Meet Jessica: Owner of Campbell Coffee House

As many of you may know, Jeronica and I came across another black-owned coffee shop in the South Bay! Campbell Coffee House is a craft coffee shop owned and operated by our new friend, Jessica.

We sat down for lunch with Jessica yesterday to hear all about her journey to where she is today. With her permission, I grabbed a few tidbits from our convo to share. Here we go!

“When you’re black, you often spend so much time trying to prove yourself that you can’t really tell what’s actually good for you anymore.”

Immediately, we bonded with Jessica about the fact that we’re three black female entrepreneurs in the specialty coffee biz. This certainly comes with it’s obstacles, but it also has some incredible upside if you embrace it.

Jessica talked to us about being authentic, knowing who to trust, and staying true to herself. She spoke briefly about the struggle and exhaustion of constantly trying to prove herself and not having as much room to fail as others, but she also shared that living her true self has made all the difference in determining what’s right for her and her business.

Over time, she’s reprioritized her life (faith, family, then business) and participated in several black in business groups for women, which has offered a lot of support and camaraderie.

“You don’t have to rush. Trust your lawyer, not your broker.”

This point spoke directly to our hearts! When we were bidding on that cafe we wanted before, we specifically recall the artificial urgency the broker created to get us to act fast. These tactics included telling us how many other prospects were interested and placing quick response times on the agreement.

Jessica found herself in a similar situation when scouting locations for her shop. When she saw her shop, she immediately knew it was the one. Her broker pushed her to move as quickly as possible to close the deal. And although she did have an attorney check out the agreement, she felt the rush to make a move. So she did.

Her greatest advice on this point is: don’t forget it’s a buyer’s market. There are a lot of vacancies for a reason, and if a broker is using the aforementioned tactics or others, remember that you’re making a huge commitment that deserves thoughtful time and consideration. Don’t get pushed around.

“Mistakes will be made, but where do you go from there? What does it teach you?”

When Jessica discovered she wanted to open up a coffee shop, she took a lot of steps to prepare. She invested in education and networking, and learned all she could about being a business owner.

We all know it’s going to be hard. But, as Jessica drilled in, you don’t know how hard until you’re actually in it. From lease negotiation to seasonal downturns to staffing, Jessica has been through it all. She’s had to really lean deeper into her faith to make it to the other side.

What she’s learned is that it’s all about perspective. Accept that you will make mistakes, then shift your focus to what this moment has to teach you. By focusing on the lessons, Jessica has found some relief in managing the ups and downs of running her own shop.

“Surround yourself with people you want to be like.”

Being a business owner means that everyone looks to you to have the answers. At one point, Jessica looked up at her young staff and realized she was responsible for knowing exactly what to do in every situation no matter what, which can be scary.

As a result, Jessica took the step of becoming more involved in community and volunteer activities where she could be around more knowledgeable and experienced people to learn from. Specifically, her church has been a huge source of guidance.

Additionally, joining entrepreneur groups have been helpful too. It’s a good reminder that you’re not in this by yourself. Jessica also does her part to support other aspiring business owners (like us!) by happily sharing her wisdom whenever she can.

“I’m showing my girls what a strong, independent woman looks like. I’m showing them that they can do whatever they put their minds to.”

On top of being a business owner, Jessica is also a wife and mother of two young girls. Before opening up shop, she was a stay at home mom. She always knew she wanted her own business, but it had to accommodate her children and other mothers’ children as well.

In the early hours of the morning while her daughters were sleeping, Jessica would do all of her research. It occurred to her that if she were going to leave her daughters for work every day, it would have to be for something incredibly meaningful.

Thus, Campbell Coffee House was born. Half cafe, half toddler zone. And through it all, Jessica knows her daughters are watching, which brings her the greatest joy and fulfillment.