We were lucky to catch up with Jenny Dempsey recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jenny, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I believe my work ethic stems from working for an employer for 31 years who always had a focus of attention to detail and providing exceptional service to customers. Being under the umbrella of someone who had a strong work ethic influenced me to see the positive outcome of why those things were so important which motivated me to work hard for others in general. From straightening rugs to executing large catering orders well, there was nothing that was insginificant to make for a great experience to the customer. Happy customers are repeat customers who tell others about your business which help it grow to be successful.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I have recently made the move from an Area Director at Cousins Subs to running my own business (Jen’s Sweetmix) on a fulltime basis. This mix is something I have been making for friends and family for over 20 years, but after bringing it to a work picnic August of 2023 and encouraged by a co-worker to sell it, I tried doing so in September of 2023. Since then it has grown into selling product at more events, using Sweetmix for wedding favors, producing large company orders as gifts for employees and also selling wholesale to a local grocery store. Providing samples for the public is important for me since my product may appear to look like a regular Chex Mix, but it is much different. It is a mix of rice cereal, pretzels, cashews, butter and brown sugar. I also have a gluten free option that tastes exactly the same by changing the pretzles which opens up a tasty option to those that have to eat gluten free. My biggest joy is sharing it with people that have never had it before. The remarks given and looks on their faces are priceless. I feel like Sweetmix has barely scratched the surface of Waukesha County and I know there are so many people out there that don’t realize they want Sweetmix yet. I look forward to introducing it to many others!
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?
No matter what you do, being organized, planning ahead and not biting off more than you can chew is critical to doing something well. When I started this business I was also overseeing 8 restaurants at the time. It was important for me to plan ahead and be organized with my responsibilities for both jobs. As Sweetmix started to grow and more people asked me to participate in events and do more with it, I had to make decisions that made the most sense for me in that moment. I didn’t commit to more than I could handle where I could possibly fail and look bad as a new business owner. The other thing that has been a tremendous help as I have been learning so many new things is leaning on my fellow entrepreneurs. Whether their business is similar or not, everyone has something worthwile to offer with their own experience that can be helpful. Not only have I learned a lot that way, I have built a lot of new friendships doing so.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I can confidently say that this product is something many people would love to get their hands on. I have only scratched the surface of my own town to introduce this unique treat to others. I’ve even had people in other states reach out to me asking how to get this product because they tried it in Wisconsin, loved it and want to share it with the people they know. I would love to find a way to get this product to many more people somehow whether it is being in more stores, providing it to more companies who would be interested in using it for their clients/employees or using it for more events/weddings. Jen’s Sweetmix is the perfect addition for any occasion.
Contact Info:
Sweetmix2023@gmail.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jens-sweetmix.square.site
- Instagram: jens_sweetmix
- Facebook: Jen’s Sweetmix LLC
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