It’s a sunny day in Walnut Hills as I walk in the door of Jazzy Sweeties Bakery. I am greeted by the owner, Jasmine Ford, who has lived in Cincinnati all her life, growing up in O.T.R. and Walnut Hills. Upon meeting her, you quickly realize how hardworking, friendly, and humble she is, but even more, you can feel her passion for helping others achieve their dreams. She wasn’t always sure what she wanted to do, but Jasmine knew she wanted to help people in some capacity. Her story shows she’s not afraid of doing the work to get where she wants to be, and even more, how she hopes to help others do the same.

Interview by Kelsey Graham. Photography by Angie Lipscomb.

Tell us about yourself and how Jazzy Sweeties started.

Jazzy Sweeties started in 2013. I was working at Children’s Hospital. I was in housekeeping – and I was thinking about what I really wanted to do. I always baked as a child, so it came naturally to me. The first thing I started with was cheesecakes. I did cheesecakes for a holiday, and my mom told our coworker, and then I did an order for her. Before I knew it, I was doing cheesecakes! And then I was like, “Okay, this is a thing, so I need to give it a name.”

Jazzy came from my family. No one ever really called me Jasmine. It was always Jazz, Jazzy, just random names [laughs]. So that’s when I came up with the name Jazzy Sweeties. After that, I started doing pop-up shops, and then I had someone ask me to make a cake. So I tried it, and it took forever to do that cake. By the time I got done with that cake, the party was over. The cake got there, and I was like, “Well, it worked out, I guess, so I’ll try it again.” And then I started doing cakes and cupcakes.

After that, I was like, “Okay, this is a business – not just something I do at home anymore. This is an official business.” And I have to find a program that helps, because I don’t know anything about it. I’m the first in my family to start a business, so it was all new for me. I found MORTAR the first year when I really started looking into L.L.C.-ing and getting an E.I.N. I thought, “I’m not going to apply. I’ll wait.” And then it came back around again, and I was like, “Okay, okay, I guess I’ll do it.” I applied the last night of it and got in, so I thought, “This is what I was supposed to be doing. This is it.”

Your blessing could be sitting right next to you and you don’t even know.

I went through the program and did everything I needed to do for the business – a business plan and all of that good stuff. Business started picking up – more and more pop-up shops – and then I found this space. I was like, “I want to open up a bakery. This is what I really want to do. Lord, Lord, Lord.” [Laughs.] It just came to me.

But I didn’t know everything that needed to happen before I did that. I got my space – it was about, maybe the end of 2016 – but it took me a long time to get it open because of all the permits and just dealing with so much stuff. It was just... it was just crazy. I was paying on it for the entire year before I got it open. But then it finally happened. This year I’m going on three years of officially being open.

How do you come up with recipes for new products?

I love sweets! My grandmother loves sweets. So, a lot of stuff I found just looking online, just searching what’s popular in the area. And then a friend of mine wanted a crunch cake. I started making the crunch cake in 2014, and right now that is my top seller. I was like, “This cake is so old [laughs] – why is it so popular now?” But it is. So, recipes were just trial and error.

How often do you come up with new products?

I wake up in the middle of the night [laughs]. Like, “Oh that sounds good. I wanna try that.” It’s all the time. I never stop thinking about it. Especially because you can do so much with baking and come up with so many recipes. I get inspiration from just looking at random stuff in my house, like, “Oh, that would make a really pretty cake,” or “That flavor sounds really, really good,” so it’s really just random, all the time. I feel like inspiration is everywhere for me.

Do you decorate and bake everything yourself?

Yes. Everything.

How did you get into decorating?

I had to learn different techniques. YouTube was my best friend. YouTube, Google, and then I came around to Instagram. I started following a lot of other bakers, and I took classes. I would drive all over. I went to my first cake retreat last year and that was amazing. Oh, my God, I learned so much. And then I finally got a mentor. So, I learned a lot from my mentor and just practicing.

Why did you choose to open your store in Walnut Hills?

Most of my childhood was in O.T.R., but I spent a portion of my childhood here in Walnut Hills, so I always had this weird connection with Walnut Hills. My first apartment was in Walnut Hills. When I first came up here and found this space, I rode past and was like, “Yeah, my bakery is gonna be right there.” I kind of stalked the area, and then I noticed I didn’t see anyone that looked like me opening up a business, so I wanted to make sure I opened up my business in Walnut Hills.

What is your favorite baked good you make at Jazzy Sweeties?

My peach cobbler cheesecake.

What have you learned through your experiences in entrepreneurship?

Whew! Where do I start? [Laughs.] To be patient. Oh, I had to learn patience. Because with me, it’s “It has to get done. I have to do it right now. I don’t want to wait.” So, patience, for sure. You have to keep going, because it gets... it gets really tough. Even with this year, trying to navigate through a whole pandemic, like, “All right, what am I going to do?” I always try to stay ten steps ahead. Back in June, I started working on recipes for the fall. And staying consistent and just really not giving up. ‘Cause it gets hard. I was at my breaking point, where I was just like, “All right, I can’t do it anymore.” Because I was paying rent the entire time and just dealing with so much. And also learning to not be so stubborn – I can be stubborn sometimes – but when you’re working so much toward your goal and you’re right there, but it’s always something. So just not giving up. Keep going and always learn.

