Today we’d like to introduce you to Lamar Jones, the innovator of The Jank Gourmet BBQ Sauce. Them and their team share their story with us below:
In 1981 Lamar Jones was born in the city of Camden New Jersey. If you know anything about Camden, you know that the odds were stacked against him from the start. But there was something about his smile that assured his mother that he was going to be something great. At the age of 5, his mother uprooted him and his older brother to Liberty city Miami.
From the frying pan into the fire. South Florida was a bigger version of Camden. Miami exposed him to some harsh realities. Things that no child should ever have to witness or endure.
When he was 17, he started working on his signature and decided to pursue music as a career. He made a name for himself on the underground poetry scene in South Florida as a musician and a subsistute teacher/mentor before moving to Texas. It is here, in the Lone star state where the Jank was born.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
“Nothing about starting a business is smooth. However, the biggest struggle in the beginning was not knowing what I didn’t know. Startup capital was the other obstacle. These two obstacles combined were the root of most obstacles I faced up until this point 10 years later.”
Not having access to funding in the beginning put him in a situation where he had to take out some very high-interest loans in order to get things off the ground. Though very necessary at the time, this cash flow model was not sustainable. “I knew I had to figure out how to access some better options as I worked through this first phase of launching the business. ”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
“I am a musician that fell into the gourmet barbecue business. I started out as a substitute teacher. A few years into teaching, I was hired as a full-time substitute at Attucks middle school in Hollywood, Fl. Here is where I started F.R.E.S.H. (Finally Realizing the Excellence in Showing Honor) This program focused on mentoring inner-city youth and challenging them to think outside of the neighborhoods they were growing up in. This followed me to Texas where I was hired by Mrs. Sue Peterson, as a Teacher’s Aide in a Self-contained Special Needs Severe Unit at Weslaco East High School. Shortly after, we started the scholarship fund. Then The Jank happened. Following that was the Jank Nation Nonprofit which still focused on mentoring youth. However, it has evolved into also focusing on entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
I specialize in meeting people where they are and providing as much guidance and assistance as I am able to do.
For some, I am known for my singing and music. For some, I am known for being that cool substitute that actually cared and challenged me to think outside the box. For some, I am known for being the innovator of The Jank. For my students and many others, I am simply known for being Mr. Jones.
I am most proud of being a father and an example for many of the students and people that I have had the opportunity to help in some way because of what I have learned through my own challenges.
What sets me apart from others is that for me, making it out of a harsh reality and being able to come back and give back on a grander scale has always been the mission.
What sets us apart is that our mission is to give back, improve the quality of life for others and teach on a grander scale is a shared mindset. We just happen to sell a gourmet barbecue that is healthier, tastes great, brings family together, and makes people feel good.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and are any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?“Life and family were already very important to me prior to the pandemic. However, watching it unfold taught me that my mission to give back was more important than ever. I was fortunate enough to have already established a business prior to the pandemic. Many other people did not share that same fortune.
Having a business helped me tremendously during the pandemic. However, my thoughts during the pandemic were, I wish I had known more or had been exposed to more knowledge and resources 10 years before the pandemic. Had this been the case, I would have been able to help a lot more people.”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bbqjank.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/bbqjank
- Facebook: Facebook.com/bbqjank
- Twitter: Twitter.com/bbqjank
- Youtube: Youtube.com/bbqjank
