We recently had the chance to connect with Jesse Cushman and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jesse, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I like to live by the “Eat the Frog” mantra of getting my hardest task done first in the day. Everything after that is easier. Owning a small business usually means putting out fires all day, but I usually do that when I’m avoiding a bigger, more important task. If I do the boring, but big and important task(s) first in the day, the rest of the day I can play firefighter.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m the CEO of a global artisan candy company called Papabubble. It was started in Barcelona in 2004 and franchised shortly after. We began as a franchise in 2021 and earlier this year acquired the global trademark rights. We have stores across the globe and just recently began our US expansion by offering mobile events in Dallas/Fort Worth.
We make image candies, gummies, marshmallows, caramels, and other hand-crafted sweets. Moreover, we offer our customers a hands-on experience with our classes in store and via our mobile tables. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind experience for kids of all ages, and we’re so happy to share our love of candy,
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
The best work advice I ever got was from a college pre-med advisor whose name I can’t remember. So I guess my next skill to work on will be remembering names. But anyway, I was a pre-med major in undergrad (crazy right?) and one of the most helpful lessons this advisor told us was that “Doctors with good bed side manner don’t get sued.” He then tasked us all with homework of talking to 3 people we didn’t know every day. It was awkward at first and a challenge, but over time, I developed a comfort level with it. Today, I can walk into just about any room and start talking to anyone about anything. I can’t tell you how many times that skill has helped me open doors in business, life, etc.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
One of the things I noticed in business school, being surrounded by incredibly smart and resilient people, was how almost every one of them had a significant struggle they had overcome earlier in life. I think those events crystalize you, and you can either crumble and let them rule you, or you develop a sense that you can now overcome anything.
Just think about the “greatest generation” here in the US. This generation went through 2 world wars and the great depression. There was not much else in life that was going to scare or stop them. My generation has had a lot of economic, geopolitical, and social turmoil so as we step into leadership roles, I’m feeling a lot of hope that we will make the right, though sometimes hard decisions.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
Oh man, this is a tough one – and I don’t think I’m smart enough to tell anyone else they are wrong. I do think, however, that some industries are moving way faster than society can correct for (such as AI). I think we need a way for our societies to adjust much more quickly than they have in the past to make sure we don’t leave anyone behind and unaccounted for. Given that we, as humans, tend to resist change, I think this is going to push us heavily out of our comfort zone, but will be a necessity.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: How do you know when you’re out of your depth?
One of the best skills I’ve ever learned was knowing when to fire myself. I’m a “jack of all trades” and there are points in the business when you need an expert. Being able to see that you’re a bottleneck or holding the business back in some way is a humbling, but important. So feeling like I’m the bottleneck is usually a good sign for me that I’m out of my depth and need to hire my replacement in that area.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.papabubble.com
- Instagram: papabubble_htx and papabubble_dfw
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Papabubblehtx/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/papabubble-houston-2
Image Credits
Jeff Montgomery (https://www.jeffmontgomeryphoto.com)
