You might expect a budding entrepreneur to be driven by money, power and growth. This, however, isn’t the case for Terrence Jones. Instead, when asked about the ideals he holds most dear, he’s quick to list integrity, inclusion and passion.
You might expect a budding entrepreneur to be driven by money, power and growth. This, however, isn’t the case for Terrence Jones. Instead, when asked about the ideals he holds most dear, he’s quick to list integrity, inclusion and passion.
This is a great starting point for understanding Terrence, who is the owner of Louisiana Creole Pecan Candy. Yes, this would be the appropriately self-proclaimed ‘Candy Man’ who’s using a handed-down family recipe to allow others to enjoy the sweetness of his culture.
It’s a flourishing venture that’s driven by much more than just the ringing of the cash register. The business is growing and expanding beyond its home in Lafayette, Louisiana – but his motivations are still firmly grounded in the ideals of Creole Country.
Terrence perfectly sums up this ethos:
“Success isn’t about the dollar amount, but about do you feel fulfilled.”
Nevertheless, the business is experiencing great success and now has a presence in multiple states. Terrence insists that there is no ‘pattern or formula’ to becoming a thriving entrepreneur, but he’s fast to tip his hat to the females who stand in his corner.
“The women of my family have been my greatest inspiration,” he says proudly.
There’s been no woman more integral to the business’s success than Terrence’s grandmother Hermie Duffy Jones. After all, her mouth-watering recipe is the basis for the delights found at Louisiana Creole Pecan Candy.
In true creole fashion, Hermie didn’t just nurture the recipe when it was in her possession but also made sure that it could be passed down from generation to generation in her family.
Terrence reveals that his grandma educated him on their ‘dying culture’ and ultimately ignited the spark he needed to create the business. He details:
“Our conversation was about preserving our culture and educating others about our heritage through our passion: cooking!”
The richness of creole culture is celebrated in numerous ways in Louisiana. It’s showcased in everything from music to fashion. The food, however, is arguably the jewel in its crown – and there are few things more delicious than traditional pecan candy.
Its origin can be traced back to when creole women in the 1800s invented it. These tended to be African American women who were indentured servants to the French and were making full use of the abundance of pecan trees in the surrounding area.
Once these hardworking women mastered the blend, they passed it down to their relatives, creating a long and rich tradition that, to this day, is still a staple of many households in Louisiana.
According to Terrence, these days, the pecan candy that’s often found on sale across the country is no longer ‘made with love’. In many ways, his efforts have been to bring to market the real taste of creole culture.
It’s no surprise to hear that he finds it so gratifying to see people experience the sweet goods that he fondly remembers from his own youth. He says:
“The most satisfying moment is seeing my customer’s faces as the taste of my candy brings them back to their childhood nostalgia.”
You’ll often hear people who started their own business proclaim that it began with a dream. But, in Terrence’s case, it actually started with a daydream. Luckily, just what he was pondering turned out to be much more than a mere fantasy.
He instantly set about creating a structure in which he could successfully bring his idea to fruition, which namely involved finding a diverse group of individuals who shared the same vision.
“Our team consists of many people from different backgrounds to drive our mission forward,” he reveals. “I come from the belief that multiple heads are better than one and all people have a seat and voice at the table.”
It sounds like it’s been a very exciting and rewarding journey so far. There is, however, an age-old saying that rings true here – and that’s heavy in the head that wears the crown.
Terrence is the head of the table; as you can imagine, that comes with responsibilities. When asked about the biggest sacrifices that he’s made along the way, he doesn’t hesitate to name ‘money and time’ – two things that are incredibly precious to any person.
This becomes even more eye-opening when he’s quizzed about the amount of time he’s spent turning the venture from a concept into a reality and then making sure it can grow.
He says: “Even when I sleep, I am working. Now, if I say dedicated time, that would be a 10-hour day.”
Despite the hardships that must come from building a business, it’s hard not to get the sense that this was meant to be for Terrence. On the contrary, this was far from his original plan.
