According to Brandi Turney, founder of Jo Jo’s Dozen, the

inspiration behind the company comes from wanting to capture the

beautiful memories of her childhood, and make it a part of her daily life.

It's the nostalgia that comes from the smell of her mother baking her

great-grandmother's 7 Up cake, remembering the comfort of a warm

kitchen (especially on a rainy day) and the irresistible smell of something

baking, that simply keeps her going.

“My mother, Jo Jo, who experienced love, inspired laughter and suffered a life gone too soon, motivated me to open this business. Plans for a shop in 2011, will fittingly be named, "Jo Jo's Dozen", offering delectable cupcakes and comforting homemade desserts. This is truly a dream come true!”

Thank you for taking the time to speak with SPMG

Media about your companies Jo Jo's Dozen and

Sweet Clutch Factory!

SPMG: Let's start at the beginning. What were you like as a

child? Did you like to bake then?

Thank you, thank you so much for having me. I am

more than grateful for this opportunity to meet your

readers. Ok, the beginning. As a child I was very

creative and imaginative, always wanting to create or

build things, like tree houses or go carts.

I used to BEG my grandfather to add a second story

onto his home, and then I would give him a rough

sketch and blueprint of how he should do it! I actually

started cooking and baking around 6 years old. My

parents and grandparents trusted me in the kitchen

and I was able to assist and experiment a lot. At the

age of 7, I remember baking cupcakes for Thanksgiving.

SPMG: You named the company after your mother.

Obviously you and your mother were close. Tell us

about that relationship. It was so organic to name the business

after my mother, Jo (affectionately known as Jo Jo, to family and close

friends). Even though her physical body no longer walks the earth, her

remarkable energy surrounds me daily. She taught me a great deal about

love, life, family, having a giving spirit and being a

responsible and intelligent woman, in our brief time

together. I am self taught in honing my many crafts,

however, every creative gift I have, she introduced to

me at a very young age. My mother's light was and is

very bright; her spirit - much bigger than her small frame could contain. Mother Jo and Brandi

By nature she was warm and embraced every person she met. Being

that she was a woman way ahead of her time, her sense of style and

fashion was impeccable and often imitated. Since she was such a

FANTASTIC dancer, we'd always dance together when the popular

songs came on the radio. I'd teach her all the latest dance moves and we'd practice, then

she'd show me the dance moves from her era. I learned to sew because she made a lot of my

clothes growing up (Easter dresses, stirrup pants, dance performance costumes, etc...) and I

would pick up the scraps and create dolls clothes or clothes for myself. I have many fond

memories. We were very close and I miss her immensely.

SPMG: What was the journey to

birthing Jo Jo's Dozen.

The following statement really embodies my journey

and how I operate: "The creative impetus of everything we do is the story - behind it" - Grant Achatz, Chef, Restauranteur and

Owner of Chicago's Alinea

You know, the journey of Jo Jo's Dozen started more

than 17 years ago. I

started selling cakes, by

the slice or loaf, in high

school. I'd pack my picnic

basket full of several

flavors and aimed to sell

out by homeroom. I

repeated this several days

a week. This was my

strategy to raise money and purchase my very first car. My dad

made a deal with me that, if I brought him the money, he'd make

sure I got a car. & At the time, I was a full time honor student, full time cheerleader,

on student council, had a part time job at Hot Dog On A Stick

and came home in the evenings to take care of my younger

brother and make my cakes, just before bed. Needless to say, I

did earn my car. Fast forward to life beyond school, as an adult,

being happily married and a proud mother of 2, I started moonlighting as a caterer. While

working full time, I operated a small catering company, "Some Like It HOT!", in my spare

time. I catered various events (graduations, birthday parties, school luncheons,, etc...) and

even contracted with a preschool to provide hot lunches for children. Being laid off abruptly

in 2009, was the catalyst to being a full time entrepreneur, and ultimately birthing Jo Jo's

Dozen.

“The creative impetus of everything we do is the story – behind it.”– Grant Achatz, Chef, Restauranteur

SPMG: Sounds like a journey

of faith! Tell us what

motivated you?

