We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jen Revak a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Jen with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Growing up, my parents worked really hard and I saw that everyday. As I got older, I realized that I could have great things in this life too if I put in the work. Thankfully, I found something that I absolutely love doing and so it became such a great adventure to chase all of the things that I wanted out of it. I fell in love with the challenges, although sometimes hard and very painful, they helped me grow tremendously and with that I fed off of the feeling of accomplishment afterwards. There is pain and sacrifice in anything challenging, but the reward is greater than that. That is what keeps me going and wanting to constantly improve myself and what I do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a baker at my very core and I enjoy the art of it so much. When I started my business, I wanted to focus on ONE thing and be really great at it. I chose to do cookie artistry and I knew that I wanted to have an exceptional tasting product to showcase my art. That is why it took me close to a year to develop my cornerstone recipe for all of my cookies. I always wanted to be original and do my best to have an exceptional product! Everyday is different for me! I’m constantly creating all types of cookies – birthdays, anniversaries, company launches, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day etc. I’m sharing myself with so many people and becoming part of their memories and celebrations – that is super special and such an honor. Not only am I doing custom decorated cookies, but I’m constantly offering new drop cookies often like pumpkin spice, gingersnap, lemon, and strawberry flavors! It keeps my creative mind going which has been incredible.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The biggest thing for me was that I never gave up or went home with a “Q” on my shirt (QUITTER). I kept going no matter how hard, scary, or difficult things were. I also never stopped learning or wanted to stop trying new things in my industry. The last thing that really has helped me has been surrounding myself with good people and leaning in to that. If someone hasn’t made me feel good or positive in my life, I’ve had to let them go.
My advice would be to stay true to who you are. Believe that who you are is enough and that you can do hard things. The rewards for those hard things far outweigh the challenges.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The biggest challenge that I’m facing at this point in my career and life in general, is maintaining a positive mindset. EVERYDAY I have to wake up and feed my mind and body with positive things and really be conscious of that. I’ve developed a great morning routine to set myself up for success. I exercise five days a week, surround myself with positive people who want to see me win, and am very aware of what I’m listening to. This life, especially these days, can be super challenging, but YOU have the power to control what you see, hear, and do and do my best to make great choices for myself!
Contact Info:
- Website: jentasticsweets.com
- Instagram: @jentasticsweets
- Facebook: Jentastic Sweets
Image Credits
Marie Feutrier – Headshots by Marie
