Meet Daegan Jacobs

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Daegan Jacobs a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Daegan 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?

Throughout the years I’d say I have achieved my work ethic from the people I surround myself with. Im constantly surrounded by like-minded people who are often successful and want to see me succeed. I’ve watched my own parents work, and their resilience to overcome challenges and setbacks truly has taken a positive effect on me. Over time, I have learned that there will never be a right time to do or start anything, as long as you just start. It’s a very difficult concept, but life can throw anything at you, but being able to adapt and pivot is crucial to being successful. However, just starting doesn’t guarantee success, staying consistent does. I like to tell myself that small wins lead to big wins. Every time I have a goal I want to reach, or a task I have to do, no matter how big, I always break it down into smaller tasks. Once I break everything down into manageable portions, I make a plan so that I can stick to it and execute it. I also set deadlines so that I force myself to complete what needs to be done, which allows me to move on to the next part of the task. I simply believe that whatever goal you have, you need to have an actionable and realistic plan, then execute.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am Daegan, and I am 16. I own a smoothie business called Shaggy Shakes. I started it when I was 8 in 2017 with my friend. We set up shop outside Souper Jenny, a restaurant in Atlanta, and sold smoothies for a cause close to my heart. We raised $2,500 for the Zadie Project, the non-profit organization from Souper Jenny that provides education and food to underprivileged families in need in the Metro Atlanta area.

Then I realized this was something I’d like to come back to one day. So I went to GoDaddy, and created a domain and saved it.

It wasn’t until 2024 that I was 15 and seriously thinking about how I could make a little money. I found the Sandy Springs Farmers Market and I had a meeting with the market manager. That’s when I discovered opening a legitimate business isn’t all about setting up a table and blending smoothies. I had to register my business with the Secretary of State, get insured, and become Serve Safe certified. It was daunting, but I learned so much from the experience.

Once I had everything ready, I officially opened Shaggy Shakes at the market. I was the youngest vendor they’d ever had. I wanted to direct my business towards quality, community, and health, all of which i’m passionate about. My smoothies have real fruits and vegetables, no sugars, and no additives. Just straightforward, clean food that tastes great. I make all the flavors myself and release two new flavors per week. People started coming back each Saturday, and it just took off from there.

I’m also a student at Riverwood High School and i’m also enrolled in their culinary program. Towards the end of the 2024 season, I donated 10% of my profits to the program to help fund more hands-on projects.

Then during the spring of 2025, Aston Martin Atlanta reached out to me and wanted to know if I would create smoothies for one of their client appreciation events. I created four special flavors to match their cars using only organic ingredients. It went incredibly well and was a major milestone for me.

Now, this year I’m still doing the market, however I’m doing every other Saturday, to free up some time for when I’m back in school. But, I’m also taking this summer to work on the next chapter which is a pre-packaged smoothie line for people who live In Sandy Springs who want something healthy and easy. I’m launching it in August with pickup and delivery options to make it more accessible. Im calling it “Fuel Your Flow”. It’s designed for people in my community who are constantly on the move and want to stay healthy without the hassle. The idea is pretty simple: pre-measured smoothie packs made with real fruit and vegetables, ready to blend whenever you are.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I would have to say that staying grounded, optimistic, and focused were really the top three qualities for me. Because It was my first time launching a business, I needed to stay as focused as possible on getting all the paperwork done in time for when I needed to ‘officially’ launch my business. This took time, but in order for my business to run, I needed to have it all. I also needed to be optimistic. For me, being optimistic helps create goals that I can reach. So, this quality really helped me push through setbacks and really gave me hope for the future, even when I had doubts. Im someone who likes to move fast and get things done, so staying grounded through it all really helps me recenter my mind when it’s all over the place. All three qualities help me achieve my goals and ultimately have helped me improve along my journey so far.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

I am very thankful for my parents in many ways. My parents help guide me, they give me wisdom, and they are very supportive of my goals. For my success so far with the businesses, Im beyond thankful that they allow me to run this business even while i’m still in high school. During this entire process they have guided me and taught me so much about businesses and have had patience with me when I don’t understand something. My mom loves to come and work the booth with me at the Farmers Market, her kindness to all of our customers keeps them coming back and I’m very thankful that I have my mom by my side.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shaggyshakes.com
• Instagram: shag.gyshakes

Image Credits

Zarian Shuman