Faith indeed! My husband, Damon, and I

had just purchased our very first home just

6 months prior. I changed jobs to escape a

plunging mortgage industry and after a

week of being employed at my new job - I

was laid off. Talk about being devastated? I saw my livelihood fly out the window and we

had basic household needs that had to be met. But, like many other hurdles I've had to

overcome in my young life, I made a conscious

decision not to let that incident define me or

confine me. All my energy went into creating a

life for my wonderful family whether an employer

wanted me or not. Months after the untimely

layoff, the word spread to family and friends that

I was baking full time. The number of people who

knew I baked increased. In May 2010, on the

exact day I laid my mother to rest just 19 years

earlier, I launched Jo Jo's Dozen Sweets

Boutique, at an intimate Mother's Day Brunch,

dedicated to my mother.

SPMG: I understand you have a Vision

Board. Tell us about this and how it's

worked out for you.

Yes! I have a Vision Board! (laughing) If you saw it you

might call it a vision wall! It's about 2 1/2 feet tall and 6 feet

wide! People who have seen it think it's a work of art. Just a

very eclectic representation of everything I envision my life to

be. It's actually outdated now, but the things I added to the

board have come to fruition or are in process. Hopefully, my

I can complete my next board in a few weeks.

you blog about your

personal experiences and

feelings on your

"business journey". It

really allows your

followers to join the

journey with you. What

inspired you to do this?

I have a larger vision for the blog to become a documentary or television show. We are all

connected and more alike than we are different. To me, it is important

that people see that I am a regular person. The things that happen to me

happen to everyone. When the doors to my bakery open, I want to look

back at what it took for me to actually get to that place and encourage

others on their journey.

SPMG: I had ONE mini-red velvet cupcake and

WAS HOOKED! Your recipes - are they family

recipes or are they one's

you found and loved?

How sweet! Thank you so much. My

recipes are a combination of family recipes

and one's I've found. I enjoy the science

behind baking and reinventing old

favorites. One of my passions is

making things from scratch.

SPMG: Cupcakes are only one

of your products. Tell us about

your FABULOUS line of

delicacies. My dessert line

includes: pound cakes, icebox

cakes, cookies, cobblers, pies

and cake pops.

SPMG: Tell us

about your

husband, children

and family. How

have they

inspired, rallied

and helped you

with the

businesses? WOW. Okay, this question

definitely has me close to tears because my family is

everything...each and every person in my entire

family helps to see this BIG vision to fruition and

pushes me forward on this journey this includes my

husband and sons, my grandma, father, brother,

aunts, uncle, cousins, "sisters", extended family,

close friends and many, many more. My sons and my

husband continue to make sacrifices to make these

dreams come true. My husband, Damon, is not only

extremely encouraging and supportive with the

companies, but also my biggest fan. Quiet as kept,

Damon is extremely talented and is my in-house

graphic designer; he created the logos for my companies. This singular idea to start these

businesses does not solely affect me, but the entire

family unit. I need them now more than ever.

SPMG: Jo Jo's Dozen isn't your only

venture...tell us about your clutches.

My newest business venture is Sweet Clutch

Factory, where I create handmade clutch purses.

How has it been received?

Actually it was launched a few months ago. Spring

2011, I taught a group of very bright middle school

girls how to sew and design during an after-

school program. For Mother's day, I showed

them how to make clutch purses. Once I

posted the picture of the finished clutch on

Facebook, I started to receive awesome

feedback. In that moment, I decided to make

it a sister company to my booming desserts

business.

SPMG: Despite the challenges

of starting a business, what

has made you persevere?

There are many challenges and obstacles

but the reward is so much greater. Showing

my children (and my family) that we can all

live a life that is blessed, beautiful and

fruitful and learning this life can surely be achieved by

sharing your God given gifts, has made me persevere.

SPMG: Where can our readers find your

products?

We can be found at www.JoJosDozen.com & on

Facebook searching under Jo Jo's Dozen or Sweet Clutch Factory.

SPMG: Where do you see your business

in 10 years?

Ten years from today, my business has successfully segued from a simple dessert company

and purse production company, into to a leading brand for food, lifestyle, hospitality and entertainment.

www.JoJosDozen.com

other individuals

that are passionate

about starting their

own business?

Please don't wait until the

ideal moment to begin, you

will never get started. Find

your gift, we all have gifts.

Use what you have right now

and take the first step. Keep

making a plan for yourself

(even if it's just written on

notebook paper) and follow it.

SPMG: Lastly, what do YOU

know for sure?

If you persevere, after a while, what was once

swirling around in your head becomes real

and part of your everyday conversation. It's a

fully staffed version of whatever you dream for

it to be!

Learn more about Jo Jo’s Dozen and Sweet Clutch

Factory at www.JoJosDozen.com and on Facebook

at Jo Jo’s Dozen and

Sweet Clutch

Factory.