We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jeanetta Bagsby a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jeanetta, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
That sweet tooth carried over into adulthood. I used my co-workers as Guinea pigs (willing Guinea pigs by the way). I baked, put my creations in the kitchen then sent an email out to our department letting them know there was a treat on the counter. There were some hits and misses but all feedback was appreciated.
I believed sharing my desserts, was a way of showing love therefore , candy/cookie gift baskets were the gifts I gave for birthdays and holidays. One year for Christmas I have a basket to my Pastor and his family. The following week he came up to me and exclaimed “You need to start selling your candy!” The next month January 2019, I began to research and test some pricing models. We decided on a name and developed a logo.
Next we researched food laws, cottage laws, commissary kitchens and whether to incorporate.
We participated in a few pop-up markets between January and June. When an opportunity was presented, I left my full time job June 2019. J’s D’Vine D’Lites was “born” and incorporated July 2019.
Next it was time for us to decide what we wanted the business to look like. We participated in more vendor events and created a Facebook page for marketing purposes. On-line seemed like a natural step so we researched different website developers and chose a company. After a month or so of the website being published, we determined it was difficult to navigate so I hired another company to reconfigure the site. The site was updated again a few years later.
Jeanetta, 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?
We specialize in heart crafted , handmade desserts. Our products highlight unique flavor parings and our line includes: chocolate nut clusters, cakes, dessert bars and brittles. Custom ordering is a growing part of our business and we also offer candy bar catering.
We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service and quality products.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
The second was Covid in 2020 We were participating in events that were held indoors. Once the country was shut down, we were redirected to outdoor venues. Chocolate outdoors in summer was not an option. So we began making cakes and cookies on a more regular basis and they continue to be a part of my menu.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Entrepreneur and resilience go hand in hand. Once Covid became a factor in 2020, we pivoted and added new products that we could sell outdoors. Over the course of the last several years we have gone into retail as well as selling DTC.
When retail dipped we focused more on DTC and looked into wholesale. We’ve gotten great advice along with prayers that have aided us and allowed us to continue to operate efficiently and be successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.JsDvineDlites.com
- Facebook: Www.facebook.com/Jsdvinedlites