Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Hearman.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As early as being a young girl at the age of 9 years old, I was always very resourceful ,willing and eager to learn new things. I was a mixture of shy and quiet but my brain was very innovative whether around family or friends. I grew up in a very small city in Jacksonville, Florida that really didn’t have access to much but we made it work with the little we had . I enjoyed being in the kitchen super early on Sunday mornings due to everything was cooked or baked from scratch which was passed down from my great great grandparents. I would hang around in the kitchen to watch my mom, grandpa and grandma bake apple pies, home made biscuits and cakes while observing while saying to myself one day, I will be able to cook/bake like this when I grow up. Those were fond memories that would make me such a happy child. Those important key moments literally was the starting foundation of who I am today.
My next chapter in life started after I graduated from high school. I enrolled in FAMU located in Tallahassee Florida and decided to jump right into being a teacher. I was a 4.0 student that was faced with many obstacles but I was determined if I could just keep both feet on the ground and keep walking better days was ahead. At the age of 22 halfway through college I became pregnant with my first son with no idea on what to do. I felt like a failure and disappointment was knocking at my door. After not having much support after giving birth and with careful decisions I dropped out of college due to being 2 hours away from family and friends with no support at all. However that didn’t stop me at all , I decided to relocate to Atlanta Ga with a job offer at the age of 23 being a single mom I just packed up and left. I really didn’t have anything to lose at this point. After a long hiatus, I decided to continue where I left off at with college so I enrolled myself back into college finishing up my Bachelors teaching degree which was a great accomplishment after a long hiatus getting back into the swing of things.
As a teacher I still had free time and after my second son I decided to explore into other things such as things I loved doing as a child that made my stomach smile which was being a service to others. I came up with selling Italian ice, this was just an idea to earn extra cash while participating at schools, hospitals , fundraisers and festivals as just a part time gig . I started to search around for months for a cold plate cart that would keep my Italian ice cold for long hours and it turned out successful. The cart was 9 cubic feet which was perfect for squeezing into tight small functions that I would push from one corner to the next corner and sometimes across the street during the summer and busy festival seasons. I would hear stories that people took this same route to make extra money and it was a success for them. After much success I decided to take a business class to know how to operate a business the right way and a successful one. After finishing up my classes I purchased a tent which allowed me to really showcase my Italian ice with colorful banners on a wider range. After purchasing the tent I realized I needed more flavors and more freezers to acomodate our customers. After 1 year of saving I purchased our first trailer which held 3 freezers which was great because we now have more supply for the demand. We were now also excited to say we were licensed and permitted in the state of Georgia which gave us lead way to attend more events and festivals. After 1 year we noticed the business was growing so fast so we decided to purchase our 2nd trailer. This is when it gets interesting, my grandmother& grandfather did funnels cakes at a fair every year in Detroit and people would come back and say ” Those are the best funnel cakes I have eaten in a long time. I said to my self everyone loves funnel cakes and who would ever turn away a funnel cake. I also noticed funnel cakes are a staple here in Atlanta which made me keep the tradition going by following in my grandparents foot steps. My grandparents would come inside my trailer and teach me how to make the batter and how to pour it in the hot oil. after about 6 months of teaching from my grandparents I decided to get the courage to start selling Italian ice , Funnel cakes & food out of our 2nd trailer. This is when things became a bit more complicated and more money involved. The money we made we saved and it went towards purchasing our suppression system (5,000) dollars which is required through the fire marshal and state of Georgia. Once we passed the Fire department inspection we were then ready to sell. Oh boy , it was not easy more like expensive but well worth it. I really love what I do and most customers know when we talk its like we have being knowing each other for years. After launching our brand we have been steady every since.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
If I tell you it has been a smooth road I would be lying. Everything is not going to always go as planned or be peaches and cream. I can only speak from my experience on obstacles and challenges that I have faced so far. Being an entrepreneur you have to be very intentional about everything you do such as getting the proper rest and making sure your drinking enough fluids. I cant say this enough to my self and workers. Another one would be balancing out family and your career can lead to not spending enough time with family and friends which causes being absence at important family functions. Another challenge/obstacle would be intertwining third parties which can cause confusion when booking events. As a reminder try to only speak with one person which helps makes the process smooth. Another challenge is staying fully staffed is actual something I am going through now but with choosing the right staff member is key . Choosing the right events by doing your own history regarding not paying outstanding vendor fees, and non refundable cancellations fees. Overbooking can also be challenge due to not having enough staff to cover that events in one day . For example, you may have 4 events in one day but someone may call off. Just having a back up plan in place can be very rewarding in situations like this . However, I am so grateful how far prayer has kept me from giving up due to challenges that I face on a daily basis .
We’ve been impressed with Jennys Italian Ice , Funnel cake & Food factory, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Jennys Italian Ice, Funnel cake, & Food factory has been owned and operated in Atlanta Georgia since 2015. We started out with a little Idea with mainly Italian ice now serving gourmet funnel cakes, fried Oreos, wings, fish and shrimp. Not to mention a cold plate cart for more up close and personal settings, 2 trailers and 1 brick & mortar store. We specialize in your favorite gourmet funnel cakes that comes with a variety of toppings, Italian ice which comes in multiple flavors and for your food we have fried whiting& Tilapia, wings and shrimp in which we call it your one stop shop. Our trailer is usually spotted at your favorite festival or community event. We also specialize in all occasion events for weddings, schools, reunion etc..We have a little bit of everything for the entire family to enjoy. We put a lot of love in our food that sets us aside from others , we use top notch ingredients that you wouldn’t find in stores, we offer a variety of food items and serve high quality of delicious items. We prioritize each customer we encounter whether big or small because we take pride in our brand and what we have built over the years. What makes us unique and stand out from everyone with our business is we offer very unique products & services that blends in with our brand identity while engaging in community engagement.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite child hood memory were during our family Holiday celebrations when family would come together with cooking with my grandparents and family gatherings. Aunts & uncles would all prepare the food the night before which would send a sweet atom throughout the home. This was the highlight of a fond memory as long as I can temper as a child .
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Jennys_italian_ice_funnelcake
Image Credits
All pictures were taken by myself .
