“You’ll Never Feel Ready”
Giving birth to a business has a lot in common with giving birth to a child. First up? You’ll never feel fully prepared for how your life will change.
“There were many times in my entrepreneurial journey when I thought I wasn’t ready, but I still prepared for my future anyway,” explains Ashley Rouse, founder and CEO of Trade Street Jam Co. “Then, when it—whatever it was—did happen, I was ready.”
What started out as a small production in Ashley’s Brooklyn kitchen has seen significant growth in the six years since it launched. Ashley herself has been dedicated full-time to her business for the last four years.
It’s no wonder Trade Street Jam Co. has seen such success—the artisanal preserves company sets itself apart from the competition by avoiding pectin and pairing unusual flavor combinations such as kiwi with vanilla and pepper, plum with rose, and strawberry with fig and chipotle. The jams are also completely vegan and made in a gluten-free facility.
Ashley started her business by making 30 jars at a time in her apartment and selling them on Etsy.
“At the beginning, we just made a flavor once and when the small batch sold out, it was gone. It was a good way to test the market, see what people really liked, and understand what resonated and what didn’t,” Ashley explains.
Fast forward and Trade Street Jam Co. sold half a million dollars of jam last year alone. Success didn’t happen overnight, though. While Ashley was still working from her kitchen in Brooklyn, she had to keep looking ahead at what could one day be possible.
For instance, her husband, tired of jam splatters and kitchen congestion, suggested she get a shared kitchen.
“Growth has been a challenge—moving from one step to another is scary,” she says. “Moving into a shared kitchen, and then a manufacturer, was especially scary because production is the core of the business.”
But Ashley has always been able to have a long-term vision for her business.
“Even in those few months, sales just weren’t booming. But we could look at the trajectory and see that we could afford to grow,” Ashley recalls. “Then, just under a year later, we moved from the shared space to a manufacturer making the jam for us.”
Ashley’s first entrepreneurial experience was selling Girl Scout Cookies as a Brownie. She says that’s how she learned about the challenge—and excitement—of meeting milestones.
“Being an entrepreneur is a roller-coaster, and there are times when I need to tell myself to be patient and have grace for myself.” Ashley’s reminder to any future entrepreneurs? “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
With two small children at home, Ashley believes that starting a business has given her much-needed flexibility.
“None of it is easy but I thank goodness I am an entrepreneur,” she says. “We didn’t need daycare right off the bat. I am home and I can spend time with my family, which is what is at the core of me, my priorities, and my values. If I decide I need to take Wednesday off because it’s going to be 70 degrees and I want to spend the day with my kids, I can front-load the hours.”
Ashley says the core networking skills she first learned as a Brownie selling cookies still come in handy all the time.
“I am an introvert, so I don’t want to sit down and talk to anybody,” Ashley admits. “But I found that simply having lunch with another entrepreneur is so helpful and I learn the most tips and tricks from talking to people.”
