We recently had the chance to connect with Janette Martin and have shared our conversation below.
Janette, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: When was the last time you felt true joy?
The last time that I felt true joy was during a trip to Istanbal, Turkey in May, 2024. Along with a travel group I embarked on a fabulous air balloon ride. It was absolutely amazing and what was so fantastic about it was that I had never done anything remotely close to that in my life up to that point. It was so freeing and I felt fearless in that moment. Pure joy indeed!!! The perfect allegiance to enjoying life more.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Janette Martin aka Chef Jan Marie. I am a baker turned Private Chef. I started out baking sweet treats (Jan’s Sweet Sensations) over 15 years go. A few years ago I discovered my love for savory food (Jan’s Plated Provision) and pivoted into that lane after discovering how many people were engaged with my food pics on social media (particularly TikTok). It became obvious to me that I needed to concentrate and grow that area of business. What makes my brand interesting is that I have to ability to entice people’s taste buds by the reels/videos I have produced from the food I create. With the use of “Video Up” and background music my food comes alive and has resulted in me being contacted for services. Another interesting fact is that I am totally self taught with 15 plus years of experience cooking for family and friends. I have been gifted with the ability to “just know” what works well together with little effort.
I am currently working on producing a condiment under Jan’s Plated Provisions which falls under the parent company Jan’s Sweet Sensations. There could possibly be a cookbook that will include a collection of my recipes to inlude both savory and sweet things.
Jan’s Sweet Sensations-https://janssweets2002.wixsite.com/janssweets
Jan’s Plated Provisions-https://www.jansplatedprovisions.com/
TikTok-https://www.tiktok.com/@chefchicjanmarie?lang=en
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child I suffered from low self-esteem. That stigmatism stuck with me throughout my formative years and my early stages of adulthood. It was’nt until I decided to attend college in my 40’s and completed two degrees was when I realized that the stifiling myths that I had previously believed about myself was possible to overcome. Now, not only do I believe but know that the sky is the limit and that anything can be accomplished with a little effort and committment.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear of failure has definitely held me back from a lot of things I had a desire to do. That fear has in the past been so crippling for me that I’ve oftentimes talked myself out of something before I could even fully formulate the idea. It’s still a struggle at times..
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My friends would definitely say that what really matters to me is the importance of being kind, helpful and to treat people with the utmost respect.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
Oddly enough I feel most at peace in the kitchen. In that space I’m free to create and there’s no such thing as limit or restraint. The idea of taking something from it’s raw state and turning it into a culinary masterpiece is so thrilling to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jans-sweetsensations.com and https://www.jansplatedprovisions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plated99/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefJanMarie
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jans-plated-provisions-richmond?osq=Jans+Plated+Provisions
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chefjanmarieofjansplatedpr8267
- Other: TikTok-https://www.tiktok.com/@chefchicjanmarie?lang=en
Pintrest-https://www.pinterest.com/janm9440/
