We recently connected with Jamela Staten and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jamela , you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
The cliché answer is, ‘I have been at rock bottom before, so I understand what it is to pull yourself up from your bootstraps.’ A little over 10 years ago, I was 24 years old, with a six-figure job, living in a penthouse apartment, living the young dream. One day, it was taken away in a week’s time when the company decided to downsize, and I was laid off.
I was now living off unemployment, unable to make ends meet with the lifestyle that I currently was living. I was also very prideful; I felt embarrassed that I did not have a job. I refused to ask for any help, and I just tried to figure it out for myself. I was living in my car, doing IT freelance work, and also had a steady part-time job, but it still was not enough to get an apartment yet. I lived in my car for almost a year. During this time, I was still volunteering at the soup kitchen every day; this is where I met some great people. There was an older woman there who taught me how to coupon! If anyone knows, I am an extreme couponer to this day because of her help and generosity. I got connected with people who helped me pay for a new apartment and get furniture that I needed. No one knew that I was homeless until years later.
Being able to get through that hard time stays locked away in my mind; sometimes we forget how easy it is to lose it all. I have friends that work with me full-time and are unable to afford groceries! I work for a Trillion Dollar company, and there are people that cannot afford rent or the basics. I always make sure that if I have it to spare, I always offer. I always say I may not have all the money, but I can always feed someone. Being kind is free; being not so kind is also free, but which one is more rewarding?
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a boutique baker and caterer. When I first started out, I was strictly doing simple cakes such as pound cakes, cornbread, and basic cupcakes. It was not until I left college that I became interested in cake decorating and actually making a business out of it.
I began by making pound cakes and cornbread, which I sold by the slice in college to help pay for books and other school expenses. I would call the slices ‘loosies’ because I went to school at Rutgers University in Newark, NJ, and in the downtown area, there were people who would sell loose cigarettes as ‘loosies,’ so I thought I’d use that reference.
The name ‘JajasBakes’ came from a long-time friend who always called me Jaja instead of my actual name. I took that nickname and made it JajasBakes, also playing off of Jar Jar Binks from Star Wars!
I specialize in vegan and sugar-free desserts, but I make any and all desserts. I started creating vegan and sugar-free treats for my first customers, who were my coworkers. I wanted everyone to enjoy my desserts regardless of their dietary restrictions. As of now, JajasBakes is my supplemental income, but my passion is just as strong as if it were my primary job. I love when people challenge me and ask for really over-the-top cakes and treats. I am also a caterer, offering meal prep services as well.
I am available for all events, including parties, baby showers, funerals, weddings, and pretty much anything you can think of. If you have a vision, I am pretty sure I can bring it to life and execute it flawlessly.
In my professional life, I have a background in Information Technology. I have my Bachelor’s in Information Systems, my MBA in Corporate Finance, and I recently completed my PMP certification from Cornell University. I have been in IT my whole adult life, so incorporating my knowledge in business and project management has really helped my bakery business flourish. I am essentially the IT support, the accountant, and the business owner—I do it all! Sometimes it’s not easy, but it is always rewarding.
I can honestly say I am always so happy when I see people enjoy my food. I love to see the kids’ faces light up when they see that Little Mermaid cake or Pokemon cake. When I was their age, we had a sheet cake with bubblegum balls around it, so this generation of parents is really showing that kids deserve the best too, and I am so happy to be a part of it.”
“The most important thing to me about being a business owner is to make sure you do your research on EVERYTHING!
Understand how investments work, ask yourself what will be your break-even point? Do you have a set amount of time to complete certain goals?
I highly encourage individuals to take an accounting class, a class on taxes, or some type of business class to really understand how businesses work.
Learn about business credit, loans, and be sure to surround yourself with people who want you to win.
Understand that there will be busy days and weeks when you may not get any business at all. Team up with someone who has knowledge in social media; you may not know how to do it all, but it’s about allocating your resources.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing? I recently became a mommy, learning to navigate motherhood, working full-time, and running a business is a new challenge for me. Thankfully, my son is super chill and loves being in the kitchen with his momma.
I want to show him that he can do anything he puts his mind and heart to. Jajabakes will be his legacy when he is older, and I want to make sure he is always proud of his momma the way I am proud of him.
I took a year off while I was pregnant and progressing in my career. Just recently, I opened slots up for cake orders just to see if I could handle it. This is a new learning curve that I am going to master in no time, and the cakes came out amazing!
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 most important thing to me about being a business owner is to make sure you do your research on EVERYTHING!
Understand how investments work, ask yourself what will be your break even ? Do you have a set amount of time to complete certain goals?
I highly encourage individuals to take an accounting class, class on taxes or some type of business class to really understand how businesses work.
Learn about Business credit, loans and be sure to surround yourself with people who want you to win.
Understand the there will be busy days and weeks that you may not get any business at all. Team up with someone that has knowledge in social media, you may not know how to do it all but it’s about allocating your resources.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
I recently became a Mommy, learning to navigate motherhood, working full-time, and carrying a business is a new challenge for me. Thankfully my son is super chill and loves being in the kitchen wit his momma.
I want to show him that he can do anything he puts his mind and heart to. Jajabakes will be his legacy when he is older, and want to make sure he is always proud of his momma the way I am proud of him.
I took a year off while I was pregnant and progressing in my career. Just recently I opened slots up for cake orders just to see if I could handle it. This is a new learning curve that I am going to master In not time and the cakes came out amazing!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jajasbakes/
Image Credits
Jamela Staten
