Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Poleon.
Hi Jasmine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a licensed cosmetologist & salon suite owner, my typical weekend was always a Sunday/ Monday. My best friend, at the time a pastry chef, her weekend was typically a Monday/ Tuesday, so our day drinking day became Monday’s of course.
But where do you do brunch & day drink on a Monday?! There are places but… eh we were 22. We wanted to have as much fun as possible and we always managed, no matter the day of the week. On a beautiful Monday, mid-morning, July 9th, 2018, we found ourselves on the patio of WOB on Lake Eola in downtown Orlando.
At the time they didn’t serve mimosas on Mondays, but we asked with our puppy eyes, and there we were, mimosas and people watching, on a Monday… and I thought to myself, how can I do this the time? I want to drink mimosas any day of the week and enjoy all the things going on around me. I love mimosas, so I branded them.
It started off not with the intention of a business, but just for fun. That same day I started The Mimosa Club Instagram page and just began posting brunch pictures and funny quotes I was coming up with while being 7 mimosas deep. People loved it. I wanted to start putting them on t-shirts which led to having a full-on website and online store with a range of brunch/mimosa/champagne-themed apparel, household decor, gifts, seasonal items, accessories, etc. The most anticipated upcoming item to be released is a Mimosa recipe book including 50 recipes!
It was so much fun and the support was growing daily, but I wanted more. I wanted a venue. But how does one do that from scratch?! I knew nothing about opening a restaurant or bar, I had established my salon business and was in a stable place! But it wasn’t going to stop me. My mind starts racing. “The Mimosa Club: Shop, Cater, Venue, Vibes.”
This sparked the next stage of TMC. I needed a stepping stone. I wanted a Champagne cart. like an ice cream cart. but Champagne. So I got one. All the way from the UK, the cart traveled, followed by the matching Champagne wall. Bubbly Bar Catering was born. I began doing mimosa bars for birthdays, bridal showers, company parties, holiday parties, baby showers, etc. This quickly grew into me needing a storage unit to it all of the events supplies acquired so quickly. Always in the back of my head, the goal of the venue. Right around this time is when corona crashed the brunch she wasn’t invited to. I lost my salon. Life happened.
Fast-forwarding almost 4 years later to early 2022, I am still putting everything I have into this business. While still running my new salon suite, most of my time while not working on a client, is spent on Mimosa Club. We have 4 established social media platforms including Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, & Twitter. The website is full of amazing merchandise as well as a Bubbly bar section to assist in planning your event and much more.
With Bubbly Bar catering, I have been able to book numerous events & shows, worked with multiple well-known influencers, and have been invited to travel & host brunches as “The Mimosa Queen”. I have also participated in many virtual live wine tastings, mimosa recipe tutorials, sip & chat, virtual business expos, etc. My absolute favorite is when a company sends me their wine to try. Yes yes and yes, please & thank you.
Although there have been so many milestones to celebrate, the one I am most proud of is officially trademarking the company. After 15 months, when I received that certificate, it was such a range of emotions, it didn’t even feel real.
My goal is to continue growing the existing tiers of the brand and keep working towards having a brick & mortar venue as soon as possible. I have met so many amazing people and I have learned more than I could imagine I would have, about the science of Champagne, about business, and about people.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been as smooth as opening a Champagne bottle. If you’ve ever opened a Champagne bottle, you know how that is. Some struggles included protecting the brand & the ideas, funding to make these ideas happen, and simply just having the confidence that I could do this.
By the bar, the biggest struggle was the pandemic. The merchandise warehouse being closed, not being able to do events or serve any alcohol, not being able to travel, etc. The business came to a complete halt shortly after launching.
Besides the pandemic, of course, life was happening too! Balancing your personal life and 2 businesses, to this day has been a huge struggle.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Outside of The Mimosa Club, I have a salon suite called Jasology. I have always been an artsy person and love to create. I grew up loving to do hair, make-up, nails, etc. Directly out of high school, I enrolled in cosmetology school and got my license at 19.
I worked in a salon and then at the age of 21, I got my own suite. I love what I do and I am so thankful for my clients as they really are my second family. In the salon, I specialize in hair coloring, cutting, extensions, lash extensions, etc. Most of my life at this stage revolves around my 2 companies, and my dog, Malibu. I love to spend time outdoors and be by the beach as much as possible. And of course, brunch.
I am most proud of myself for always going after what I want even on the days it feels so hard that I’m ready to give up. I think that’s what sets me apart from most, is my ambition. Being able to keep going and not giving up, never settling for just content.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Everything will be okay. As someone with high functioning anxiety, I used to easily fall into panic or spiral episodes. There was a point where it felt like this was the end and I had no control of anything going on around me, but everything was okay. It taught me to breathe and redirect my energy.
I am a huge believer in manifestation and I needed to learn to keep my mindset positive so I could continue to attract positive energy toward me. One quote stuck with me, “Everything will always be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, then it’s not the end.” I learned that your mental and emotional health is just as important as your physical and you must take care of yourself from the inside out.
As a generation that is constantly going, go-go onto the next thing, we lost touch with reality on the simple pleasures and true meaning of life. Although Covid was the hardest thing most of us will ever endure in our lifetime, I am thankful it forced us to slow down and pay attention.
Contact Info:
- Email: cheers@themimosaclub.com
- Website: www.themimosaclub.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themimosaclub_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themimosaclubinc/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/themimosaclub_
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@themimosaclub
