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

Hi Jacqueline, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Anytime I feel frustrated or lost as a decision maker, I wonder what it would be like to be a flight attendant. Flying around the world, climbing my way to first class, pouring champagne and greeting people. It seems like a romantic job. I’m sure the realities of being a flight attendant have moments just as stressful as mine, but it’s a little mental vacation. I think that allowing myself this fantasy helps me exit the manic spiral of decision making and think a little clearer.

Jacqueline, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve been somewhere in the world of food for about 20 years. I’ve done a lot of really wild gigs all over the country and even occasionally still pick up work on sailboats for the paid adventure. I like where food takes me and the opportunities I’ve found in my career. I opened Kitsch during the pandemic as a response to restaurants pivoting away from grandiose. It felt like creating something streamlined would be a great building block to a larger and ever evolving concept. I provide breakfast and lunch sandwiches with excellent coffee at reasonable prices. I also created a culture that promotes mental wellness and community. Sandwiches are the baseline to a great company that is beginning to evolve into a much larger brand of catering, new properties, retail items, bakery options and hopefully soon, dinner service.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I am 100% certain that our integrity as a business has built our reputation within our market. We work extremely hard to show our community that we were going to be professional, upstanding members of our neighborhood. We find opportunities to participate in events and we love to partner with our local school to fundraise. We’ve always been a transparent company with little to no political affiliation and full inclusivity in our workplace. We’re big believers in being a business for everyone, everywhere.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Take care of yourself first. Maybe not financially, unfortunately, but definitely from a mental self-care perspective. If you’re on an airplane and the masks drop down, the advice is to put your own on before you help others. If you don’t have your own oxygen, you can’t produce high morale or raise employee retention. Do the work to make sure your home environment is well-kept. Use your phone to keep lists of action items and track progress. Schedule your time efficiently to meet the needs of your team and your clients. Make a regimen of daily vitamins, hydration and exercise. Surprisingly, if you’re taking care of your own body and mind, it’s a lot easier to take care of others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kitsch.cafe
• Instagram: https://kitsch.cafe

Image Credits

Becca Gohn