, but that is just to keep you up on your skills, I suppose.

Find people smarter than you and keep them close! Surround yourself with people that make you look GREAT. If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.

Looking ahead, what do you envision for the future of Dream Events & Catering?

I see many more years of this. Whether we are this size or larger than we are now, I just want to love the people we work with, like we do now, and like we have for years. I want to be proud of what we are serving and how we are serving, like we are now. I just want more of this. I envision myself, with more smiling and more gray hair. With our recent expansion, the sky is the limit.

Do you have a favorite go-to place in Nashville and why?

As far as restaurants, my current favorite is Drusie and Darr. My second is always Henrietta Red. Both have menus that never disappoint. Every single time, I am wowed and beverages that closely rival the food.

Photos by Jen Creed Creative and Abigail Bridges Photography.