Turning points: An interview with Jeremy Jacobs

It’s a family affair
Interview by Lisa Westbury

This is the next installment of Turning Points, a series of interviews by Lisa Westbury. Find out why Brighton born and bred Jeremy Jacobs set up family run bakery Raise after leaving a career in digital marketing.  

1.    How did the cake passion start?

Baking is one of our family traditions taught through the generations from my gran through my mother to me. After my gran died my mum used baking as a way to reminisce and we got this constant feedback that her cakes were so good we should sell them. 

2.    And what made you leave your job in digital marketing to start a bakery? 

I never saw myself running a business, but I took voluntary redundancy when the credit crunch hit and I saw my opportunity to break away and take some time out. That coincided with the feedback about my mum’s cakes and sparked an idea to set up a small business for my parents so that my dad could stop travelling internationally. So we got going, I built a website, did some Google ad words and the orders started coming in.

3.    What helped you make the change?

The voluntary redundancy meant that I could move back home and have the support of my family and people who believed in me. I didn’t feel that my previous bosses had loved their jobs or that I was particularly well supported by them but I’d had really positive feedback about my people management skills. I had this feeling that I could do it better, so I decided to give it a go. 

4.    What captivates you in the working day now?

Seeing the potential in people and supporting and inspiring them to have more confidence in themselves. I also have creative freedom to come up with ideas and make them happen. It’s fun to be able to break the mould and do business differently. I like being able to influence that. 

5.    What can you do now that you couldn’t before?

What’s really changed is the family relationship. I’m so much closer to my parents - we are a team and that’s been very positive. I’ve also learned a vast number of business and legal skills and have food manufacturing qualifications I never thought I’d have.

6.    What have you learned about yourself?

What I’m good at and not good at. I’m comfortable with my capabilities and confident about who I am.

7.    What do you find most challenging?

The dynamics and boundaries of working with your family are completely different to working with colleagues, and re-adjusting those in a work environment has been a huge challenge. For instance, it’s very hard to say to your parents that something is not quite right, because it becomes personal. And when you are thrown into challenges which are very time sensitive and there aren’t the same boundaries you can lose your rag with your family much more easily. That makes things stressful and that can damage relationships outside work.

8.    How do you tackle it?

Open and honest communication. We take time out if things are breaking down and have learned to be more respectful of each other now, bringing in outsiders to help if there is a difficult conflict. If I was starting this again, I would be much clearer about expectations and keep strict home/work boundaries from the outset. 

9.    You only intended to set up the business for your parents, so why are you still involved five years later?

After we won the contract with Virgin Atlantic I got very excited. I love aviation and have always used the brand, so it’s very inspiring to work with them. I also realised that we are growing our own brand and we have a proper business. I get to say I own a cake factory! I now realise it’s what I wanted to do all the way along.

10.    You bake for airlines, corporates and the consumer market – what’s strangest request you’ve been asked to bake something for?

We were asked to hand deliver 12 cupcakes to Glasgow. It was a very high end job!

11.    Sustainability figures highly in your marketing. What lies behind your Corporate Social Responsibility Policy?

My gran was a firm believer in everyone being equal, and she always listened to people. It’s a family value and we want to incorporate that ethos into our business. I have a personal passion about minimising my impact on the environment and that we should all do our part, so I bring that into the business. It’s also about caring for people, so we buy British and want to set up an area of the new shop where we connect more into the community.

12.    What is your dream for 2015?

To open our local shop in Hove and make a great success of it, have a better balance with a stress free family environment, and do more for vulnerable people in the community.

Turning Points is a series of interviews with Brighton Chamber members who are making change happen in their lives, their business or in the community – or all three!  Lisa Westbury is a career development and organisational coach helping people to create a positive impact through change. If you have a story to share with other members, please email lisa@lisawestbury.com.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk