We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Justine Alexander a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Justine, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

For years, my sister and I had always joked about me having my own spot with items tailored to her likes and incorporating my family throughout the menu. My sister is particular about how she likes things, honestly, my whole family is, but she always talked about us living close so she could eat whatever I cooked up. I liked the thought too so when I thought of having my own dining establishment I wanted to evoke the feelings of home and comfort that I had growing up, but in a refined manner.

Most weeks I call my family and just talk about the successes and disasters of my workday. One particular day, I had a very hard day at work. My hands were hurting, and my feet were in pain. I had a fleeting thought of “if this was my business what would I do” then, I smiled. Not long after that day, I started having more thoughts of starting my own business venture. That’s when My Sista’s Place came to mind.

In 2021, I had a few events that I did with My Sista’s Place, but due to my job I could not commit to much. I enjoyed working under my own brand, but struggled with the infrequency of the time. I was sitting at my dining room table, exhausted as usual. A friend and I were having a glass of wine and I was lamenting about the fact that I loved what I was doing, but needed to find a way to make residual income because I couldn’t do it all. The next thought in my head was making my own blend of spices. I didn’t really know how, when I could do it, or how long it would take, but I knew the idea came from God because I would have never thought of entering the herbs and spices game.

That same year, I started my own garden on my patio to bring back the passion and love I had for cooking. I started using those herbs and vegetables in my cooking and it inspired me to do more. Though I still cater, under My Sista’s Place when the opportunity allows, my spice brand gives me more of an opportunity to do things on my own time.

From then, on I worked on my idea everyday. Something my mom always tells me “work on your business everyday, do something big or small.” I took that mantra and committed to it. Every night after my over-full-time job, I did something. Some nights I researched spice blends, what containers shake the best, and how it can be shipped safely. Other nights I looked up licenses, branding practices, and what can attract consumers to my website. I listened to podcasts and read business articles for startups and whatever else you could think of. It took a lot of late nights and early mornings before I decided to launch.

I had been putting off launching for so long due lack of self-belief that I could actually be successful. I wanted to be in a partnership with someone else due to my lack of faith in myself. Though I had a prior work experience in kitchens of varying specialties, I hadn’t run my own business. Depending on your perspective, the partnership didn’t work out how I thought; which made me question how it could work in the future.

December of 2022 was a turning point for me to really push towards my dream of being an entrepreneur. Mostly it took the catalyst of being thrust into a new position of responsibility sans title. I had to take on more responsibility at work that I was not expecting. Between the additional responsibilities at work and the former business attempt with a partner, I learned something about myself; I had grit and the know-how. My family always said I had the talent and drive in me to accomplish whatever I put my mind to I just needed to believe it myself. Once I did that, I was completely unstoppable. I was in Mexico on vacation and in my moment of solitude, I gave myself a line in the sand to commit to a launch date, which was January 10, 2023.

I combined my private event and catering company, My Sista’s Place, with my newfound love of spice blending and created My Sista’s Spice. From then on, I’ve created different forums to support my businesses and recently have entered a local coffee shop. I fully believe that now I have so much ahead of me and it’s nowhere, but up from here.

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’ve been working in the culinary industry for the past 14 years. It’s always been a love of mine to cook and I love the feelings that people get when they take a bite of my food or I give them an experience they won’t forget. Over the years, I’ve catered weddings, parties, smaller intimate gatherings, and recently spicing up kitchens everywhere through how-to classes.

I realized that people want restaurant quality food at home and I can help with that. My blends help people get out of their comfort zones and try new flavors. I provide that refined restaurant quality flavor through my chef-inspired spices and services.

I believe what sets me apart is the fact that my whole brand is equally family-oriented and chef-inspired. This brand is black-woman-chef-owned and you’re not going to find that combination anywhere else.

I’m so proud of the work I am doing with my brand. I’m proud of the traction and feedback from clients who have enjoyed my blends and I’m proud of the amount of the growth in such a short period of time. One thing I want everyone to know is that I put my all into this business and God has done nothing but bless me with more that I could have imagined. It’s the small beginnings of the bigger picture that I am proud to call myself the owner of My Sista’s Place and architect of My Sista’s Spice.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn was that I was too emotional to lead or run something. Over the past 10 years I’ve been advancing in the culinary industry. I’ve had one promotion after another until the pandemic happened. Of course, that was a battle for everyone, but for me it was a time I was ready to build something of my own that I didn’t have to depend on for someone else. When I went back to work that year I was convinced that I had something but I didn’t know what it was yet. The next title I received was sous chef which was something I had always aspired to get. It came with new challenges that I wasn’t sure I was ready to face. One of those challenges was managing people. I was told during a tough time in my personal life at work I was too emotional. It was my ‘emotional nature’ that kept me from receiving another promotion that I did feel I was ready for. It was a blow. Now I was battling my own desire to do and be more with others’ opinions of me. However, I reframed my mindset to think that my emotions were a beautiful thing. I had the gift of empathy and that is usually misunderstood and taken for granted. However, it is actually my superpower; and we all know “to whom much is given, much is required”. Now I can say I have good and bad days just like anyone else and my emotions help me where before I let them hurt me.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My ultimate goal and mission for this creative journey is to be more involved and connected with my family. Entrepreneurship has had roots in my family for a long as I remember. I’ve always seen myself being able to manage my own time and to be able to share that with my family and friends. I have the goal to have freedom to work, play, and live a life of fulfillment in career that I’m passionate about.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mysisplace2.wixsite.com/msp2
• Instagram: @mysisplace2
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090513219619&mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Other: Where to order: https://shop.castiron.me/my-sistas-place