We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jennifer Otis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jennifer below.
Jennifer, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Now this is one question that I can honestly say, I still struggle with sometimes to this day. I am a home chef and all of my culinary skills I got from mainly my mother teaching me how to cook in the kitchen at home, some foods classes that I took at school throughout the years, and traveling around the world and eating at different restaurants and such. I love to watch a lot of cooking shows, and even have some favorites of social media home chefs that I like. Because I am in such a competitive field, sometimes it’s easy to want to compare your craft to somebody else’s, as if their’s is far superior than what you have going on. In reality, I am killing the progress of my craft. Nobody can duplicate what I’m doing and I don’t need to try to duplicate with anybody else is doing because what is working for them won’t work for me. I only have people in my circle that speak life into me and remind to speak life into myself on days when I feel I am unworthy because those days do still come occasionally. I’m blessed to have people support me enough to believe in me and what I stand for. I’ve found that staying true to myself and just being genuine and open about my life, helps me deal with imposter syndrome. Everyone knows me knows that I’m not living for anyone accept for myself and with I having that positive mindset that we can all eat out here and that it will take time building the foundation that I want, takes a lot of the stress off of me feeling the need to change myself just for people to like me.
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 personal chef and caterer located in Cincinnati Ohio. I also am a good content creator where I share delicious recipes that accommodate many different dietary needs. One of my biggest and most exciting projects that I have going on currently, is the selling of my delicious gourmet cookies that I now sell on two online platforms. My cookies can be bought on my TikTok shop or my Etsy store JennioVittles. I’ve been blessed enough to find much success with my cookies, selling nationwide almost in every state except for three! I initially started baking these cookies with my son to give to Santa during Christmas. I never thought that these cookies would takeoff like they are, but I am so honored that they are. There are so many people that want to support me or even taste some of my delicious food because I talk all the time about how I cook with my emotions and they get to experience my gift of love through the cookies or whatever it is that I’m making. I am very proud of the progress that I have made as I just celebrated a year in the cookie business in July! I take pride in my customer service, as well as the time, effort, and energy. I put into each and every order. When I’m working on anyone’s order, I make sure that my mind is free and clear of any negativity. I listen to music that makes me happy while I am baking. Each order is made to order and I spend time even after they’re out of the oven, putting the toppings on and making sure they are cooled, overnight, before I even package them to be shipped out. I literally write a hand written note in each order, so they can really know how much I appreciate them patronizing my business. To consistently get such wonderful reviews that I have, has been so humbling because I never thought that people would enjoy them as much as they do. Usually people are so critical and quick to try to destroy a business when you have put so much love and effort into something, you see it everyday on social media. I am so blessed that that has not been my experience so far and I pray that I am able to continue with my consistency to continue to deliver love in each order.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The number one skill that I have learned that’s far is communication is key. For example, I had a late shipment come in for specific cookie bags that I use, which came in a week later than I was promised to be delivered so that was going to put me behind in my orders when I just sold out on both selling platforms. Of course, I didn’t want to be a bearer of bad news, but it was very important for me to reach out to these customers and let them know what the situation was and give them the chance to either keep their order and allow me to fulfill or to cancel if they didn’t want to wait. Can you believe that even though I wasn’t delivering the best news, each and every person was so kind and patient and thankful for me even just reaching out to let them know and they wanted to still keep their order. Had I not said anything, it would’ve been bad for me because these people are getting my cookies based upon recommendations or reviews from somebody else and for me not to deliver that wouldn’t be a good way to start off, so I’m very grateful that I have learned communication is key because that could’ve cost me a lot of money.
Another lesson that I have recently learned in business and one of the most important for any other business owner, is I would rather refund a customer that may have felt that a product wasn’t to their satisfaction, instead of ever arguing, and going back-and-forth with negativity to keep that customer on for a lifetime.
One of the hardest challenges that I faced with my cookies is shipping them in the summertime, especially in southern states or states far from me because it takes 3 to 4 days for them to arrive sometimes. So I had to find a method that would work to ship chocolate and not have it melt before it arrives to them. Unfortunately I did have a customer who didn’t receive their cookies for five days through transit, and the chocolate was melted and she was disappointed in that. I refunded her because I know that she purchased her cookies with the excitement based upon a review and one thing about me is I want to stand on what that review was and I will make sure that that customer does get these cookies in pristine condition, when it’s cooler of course, and see exactly why she took the chance to purchase my cookies. As a small business owner, yes refunding can be a bit of a blow, but that money will always come back to you if you have superior customer service and keep your word and have a valuable product to stand behind and that is exactly what I do.
Last but not least, haters are always gonna be around. You can literally be focused on your business and actually spreading positivity and love and people will still try to bring negativity about your character because they lack in areas they wish they could succeed in so they’re going to try their hardest to get whoever will listen to not like or support you. Practice grace at all times especially when people are using the most malicious words towards you which there will be a lot of. This is where you will truly exercise strength like never before. Anyone who brings you negativity on your journey unprovoked, is just projecting their insecurities onto you. Don’t ever let them bring you down to their level, always respond with positivity because they are looking for you to be effected in someway and as winners, we will never let them win!
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
I would definitely say my biggest would be finding my voice of what I want for my business. For majority of my life, I can honestly say I was a people pleaser just to not make things confrontational, but this journey I am on now is so personal. I know it may sound cliché, but the amount of shit that I have gone through in my life and challenges, nobody else has experienced it but me and doesn’t know how much I want this except for me, so nobody else can tell me what feels right to me about my business. A lot of times people feel that it’s appropriate to interject their opinions onto what I’m doing just because I didn’t want to hurt their feelings, but I had to realize this isn’t their journey.
If I didn’t have personal growth, I probably would’ve listened to what these people are telling me, but I am finding success because I am trusting myself and what I feel is right and that is something I will never give up for anybody. Everybody has their own lives, and if that’s how somebody choose to do things in their life, then that’s for them to do. I no longer put anyone’s opinion about my journey over my own and I’m not talking about my support system helping me, I mean the people trying telling me how things “should” be done when they don’t have anything of their own going on at all and never have. The people who want to see you win are the only ones that matter.
Contact Info:
- Website: Igotthevittles.com
- Instagram: Igotthevittles
- Facebook: I Got the Vittles
- Youtube: Jennio.Vittles
- Yelp: I Got the Vittles
- Other: TikTok: Jennio.Vittles Etsy: JennioVittles
