We recently connected with Janette Martin and have shared our conversation below.

Janette, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

Family and friends have always been supportive since the very beginning over 20 years ago. I have two grown sons who have continously stated that my product should be in the retail space. My plan for 2023 is to start the ground work to take my product to market.

Janette, 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?

Greetings!!!

My names is Janette (nickname Jan) Martin. I have a food related business-Jan’s Sweet Sensations, a dessert confectionary dedicated to making the world a happier place, one delicious sweet treat at a time. This business was created 20 years ago while holding down a full-time Administrative Assistant job working temporarily in a few different industries to include, Big 8 Accounting, Oil and Gas, Real Estate Investment and later, permanent jobs in Higher Education. It started as a hobby, something to do to take my mind off of an eight hour day consisting of being someone else’s “employee” and all that goes with that. I started out making cookies to go in my ex husband’s lunch that morphed into church members ordering cakes and cookies, to me providing desserts for work related pot lucks. The first Cheesecake I made for a potluck turned into them asking me to make it for other functions. All it took was one co-worker to say how good it was and man…..it was crazy!!!!! People literally would get a slice of Cheesecake before getting their plate of food because they didn’t want to run the risk of it being gone. That pivatol moment clearly showed me that I was on to something. To this day, Cheesecake is my most requested item.

The specific problem I solve would be helping consumers find a delicious dessert whether for a special occassion or just a treat for themselves that they’d be glad to have spent their hard earned dollars on. I speak from personal experience when I say…you don’t always get what you pay for. Over the past 5 or 6 years I’ve noticed food quality on a downward spiral. I’ve purchased items that left me disappointed and quite honestly “furious” that I had wasted both my time and money on. It’s amazing to me how lackluster food products are these days. Fancy packaging and properly crafted food descriptions are good things but what does it taste like? Here’s where I shine…..Jan’s Sweet Sensations prides itself on giving the consumer more than what they expect. I’ll never prepare something for a customer that I wouldn’t eat myself. At the end of the day when the product is ready for the consumer, I asked myself…would I eat that? My brand is important to me and I stand by everything that I do. Customers should know that they’re going to get a treat that doesn’t come close to anything they’ve ever tasted and one they won’t regret spending their money on. You can literally taste the passion in my product. I never would have imagined all the avenues I’ve traveled leading to this road. Who would have thought that getting educated in an entirely different field would serve it’s purpose only for me to carve out another avenue for myself by reaching back to what was in me all along, the love for all things food. “Do yourself A Flavor…Experience the Taste of Jan’s Sweet Sensations. Your Sweet Tooth Will Thank You!!!”

Jan’s Sweet Sensations
https://www.jans-sweetsensations.com
Subsidiary: Jan’s Plated Provisions
https://www.jansplatedprovisions.com
Chef Jan Marie

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I initially started out making sweet treats. A few years ago, I realized that there was a need to pivot to create an additional revenue stream for my business. I decided at that time that it would be a good idea to create a savory arm to my already existing dessert business. This is when Jan’s Plated Provisions was established. Now I have a subsidiary to Jan’s Sweet Sensations. Jan’s Plated Provisions is a Private Chef Concierge Service specializing in creating plated meals for small and intimate dining experiences. This service is available to consumers looking for a Private Chef to prepare meals in their homes with the option to have a full-service dining experience with tablescape decor, prep, service and clean-up.

htt;p://www.jansplatedprovisions.com
Instagram: plated99
TikTok: chefchicjanmarie
Facebook: Jan’s Plated Provisions

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

One book in particular that is my “Go To” and one that I will often refer back to is:

Les Brown’s Live Your Dreams. His philosophy regarding being hungry persistant is exactly what it takes to be an entrepreneur for the long haul. His theory behind those things has been what has kept me afloat all of these years. There were times when I probably should have let it go and confine to being a regular employee but something inside of me just wouldn’t allow me to do that. I kept envisioning and wanting bigger!!! During this journey I’ve read about and met so many people that were average jill’s making it happen and I’ve adopted that mentality. It’s still hard but I just keep telling myself “I can and I will”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jans-sweetsensations.com
• Instagram: janssweets2002
• Facebook: Jan’s Sweet Sensations
• Other: Affliated with: Jan’s Plated Provisions https://www.jansplatedprovisions.com

Image Credits
Janette (Jan) Martin