Meet Jessica Blakley

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jessica Blakley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jessica, thank you so much for making time for us today. We’re excited to discuss a handful of topics with you, but perhaps the most important one is around decision making. The ability to make decisions is a key requirement for anyone who wants to make a difference and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your decision-making skills.
As a small business that successfully navigated the challenges posed by the pandemic, developing strong decision-making skills was vital to our survival and growth. Running a small business and managing people requires consistent adaptability and staying on one’s toes. And the pandemic refined these skills even further, by forcing us to change our entire business model and rely on our intuition every step of the way.

In 2019, we launched as an event bartending service, shaking up cocktails for large-scale events and weddings. When the pandemic hit, we had to completely clear our calendars. We listened to a strong gut feeling that we should transition our efforts to hosting online events, so we began offering virtual cocktail classes in 2020. These classes were a huge hit for groups of all kinds. When the world began gathering again, we started offering these classes in person in cities across the US. We’re aggressively expanding our reach and relying on the same intuition that allowed us to survive the pandemic.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I was born and raised in South Florida, as the only child to two entrepreneurs. Many of our family dinners and car rides were business strategy meetings, and my summer breaks were always spent helping in any way I could. Up close and personal, I saw all of the highs and lows that come with business ownership — my parents are amazed I wasn’t scared away! But I loved it. I found the constant problem-solving fascinating. I saw the freedom and flexibility that owning a business provided my parents, and I craved this for my own career. They rarely missed any of my games, tournaments, or performances.

When I was young, I was always starting my own businesses. At first, I started with a gym for my cats called LA Catness. When I was 10, I caught as many land hermit crabs I could on a trip down to the Florida Keys. I brought them back and sold them at the neighborhood park. By my teens, I started selling people’s clothing on Poshmark, and keeping a percentage of sales. When I was 17, I invented and patented a kit and solution that repaired crack compact makeup.

After graduating high school, I went to Belmont University where I studied Economics and Political Science. Here, Willow and I began BarBees. Today, BarBees is a mobile cocktail class company shaking up cocktails nationwide.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. If it’s broke, fix it! Being an entrepreneur is all about embracing autonomy, driving change, and pursuing a dream with flexibility and vision. If you decide that you’re not liking the direction your business is going, you have the power to change it! Willow and I launched BarBees as an event bartending service, shaking up drinks for high-volume events like weddings and private parties. While we loved being a part of fabulous celebrations, we found that high-volume bartending didn’t facilitate the kind of connection we craved when starting our business. Through some major pivots, we began offering cocktail classes. Over the years, BarBees has taken on the heartbeat that we always intended – a space to entertain and connect through memorable experiences (and delicious cocktails!)

2. Adaptability is key – learning to roll with the punches is essential to creating a thriving venture. One year after launching BarBees in 2019, we faced the obstacle of all obstacles: the pandemic. We were forced to clear our calendars and think on our feet. Rather than mourn the business we started, we decided to continue pursuing our mission of facilitating celebration and connection, even if that meant transitioning to a virtual format. We began offering virtual cocktail classes for corporate groups across the world. And as folks began gathering again, we dove head first into in-person cocktail classes. There will always be obstacles – hopefully none as catastrophic as the pandemic – and learning to embrace them as exciting challenges and opportunities is important to growing your business.

3. Surround yourself with the right people. Willow and I have been intentional about finding mentorship and inspiration from people more experienced in business than we are. As best friends, it’s important that we seek wisdom from people who have been in our shoes. For someone new on the entrepreneurial journey – reach out to your local entrepreneurship center to see if they offer mentorship programs. We met our mentor through Belmont University before we started BarBees, and continue to meet with him monthly.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Two years into our business partnership, Willow and I read the book, “Marriage Without the Sex: An Unconventional Approach to Business Relationships” by Rachel Lawson. If you’ve got business partners or have ever considered adding on business partners, this book is an essential read. It helped us get in front of hard conversations, and inspired to set up legal safeguards to protect our business, our relationship, and our assets.

The book’s biggest takeaway was to set up a strong operating agreement between you and your partner(s). This will outline roles, responsibilities, and legal expectations, preventing conflicts and providing a clear framework for decision-making.

Plus, Rachel Lawson is a Nashville local. So, consider reading this book a way of supporting Nashville entrepreneurs!

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