Once upon a time, he was an undergraduate whose path was set to take him directly to law school. In fact, he was actually studying for the Law School Admission Test when he was struck with the idea of going down the route that we see him in now.
Terrence reveals: “I thought to myself, ‘What is something I can do well that showcases my culture?’ So it was that very moment Louisiana Creole Pecan Candy was born.”
Terrence could have gone down numerous avenues and made a success of his life. As well as law, he’d already pursued roles in telecommunications, education and recruitment but admitted that he couldn’t help shift the feeling that ‘something was missing.
Then one day, it came to him:
“That missing piece was my creativity and passion.”
For those who are feeling motivated by Terrence’s story and are inspired to follow in his footsteps with their own vision, it’s worth noting that – despite the growth of Louisiana Creole Pecan Candy – he’s in no way trying to sell the illusion of being an overnight success story.
Instead, his advice for others is simply not to rush yourself. He says: “It took years to figure out what I am good at and how to learn to put the structure in place.”
Terrence has done a fantastic job at putting a solid framework into place. From the company’s products to its online presence, the brand somehow conveys the slickness of a growing business alongside the warmth of family tradition. This is what makes it so special.
Terrence has made this possible in multiple ways, including the careful selection of staff. Much like himself, one important element is that those who work for the business must be driven by the ‘passion for caring for people.
He adds: “Everyone I hire, from social media managers to cooking, must have a love of people component because that fuels our brand along with the making of the candy.”
There will have been obstacles along the way, and – like all businesses – there will be obstacles in the future. But it’s comforting to know that Terrence has been able to overcome many of these, including the threat of COVID-19.
While the raging pandemic brought most businesses to a halt from March 2020, Terrence was well served to keep his momentum going through the e-commerce store and didn’t hit the roadblock that others in the sector faced.
He explains: “[E-commerce] has allowed me to scale quickly and find new markets where a physical location would not have given me that flexibility.”
In this venture, there’s always more on the line than time and money though. Indeed, tradition is at stake. This is one of the reasons behind his greatest fear: failure.
Terrence explains:
“I come from a society that loves for us to burn out and fail. I learned the hard way years ago; learn when to take time for yourself… you only have one life.”
For Terrence, life is about so much more than just his business. While a typical day sees him undertaking tasks such as preparing the kitchen, organising ingredients, making the candy and shipping the products, it’s far from an ‘all work and no play’ situation.
Unexpectedly, Terrence isn’t the type of person who’ll list fast cars and big houses as his personal passions. It’s much more wholesome than all that.
“I love to travel and be with family and friends,” he says. “Outside of that, I am in the gym working on my fitness!”
Those 10-hour days will indeed have taken their toll on his family life. Fortunately, this is far from the case. It turns out that the venture has had a positive impact on his relationships – perhaps the best indication of how much joy can stem from preserving and sharing creole traditions.
When asked about how being an entrepreneur has affected his family life, Terrence responds: “Honestly, it has made it better! I am getting more and more help from family to uplift our brand.”
It seems that his family are far from just a rock for when times get tough but are instead an integral part of the business. Terrence is more than happy to give them credit for this too.
He elaborates: “Most of my ideas come to me during sleep and brainstorming sessions with friends and family.”
With this trustworthy support network behind him and a noticeable ‘never say die’ attitude, there’s really no telling what we could see in the future from Louisiana Creole Pecan Candy.
When asked what the next decade could bring for the business, Terrence suggests that more growth can be expected – but hints that he won’t be as central to the endeavour as he is right now.
He says:
“In 10 years, I just want to be on the board for the organisation while someone else drives the company so I can do other ventures.”
Meanwhile, in 20 years, he would like to see the brand become part of a conglomerate.
If the brand continues to grow and these goals become a reality, Terrence could quickly become one of the most notable black businessmen in the United States. This would come with a lot of responsibility – and that’s something that he’s more than ready to embrace.
