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

Jovella, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

From the beginning of establishing my business, right away I noticed obstacles that made the process somewhat difficult for me. By keeping my faith in God and gathering a support system made the challenges all the more easier. Before starting Thank Heavens Sweets I typically worked a hourly job. Trying to work around my schedule cut into my daily life, my family, and my motivation. So for me my family and kid always been a priority in my life. Now that I’m actually a business owner I’m definitely a happier person overall.

Jovella, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Nothing in life comes easy, and if it does it’s definitely not worth it in the end. One of the hardest moments in my life was when I seen my son Ja’Khi for the very last time. Ja’Khi’s life brought such joy, and I appreciated every minute of his presence. During his early stages he developed complications to Pneumonia, causing his life at a very young 5 years old. Dealing with the grief and heartache sent me into a very dark place and I needed something that would keep me going for my oldest child. ​
I began baking as a way to keep going but the pain didn’t go anywhere, but the purpose was clear the me. Ja’Khi was sent to me to change my life in more ways than I could have ever imagined and I am forever grateful for that.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Having a self taught business comes with many lessons. I definitely learned early on is that your only one person and you can only do so much. I was literally running around in circles trying to please everyone. With that being said people tend to push you to the limit with demands on what they want, when they want it. So I started guidelines and rules that help eliminates the pressure. Especially with last minute orders and or cancellations. Everything is a process and I need to have adequate time per order. Buying supplies and baking then the decorating and also pick up times.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I used my old Instagram page that already had a good amount of followers, and I just deleted the old posts. So then I started to upload pictures of my work on there. Going forward I networked everywhere I went with business cards, doing pop up events, and by word of mouth. Having my friends and family share my posts and business information. My advice for anyone that’s just starting, don’t worry about how many likes or comments you get. Just be consistent and keep going no matter how you feel about your growth. Post everything you do pertaining to your business trust me your page will grow but not overnight.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Instagram.com/thankheavensweets
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100027918235774&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Novella Lacy