Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerrika Jones.
Jerrika, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
At 18 years old I was in College in SC and I wanted to make some extra money. I met a young lady at a modeling gig I was doing and she told me, “you are so pretty, you should come work with me at Hooters.” I had never been inside of a Hooters before in my life, but I stopped by and was hired on the spot. For five years, I moved through the ranks, from server to bartender to bar trainer. I was sent to many different places to guest bartend, all based on my personality. I could not have found a better job. Fast forward five years later and a big move to Atlanta, GA, I decided to try a place similar yet different, which was Tilted Kilt and also a nightclub. The same type of place yielded the same results: lots of money, a lot of awesome relationships built and a strong connection with my peers. I realized what I liked most about my job was teaching the newbies “the way of the industry culture.” I mean, it literally brought a smile to my face every time I saw a trainee have that “aha” moment. I would come up with quotes and different ways to help them memorize drinks and fun ways to interact with their customers.
I always knew that I should start some type of training course, but fear stood in my way. I was scared that I wasn’t as good as the next person and the skills that I taught weren’t good enough for me to stand on my own with no help. I created an entire program with a PowerPoint and a name and I knew exactly how I would teach it. This was all done in 2011. I felt like the typical bartending schools were boring! They taught unnecessary drinks and they didn’t really let a person get the feel of the nightlife. Now eight years later and a group of individuals that believed in me, we have the birth of Bartender Bootcamp! Everything I’ve ever learned and all of my experiences wrapped up into one 5-hour hands-on course, Bartender Bootcamp manual, and an online course that was started due to Covid-19. I’m definitely living my dream.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road for me, especially because just when I began to build momentum and make a name for myself, a global pandemic entered the scene.
My first hands-on class sold out, but I invested so much money into making it perfect that I really didn’t make a profit. I was just so excited that people actually believed in me and wanted to take my class that I didn’t pay attention to how much I was spending to make the class perfect. My second class had the least amount of trainees out of all five classes I’ve taught. I was devastated. I thought to myself, that was it. I missed my opportunity to maximize my profits during the last class. How do I come back from this? Fortunately for me, I had a mom who was pushing me extremely hard, a coworker who would send me quotes and make flyers for me, a fiance who believed that I had something great brewing and a son who kept telling me he wanted to be a millionaire. LOL! Fast forward–classes 3 and 4 were everything I could’ve asked for and more. I started to re-brand myself and get better with social media and advertising. My name was floating around a few places in Atlanta and South Carolina and I was charted to have a great year. Class 5 was set and the day of the class, SC shut the entire city down. I was able to complete the class, but there were some changes that had to be made that were sort of detrimental! Then, unfortunately, just like so many other Americans, my life was put on hold and bartending as I knew it would change forever.
Please tell us about Bartender Bootcamp.
Bartender Bootcamp is Hands-on Training that is packed with information and skills that are needed to succeed in the nightlife industry. The initial part of the training is done online through a series of informational slides, motivational quotes, assignments, and quizzes. The latter part of training takes place at popular venues located in different major cities. Trainees learn the tricks of the trade that won’t be taught at any other training and they are able to get the feel of what it’s like to actually practice behind a real bar. I incorporate loud music, yelling, fun, camaraderie, games, and excitement all into five hours of training. I specialize in helping people build their confidence in this industry. A lot of times, people don’t realize that it’s not about how much you know but more-so who you know and how confident you are with yourself. I guess you can say I’m known for being a confidence builder. I’m like a mama bear! I cry when I see my students succeed.
My trainees are more like family to me than business subjects. I allow them to call, text, email, or FaceTime me when they need help accomplishing a goal. I am most proud of the amount of students that left my class and have actually started their own private business or have a job at a bar/restaurant. I always preach that you can make your investment back in your first day of working. I am glad to be able to stand behind that and know that I am telling the truth. The love and passion that I have for this industry sets me apart from others. Bartending schools see so many students per year that I doubt they have enough time to check on them after they leave. I am going to be pushing from the beginning to the end and once you’re working, I am still prepared to push! No more boring classes! No more learning unnecessary information!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Nanny was my great grandmother that I lost at the age of nine. What’s crazy is that I barely remember great childhood memories (not to say that I didn’t have plenty) but as clear as day, I remember my Nanny. She was my older best friend. I think she used me. I remember her kitchen in her nursing home apartment. It was small with a pantry filled with Vienna sausages, sardines, saltine crackers, and other goods that I can’t recall. She had a couch that she never sat on. I think it was orange.
Right next to it was her recliner that was her favorite seat in the house. She would sit in this seat and rock back and forth while crocheting blankets and singing and calling me Jerry. She had an old school television. You know the vintage kind that looked like wood around the TV. We would watch “The Price is Right,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “Walker Texas Ranger,” and every court show you could imagine. I could talk during the shows mentioned above, but when the soaps came on, I was invisible. Victor Newman was her favorite character and she blessed so many of those characters out you would think she knew them personally. She kept a fingernail clipper, a file, and burgundy nail polish under her bathroom sink and she always wanted me to do her feet while she worked on her nails. I won’t go into much more detail because I would write a book but its very clear that my favorite childhood memory is of my nanny!
Contact Info:
- Address: 2110 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta GA 30309
- Website: www.bartenderbootcamp.net
- Phone: 8034639689
- Email: futurebartender101@gmail.com
- Instagram: bartenderbootcamp101
- Facebook: bartenderbootcamp101
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