Today we’d like to introduce you to Nubia Stephens.
Hi Nubia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been an entrepreneur since I was in elementary school. In the 5th/6th grade, I started a babysitting and house cleaning service. I also sold homemade crafts that my mother created so we could eat. Growing up wasn’t easy at all. My mother was a single mother who raised four kids on her own and we were homeless for a few years, with hardly anything to eat; I remember telling myself I was never going to live like this as an adult. I grew up in Fresno, CA and was a high school dropout due to getting kicked out of school, sold drugs, committed a few crimes for a quick buck and got nowhere. This was not the life I wanted to live, soo I went back and got my high school diploma, put myself through college, got my AS Degree in Journalism. In 2003, I wanted more for myself, so I packed up my car with $500 to my name and drove from Fresno to LA where I was enrolled at CSU Dominguez Hills, then transferred to Cal State LA earning my BA in Communications. I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches everyday and kept on grinding in LA. The more people doubted me, the more I kept going harder for myself. I’ve worked in the entertainment industry for about 20 years, helped build brands behind the scenes and worked for a few celebrities, as well as did PR & Brand Marketing.
I used to work for Kanye West’s Non-Profit Foundation, I was also the personal assistant to Kanye West’s mother Donda West, was there when she passed away giving her CPR, I worked for MTV/Nickelodeon, CBS, BET, I was a Radio DJ for Q97 and the list goes on. I resigned from Beats By Dr. Dre in July 2019 after working there for almost seven years in Product Development helping with New Product Launches, managing the builds of headphones, helping get the headphones built out and into the stores on time! I was one of the first 50/60 employees. I’ve always helped others and after doing that for soo long, I wanted to have something for myself, my family and my daughter so I decided to step out on faith and do my own thing which was leave the crazy hustle and bustle and open a café. I’ve always loved to cook, I’m a foodie and I have a hypersensitive pallet and nose so that helps me a lot as well. After having my daughter in 2012 and gaining weight due to being a foodie and having a major sweet tooth, I stayed in the kitchen day and night for almost 2-3 years or so, created numaade which is a healthy food and dessert cafe/company that has no sugar added, gluten-free and vegan options. Some of our items are low carb as well as diabetic friendly.
After getting hurt really bad at work, I had to take time off to heal, go to many Dr’s, some procedures, physical therapy, etc. I felt depressed and had a lot of time on my hands to think and pray. I thought about my future, my next move and what’s next if I do not go back to work, etc. I planned everything out and thought about my passion, which was cooking. Owning my own cafe one day was always one of my dreams, soo I researched. I’m thankful because my awesome mom and family help me tremendously. There were many days and months where I would work almost two days straight without any sleep, the grind is oh soo real but it’s paying off. I now have an amazing partner and business partner Adrian Coleman, rooting for me, encouraging me and reminding me I got this; as well as soo many associates, the community, family and friends. Numaade cafe prides ourselves on quality and customer service. We use the freshest ingredients and we also cater! Everyday I’m learning something new and going with the flow as well as trying to keep up. We even have an awesome selfie wall and outdoor patio that sits on Hollywood Blvd, so stop by numaade café and say hello!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I wish I could say this has been a smooth road. The challenges I had to face so far were very discouraging but I sucked it up and did what I had to do because quitting was and is not an option! Numaade cafe officially opened the cafe in March 2020 week weeks before Covid-19 hit the entire city causing a major statewide shutdown. We attempted to open 2-3 times but kept facing setbacks such as more restrictions due to Covid and the Los Angeles protest riots destroying Numaade Cafe. Finding reliable honest employees were a challenge as well. Numaade cafe was built to last and will prevail during these trying times.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Numaade (pronounced new made) is the nutritious alternative choice to guilt free, delicious desserts and food for the health & wellness conscious community. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring, tasteless or unsatisfying. At numaade, we pride ourselves on great customer service, preparing fresh, quality food by using the freshest ingredients such as for example we use oven roasted chicken and turkey for our sandwiches, wraps, salads, etc., not that process deli meat. We start with only the freshest and highest quality ingredients, nufood, nuway. We know it’s important to feed your mind, but what about the body that houses it? Everyday, we do things to better ourselves and grow, even if we’re unaware of it. We constantly work on building our mind, yet we tend to forget that our exterior is as important as our interior. In fact, our exterior becomes a manifestation of our interior and vice versa. If we are happy and satisfied with our exterior, we’ll find ourselves much happier on the inside. So how often do we think about the food that we are feeding our bodies that fuel our mind? That’s why Numade was created. What I am most proud of is the resilience and drive to keep going forward no matter what numaade had faced. Not giving up or folding, especially during covid.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
There’s soo much advice to give (lol) The advice I would give when you’re first starting out is to have your plan and do your research. Do it even when you’re scared, broke and alone. Never stop learning or perfecting your craft. Tap into resources and educate yourself. Surround yourself most of the time with like-minded people. You will have to temporarily miss out and skip out on the fun, events and hanging with friends in order to achieve your goals. Have a solid team and even when nobody can see your vision or believes in it, you gotta keep on going and stay believing in yourself. There’ll be times when you will feel discouraged, feel like quitting or lose hope which is normal. Just dig to find the motivation to keep on going and remember why you started. Reinvent if you need to and don’t allow anyone to tell you it cannot be done.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.numaade.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/numaade
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/numaade
Image Credits:
Kwe Johnson (photo of me)
