“Every step is a test for your testimony.” Born and raised in North Carolina, Kendrick has been a go-getter from the moment he was born. His mother instilled in him from an early age the fundamentals of living and surviving on your own – how to cook, clean, and take care of yourself. “My mom always told me, ‘Trying times is no time to quit trying,’ and I tell myself that a lot.” This drive his mother instilled in him could be part of the reason that Kendrick learned a little bit in a lot of fields throughout his years. “I’m the culmination of all the jobs I’ve had. I worked in social services, convenience stores, Best Buy, and even owned my own bail bonds company for a few years. But what really got me into cooking was when I worked at Campbell’s.” At Campbell’s, Kendrick worked with the machinery that made and processed the food, which gave him a clear look into the behind the scenes. It was while he was working at Campbell’s that Kendrick acquired his first food truck, purchased with his partners and private investors. “I would go from working a 12-hour shift at Campbell’s to doing an event in the food truck at night, and right back at it the next morning. When you want it bad enough, failure isn’t an option.” Kendrick learned about CCSC from an alumnus, and was interested in attending to further his knowledge, even though he was already successful in his food truck ventures. “A man that knows everything knows nothing. It’s about being willing to listen, learn, and be coachable, no matter what you think you already know.” In addition to being in Class 78, Kendrick and his food truck, City Cookout, is the resident food truck at Oaklore Distilling Co. on Wednesday through Sunday nights.