We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jazzy Greer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jazzy, thanks for 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?
Definitely! The flexibility of my schedule would never work with a regular job. I would miss out on so much time with my family. The ability to plan and schedule your work ahead of time is liberating. Regular jobs require you to be on their time, however working for yourself lets you decide when, where and how much. I really think about this daily. My kids are young and not going to school yet, so being with them is a blessing. When they are a little older and both in school, I will be really pushing my business and hitting the grind full-time. My husband’s job demands a lot of hours and overtime therefore running my own business helps us work around his schedule seamlessly as well.
Jazzy, 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?
My passion for food really began as a kid. I remember being so short I couldn’t reach the stove, but I loved to learn and eat things I made myself. There’s a sense of accomplishment in cooking and disappointment as well when the food doesn’t go your way or you make a mistake. I continued cooking through schooling and college and started my career as a chef. Restaurant work with high-end hotels really embodied the summary of my career. All I knew was the hot and cold side of the restaurant cuisine. Bakery and pastries weren’t in my vocabulary. Fast-forward to being a mom and looking for a channel to broadcast my passion to the world, I started experimenting at home. I haven’t been home to the Philippines since I left years ago, and I always have cravings for food back home. I thought, why not just make it myself? This is how Hapag started, with some help from friends and family. Self teaching how to bake was not easy, there were many funky breads, messed up desserts and things that just didn’t end up as envisioned. I finally landed on recipes that taste like home and could give that same nostalgic yumm to others. It’s a lot to say, but what really sets me apart from others is my dedication to consistency. Working as a career chef, this is second nature and transferring this over to my business is icing on the cake. Every one of my buns and pastries look and taste the same as the last batch. Once I achieved the product I was looking for, I stuck to it. I think this is why some companies really succeed, consistency in flavor and texture will take you far.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Quality and consistency will always be my top priority. My husband always jokes with me about this. Even, for example, a bun being slightly darker or lighter because of its placement in the oven doesn’t make the cut. It’s hard, but I push myself because I am my hardest critic at times.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Pop-ups. Thank you to those I have teamed up with and those who have let me share their space. These events really give me the opportunity to share our taste of home. I try to do these as often as I can; meeting and making new friends through food is the best path to get yourself out there. Social media is a good platform as well for new clients, but I will always prefer those face-to-face interactions.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: hapag.atl
- Facebook: Hapag.atl