Meet Jennifer Terrell | Entrepreneur & Community Leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Terrell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Resilience is one of the main things that I am known to have. As others warn me to give up or not to even try at all, I let their pessimism go in one ear and out the other. I am not the type of person who could go day in and day out wondering what could have happened if I tried harder, did not make excuses, or if I made the attempt to achieve a goal. My personality speaks much more to shrugging off obstacles with an “Oh well…” as opposed to having the question “What if?” constantly reside in my mind. The mentality that I have speaks to changing my plans in order to see if a goal that I am pursuing is able to be achieved instead of giving up altogether. After I know that I have put forth my best effort, it is then and only then that I will step away from something that I am pursuing.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Passion is the number one thing that sets me apart from others when it comes to business. Each day that I get up to work with the young people who are a part of my 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Today’s Other Choices, Inc., the passion within me for positively touching their lives bursts out and it spreads to the youth who are involved in the organization. As well, the passion that I have for cooking and pleasing my customers also sets me apart from others when it comes to my services at my restaurant, J’s Tasty Kitchen. I love knowing that the passion that I had for creating recipes to please my family with food are now the same recipes that I use to please my customers. Adding to this, the passion that I have for quality customer service sets me apart when it comes to business. I want my customers to feel like they are highly valued from the moment they step into the restaurant to the moment that they walk out. I’m very proud to know that those who are involved with Today’s Other Choices, Inc. and those who are a part of J’s Tasty Kitchen see the passion that I have for both of them. Although reaching the point where I am today was not easy, holding onto the passion that I have for each of the two has kept me going despite the challenges. The number one lesson that I have learned is that when you hold onto your passion for a goal, challenges lose their power over you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I was taking my best friend to visit my favorite spots in the area, we would certainly have a great time! The AT&T Stadium would certainly be one of the places that we would visit. From being the home of the Dallas Cowboys to serving as the location of many other athletic events and concerts, this is one place that we could not leave out! We would also have to visit the Fort Worth Zoo. From being a place to visit animals that we do not normally see, as well as gaining points of education for ourselves, it would certainly serve as a point of interest. Visiting both downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth would also be on our list. Both cities have awesome restaurants and hotels that are greatly worth every cent spent on them!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Grambling State University provided me with an education that set the stage for me to step out into the field of education with confidence and self-assurance to the extent that I had my head held high on my first day as a teacher and every day after that. My experiences as a teacher certainly deserve recognition, as well. The time that I was able to spend with my students opened my eyes to see the love and passion that I have for helping young people. With this, I opened a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that caters to the needs of youth, which is known as Today’s Other Choices, Inc. In addition to this, my family and community members motivated me to use my cooking recipes and take a risk in the business world. As such, I became an entrepreneur who followed her dream of opening her own restaurant, J’s Tasty Kitchen.

Website: todaysotherchoices.org

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZC-vvKfJJA