We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jakena Spencer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jakena below.

Jakena, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

I feel that I started my business at the perfect time. This is actually my second business the first is a trucking business with my husband. I started Empowering Scrubs Company October 2022. I was blessed to be able to be a stay at home mom for a little over a year at the time. We had moved from Illinois to Arizona the year prior. Perfect timing for a fresh start. I am 38 years old and I have worked since the age of 14. During the year at home, it was great, the trucking company was at a point where it didn’t need but a couple hours of my time a week if that, the kids was able to have me when they wanted and needed but they were all settled in and needing me all the time had slowed down. I knew I wanted to start back working but not for anyone other than myself. I also knew I wanted to be able to work from home and run an online based company. I have about 15 years in healthcare which is how I was first introduced to scrubs- let me tell you- back then, they were uncomfortable and not long enough for my 34inch inseams lol. I used to always say that I was going to make scrubs for every body type-fast forward I never learned how to sew lol but I found an alternative route. I decided that would partner with good quality wholesale companies and make sure my customer had high quality products at an affordable price, but the best customer service experience they ever had. I came up with the name Empowering Scrubs Company because I also want my customers to feel empowered while working those 16 hour shifts or while running errands. I wanted to take one less thing off their plates because the struggle to finding something comfortable and cute to wear is real!

Mind you- I first started talking about selling scrubs in 2020 during the peak of COVID. I truly believe if I would have started my company sooner I probably would’ve failed not only the brand but my customers. I wouldn’t have been able to fully take the time for marketing, research and developing the best brand. Not because I didn’t want too but because my plate was too full. I was a supervisor and had to be on call at least 2 weeks out of the month. I had just given birth to my youngest daughter and a wife.Those roles are more demanding than not. I always say that timing is everything, I wasn’t mentally prepared to put in the time and work, let alone be consistent. Empowering Scrubs would have been on the back burner if I am being honest.

I couldn’t start later because then other things that have happened would have made me say “Empowering can wait until next year,” The perfect timing to start was that late night in October that I made the choice to pursue one of my dreams.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. I was 18 years old and a senior in high school when I had my oldest daughter Janiyah. I had no clue what I wanted out of life but knew I had to give her better than what I had. After dropping in and out of college several times, and working underpaid jobs- something had to give.

I started to change my mindset and learned how to self motivate. I began to speak that I can and I will- which required a great amount of time, focus and discipline. I went back to school and majored in Healthcare Support. While working on my degree, I became a Certified Nurse Assistant and took some caregiver training and started my career in a Nursing Home.

I graduated but it wasn’t easy to find a job in my field-I learned I needed a bachelor’s degree. It was very discouraging and disappointing because I knew I wasn’t going back to school.

I worked as a CNA (which surprisingly to me I really loved)- then home health care then worked for Agency while being a caregiver.

As a caregiver, I was presented with an in office opportunity to with the scheduling team. I received several raises in my first year before being promoted to head of the department. It was a very rewarding experience because I felt that I was still involved with the care of seniors, but I was also able to have a career that paid me well. I Decorated my office, had business cards, and was able to make certain decisions for the the company. At the end of the day I had to answer to someone and had to clock in and out when they say.

I was born a leader. I always knew that I wasn’t supposed to continue to work for companies and help make them rich- but I knew of no entrepreneur- I mean my older sister had her own nonprofit but she still had a 9-5. I wasn’t taught anything other than go to school then work.

I was also scared- I knew how to work. My work ethic was impeccable. I knew I was an asset to the companies I ever worked for so the likelihood (in my young mind) of me getting fired was slim. Stability is was kept me punching their clocks.

Fast forward- my husband has the same drive and work ethic as me but with his hustle mentality he wasn’t afraid to step out on faith. He started pouring into me that I can truly do anything and he supported me beyond expectations. Once he helped shift my mindset and during his off time from work, we started our trucking business Prolific Logistics 1. Once I saw what we can do it was on and popping.

We put a plan together, relocated after our youngest daughter turned 1. I was able to stay home and fully focus on what I wanted to do outside of the trucking company.

Empowering Scrubs Company was born. I am so grateful and proud to be the owner and founder. When you look good you feel good and I want to make sure my customers know that I have them covered! I work everyday learning everything that I can about the scrubs industry. I am hand picking what wholesalers I want to work with. They must have comfortable and high quality products. I thrive on making people feel empowered. Life is full of so many things we can’t control.

I want to be a one stop shop for everything. My passion for making sure others are always taken care of in the best way possible is the reason I do what I do. It is the reason why I work hard for my customers and my brand. I enjoy the behind the scenes work but engaging with my customers is what I truly look forward to.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I built my audience by staying consistent. I also go live at least once a week to engage with my followers. I answer all DMs within 24 hours and I try to stay on top of the popular reels.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Two weeks after I started Empowering Scrubs Company, my father passed. He lived in another state and I had to learn how to plan a funeral for the first time. He and I were very close. I was his youngest daughter. It was hard for me to grieve, plan his funeral, be strong for my family and learn the business. Life doesn’t stop when you are going through a traumatic situation. I thank my father for teaching me how to push through.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.empoweringscrubscompany.com
• Instagram: Empowering_Scrubs_Company
• Facebook: Empowering Scrubs Company

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