Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Witherspoon.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Chef Jack’s was founded three years ago when I was 16. It was at this time that I created my product, Skonies, a baked good that’s a cross between a cookie and a scone. Having my own company has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. My story starts when I was two years old and I was diagnosed with leukemia. It was pretty devastating for my family but we persevered and got through it. Then, one year after I finished treatment when I was six I relapsed. To deal with being isolated from my friends and unable to play outside I started watching cooking shows to pass the time. With my mom’s help, I started making up recipes and cooking for my family. This leads to me hosting some local charity events which soon caught the attention from the media.
Before I knew it I was cooking on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno as well as appearing on other talk shows with Bonnie Hunt, Queen Latifa, Marie Osmond, and Rachael Ray. I wrote a cookbook when I was 11 called Twist it Up. Things were going great and then out of the blue, I relapsed again. This time I had to have a bone marrow transplant. My chances to survive were slim but I believed I would recover and I beat the odds. To give my leukemia a purpose, I have been doing charity events since I’m seven years old. My company offers a delicious, all natural cookie but it also symbolizes hope and inspiration to anyone experiencing challenges in life. Part of the proceeds from my cookies goes to my endowment for pediatric leukemia research.
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?
Starting my company and creating a product has been a big undertaking. I have found that compartmentalizing each step has made it much more manageable. Being an entrepreneur is exciting but it is super hard too. You have to do everything yourself from concept to design to marketing. Learning the food industry and taking my product to market has been very competitive and challenging. Competing with big brand labels is almost impossible as a small start-up company like mine. I’ve learned I have to grow my company gradually to get to where I want to be. Skonies are available online and in small boutique stores in the South Bay Area of Los Angeles, I have contacts with Sodexo to soon be carried in hospitals and on college campuses. Marketing, scaling up, finding the proper financing/investors and co-packer have all been challenging, You just have to keep pushing forward… there will always be obstacles in life, no matter what you choose to do.
Please tell us about Chef Jack’s Kitchen.
My company, Chef Jack’s specializes in unique, wholesome, natural baked goods. With Skonies, I wanted to bring something new and innovative to the marketplace. What sets my company apart from other companies is the inspirational story behind it… my story of perseverance and hope. There is a lot of heart and soul in my cookies and I think my company presents itself that way to our customers.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
When I was seven years old, I hosted my first charity event where I was the guest chef. My family and I organized the whole thing. We invited all our friends, my school and the whole community to come. I was raising money for pediatric leukemia research… I was fighting my second battle with leukemia now and was still under intense treatment for it. I remember going up and down the street with my mom handing out flyers for people to come to my event. When the night of the event finally came I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was a line wrapped around the block with people waiting to get in. The restaurant was completely sold out. It was a great feeling and I knew this was something I would want to do my whole life.
Pricing:
- Each bag is retailed at $2.99 each
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chefjackskitchen.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skonies/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefJackWitherspoon/
Image Credit:
Donavan Freberg
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