Mother of three turns setback into profitable business

MANDEVILLE, Manchester:

There is something about the spirit of a woman who knows that her efforts are not just for her good, but also for the tiny humans she brought into to this Earth.

Sasheen Anckle was pregnant with her third child and unemployed when one published recipe gave her the inspiration for job creation, and a friend’s insight pushed her to later starting Isabella Gourmet.

“I saw a published a cookbook with a coffee crumb cake recipe, which my partner and I thought would have been an opportunistic idea, and so we started baking and selling to the community. This was short-lived as the returns received were not enough to finance the family. Then the light-bulb idea came when a friend returned from Kingston with a package of mixed nuts. After enquiry and much research, we realised this was indeed the entrepreneurial activity best suited for us and the ever-developing need of society to be healthier,” Anckle told Family and Religion.

The co-owner of the small granola oat-and-mixed-nuts business said she has always believed in working hard for what she wants, and that meant doing it before the baby came, while being pregnant, and definitely after the babies arrived.

“My busiest day is on a Friday. I will get calls from customers requesting the product to be delivered at a particular time that is convenient for them. My day begins at 4:30 a.m. with devotion to the Creator and sustainer of my life and family,” Anckle told Family and Religion.

The mother of three boys added, “Being a mom, you are facing a tornado. Having three boys has driven me with the solid mental fortitude and resilience which help me to focus on being exceptionally good at building my brand and business. The baking and purchasing of goods are done by my spouse, the laundry and everyday care of the children is also being done by him, which frees me up to be the brand ambassador.”

Anckle said what she now knows to be her life would not have been possible without her supportive partner and her stick-to-itiveness.

“My spouse’s involvement allows me to be free to pursue online courses … It is our dream and desire that Isabella Gourmet will be fully formalised and become a household name in Jamaica and internationally. One thing I now know I would tell myself younger is, in life nothing is easy. Everything comes at a price, and through hard work and dedication you will succeed. Never give up. Keep pressing,” she said.