We had the good fortune of connecting with Mikayla Dates and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mikayla, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am originally from the midwest in St. Paul, Minnesota, where, at the time, there was a large sense of community yet it was still very competitive in a sense; whether that be in athletics, dance teams, and even small businesses. I was taught to be confident in myself, my words, and to always finish whatever I started and that is what kept me alive in Minnesota, kept me respected in different parts of the community. Minnesota has a lot to offer when it comes to talent and helping others find a voice and be authentically themselves, but because of the competitive atmosphere within the black community and everyone wanting to be on top, there’s little to no support. I knew I had to allow myself to blossom into the person I wanted to be away from my home state and become comfortable being uncomfortable, take risks and take chances. So I moved to Houston at the young age of 17 as a freshman at Texas Southern University and majored in Business Administration, the same as my mother and grandmother. I knew I wanted to have a business of some sort, originally wanting to have my own accessories company but that was short-lived. In 2021 on Valentine’s Day, I made the decision to make some cake jars and chocolate covered strawberries for people on campus; something popular we use to do back home in Minnesota on holidays. I made a great amount and something in my gut told me that baking, doing something that brung me peace, was meant for me!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I know that I am most proud of always sticking by my word and sticking to the theme and flavor profiles that my target audience and I am interested in: soulful flavors, flavors that make you feel loved and at home. That’s what people love most about the product, pure honesty and it simply being homemade. Business wise, I had to take a lot of chances on opportunities that were sent to me and searching for different opportunities in Houston to be a vendor at. There were a lot of pop-up shops that I paid vendor fees for that I didn’t make enough sales to even cover the cost of anything and I had to quickly take a step back and try to figure out why weren’t things selling. Was it the time of day, weather, the event itself, my product, my set-up, I had to figure it out. So I took time off last summer and even some time at the end of the year to really ask myself am I going to stick through it and figure out what’s wrong or am I going to let this be another thing I did in my life that taught me different lessons here and there. I quickly chose to stick it out and put as much energy as I possibly could into the business as a whole starting 2023 and it has been such an amazing year! I have had so many wins and lessons learned, networking with other black leaders in the community and more! I couldn’t have asked for a better year and a better support system! I want the world to know this is only one step into a bright, abundant-filled future!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Please check out any and every black-owned restaurant and businesses you can find in Houston! We have so much to offer and love to spread in the community! A few restaurants I would mention are Jamaican Pon Di Road, Lucille’s, Phil and Derek’s, Jar.ology, and Carol Kay Cafe. Always try to find that sense of community and events hosted in different spaces like AAMA, AMA, Opuqi, and HAULYP.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would have to shoutout God, my beautiful parents, my amazing girlfriend, Black Restaurant Week/ Feed The Soul Foundation. They have continuously motivated and supported me in shooting for the stars and taking different opportunities that I may feel I’m not qualified for!

Instagram: https://instagram.com/jar.ology?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Other: TikTok: @jar.ology Order Inquiry in Instagram Bio

Image Credits
Photographer: Trill Tint

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.