What advice do you have for women and girls – especially women and girls of color – who dream of owning their own business?

I would tell them – I wish someone would’ve told me – to stay consistent. Do your research. Learn as much as you can and learn how to take criticism. Some people don’t get that. And don’t assume you know everything because there is so much, and there are so many people that came before you. So, learn to listen. Listen more, instead of trying to talk over people.

Yeah, taking criticism is very hard.

Yes, it is. I had to learn. I’d be like, “Uh-uh, I know how to do it.” [Laughs.] But I had to learn, like, “No, it’s okay, Jasmine, they’re not telling you that to hurt you. They’re telling you that so you can grow and learn from that.” But that’s hard. I think everybody who’s an entrepreneur goes through that .

What do you enjoy doing outside of the bakery?

Sleep! I feel like I don’t get much of that lately. I love spending time with my little cousins and nieces because I don’t have any children of my own. I love taking them to the Museum Center, the park. I love spending time with my family.

Do you bake for them? Do they love asking you for treats?

Yes, oh, my God! My little cousins are like four and all the way up to age seven. So every time they’re like, “Jazz, when we coming to the bakery?” I’m like, “I gotta work,” and they’re like, “Well, when are you off so we can just come to the bakery and make cakes?”

You’ve lived in Cincinnati your whole life – what is your favorite thing about the city?

My favorite thing about Cincinnati... Gold Star... Grippos [laughs]. Let’s see... there’s a lot. There’s a lot of people here who are willing to help. I went to other cities – just for vacation – and I feel like Cincinnati... we’re really friendly here. You don’t get that much in most cities, but Cincinnati is home. I can’t explain it.

What was it like growing up in O.T.R., especially with all of the changes the area has been through in the past few years?

You know, growing up in O.T.R., it was good. I feel like when people heard about O.T.R. years ago, it was just as a bad place or it was dangerous. Granted, it was, but everybody in O.T.R. knew each other. All of the families knew each other. But to see the changes now, it’s so weird. And sometimes I get emotional seeing it, ‘cause I didn’t see that when I was living there when I was younger. I didn’t see any businesses; I didn’t see me in the area. So to see it now, I’m like, “Well, why didn’t this happen when I was younger? Why weren't all these businesses here when I was younger?” We didn’t really have much, you know, down there. But to see it now, it’s good. I’m happy about the changes that are happening down there. I see a lot more of me starting to come to the neighborhood now, which is really, really good, because you didn’t see that at first in O.T.R.

I was like, “Okay, this is a business – not just something I do at home anymore. This is an official business.”

I’m glad I grew up down there because it made me – it got me to where I am today. When I see people now that I grew up with, they be like, “Dang, Jasmine, I’m really proud of you.” So, I feel like – I don’t wanna say I made it out, because I’m still there. I’m always going to have that connection, because that’s where I spent all of my childhood. I’m just happy that I can be a figure to the people that live down there, and to show that it’s “we can, we can” – you can be greater than what they told us.

Where do you see yourself and the bakery in the next five years?

Another location. I’ve been thinking about some areas, but I also want to be mobile. Before I even got the bakery, I planned on being mobile. A storefront was never the original plan; it was getting a food truck, but it was so expensive. But it’s actually not that expensive now [laughs] that I see all the overhead costs and stuff. But everything worked itself out, so I’m happy with it. Also, I plan on providing more jobs probably starting this year and going into next year. That’s my main goal – to provide more jobs in the community.

I’m also starting a scholarship fund that I’m working on now, and I’m really excited. The scholarship fund will go toward people who want to start a bakery, or who want to go to culinary school or pastry school. Some people don’t want to go to school, or they just want to get right into it, so I also want to pay for some of the classes, or pay for the MORTAR program, or just buy supplies, like maybe a mixer, just different stuff like that. When I first started, I used to use a spoon [laughs]. So just to have that option, being able to help if somebody comes to me, like, “I need this to start off and this is what I need.”

Who is an influential woman in your life?

My mom. My mom raised four kids by herself; it was a struggle. Seeing her maneuver through that and push through that, and just staying positive regardless of everything that was going on around us. She made sure we were all right and that we had everything we needed. So, my mom is truly an inspiration. I couldn’t have gotten here without her.

Do you have any parting words for our readers?

I would say just stay focused. Stay positive. Always look at the light at the end of the tunnel. And always be professional. Remain humble at all times because you never know who you’re going to meet. Your blessing could be sitting right next to you and you don’t even know. So just always stay positive and stay confident.

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Jasmine Ford: Baking Up Her Own Success