Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Batiste.
Jonathan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My journey in cooking started in 2008 after graduating from high school in 2006. I attended Louisiana Technical College-Lafayette Campus and majored in Culinary Arts, graduating in 2008. Jumping right into the workforce after graduation, I held two jobs and started at the Holiday Inn Hotel as a line cook and moved later into a banquet cook. While working there, I also had a part-time job working at Kohl’s department store. Through these roles, I’ve learned a lot about business management and realized this was something that I wanted to do for myself. I had a vision of running my own venue where I would do catering, baking, and event planning for weddings and large events. To successfully do that, I knew I needed experience in leading, managing, and building teams.
While still taking classes online, I later relocated to Dallas, Texas, in hopes of bigger opportunities. At one point, I was working four different jobs while in school full-time completing my Bachelor in Business Management and matriculating to work on my Masters in the same discipline. During this time, I was also trying to acquire enough capital to launch my business endeavors. Throughout all those years, I was baking and cooking. And at the end of 2019, I decided that I would follow my dreams and put every cent I had into my entrepreneurial goals. Shortly after, I started my sweets business, Nann’s Sweet Treats, named after my grandmother.
Around March of 2020, I started to hear things about this virus COVID-19. I was furloughed from one of my jobs and decided this the perfect time to act. A few months later, I started J. Batiste Southern Soul and continued with Nann’s Sweet Treats. I decided to take advantage of this pandemic and put all my energy into my business while I finally had the time. In June 2020, I launched my brand Talk-Ta-Me, BBQ Sauces & seasonings. Today, I have clients all across the United States who are enjoying the sweets, BBQ sauces, seasonings, and food that helped to shape who I am. I am blessed with the opportunity to share my passion and culture through my food.
My advice to others is to continue the marathon, pursue your dreams, and never give up on yourself. In the words of Muhammad Ali, “don’t count the days, make the days count.” Later this summer, I will be completing my Masters in Business Administration (MBA). In 2021, I will also be teaching and doing mini cooking tutorials “Cooking with Chef Boogie.”
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My entrepreneurship road to where I am today has not been easy. I have made countless sacrifices and worked extremely hard. Along the road, there were many obstacles that I came across. One of the struggles that I have faced was myself. I say this because it took me a long time to figure out what I was called to do. In my heart, I knew what I wanted, but I did not trust it. I threw myself into my 9-5 job instead of doing what I loved doing. So many people told me that I was talented and said that I should open my own business. They said I was my biggest critic. Every job I had, I spent talking about my dreams and goals; however, I was reluctant to operationalize those thoughts. Many people would say that COVID-19 was a huge setback for businesses, but for me, it was quite different. It was a time for me to come out of my shell and believe in myself. Sometimes God will charter a path – for me, that was losing my full-time job, which gave me the time to focus on my business ventures.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
J. Batiste is all about creating an experience of professionalism and service. My goal is to make it easier on the client offering event planning for weddings, parties and special occasions. My goal is to eliminate the planning burden for clients. Here at J. Batiste, we handle invitations, event planning/coordination, decorations, cakes, catering, bartending, DJ, and photography. My dream is to build my business into an event planning corporation. I am currently the Executive Creator of J. Batiste Southern Soul Catering, and Nann’s Sweet Treats here in Dallas, TX. These are the two main business ventures that fall under my namesake, J. Batiste.
We specialize in weddings, catering, garment foods, desserts and cakes. The biggest thing that I’m proud of is helping others by servicing my communities, creating memorable experiences, and sharing my love for cooking. When your inquiry about J. Batiste, you are getting someone who is genuine, committed to providing the best experience for clients, has a great personality, and will help you turn your goals into reality. In business, especially during this time, it is easy to focus on the financials. Here we are, family. We strive to help and support other business professionals and entrepreneurs to build their brand as well as their business. I’m proud of myself and how hard I’ve worked to get here, and for the customer relationships that I have established through this time. I look forward to meeting and collaborating with other clients, vendors, and businesses for future events.
What were you like growing up?
Ever since I was a kid, I have always had big dreams and have always extended myself to help others. I grew up on the northside of Lafayette, Louisiana in a household with both parents and an older brother. Growing up, I always was in the kitchen watching my mother bake cakes, pies and other festive treats. I would sit at the counter eagerly waiting until she was done with the batter bowl and spoon so I could have it. She would always tell me, “Jonathan get out of my kitchen, go play, you are going to get a stomachache.” I was just a curious kid following her around watching to see what she would make next while patiently waiting to lick the bowl.
Growing up, my family had dinners for every holiday and every occasion. My dad was an Executive Chef at a local restaurant, Riverside Inn, for many years and also worked internationally before recently retiring. Watching him cook household favorites such as shrimp creole, stuffed crabs and seafood imperial really inspired my passion for cooking.
Contact Info:
- Website: nannssweettreats.com
- Phone: (337)412-9848
- Email: nannssweettreats@gmail.com
jbatistesouthernsoul@gmail.com (for Catering inquiries ) - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.batiste_southernsoul/ https://www.instagram.com/nanns_sweettreats/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NannsSweetTreat https://www.facebook.com/jbatistesouthernsoul
Image Credit:
Kevin Magee Photographer
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