Welcome to The Denville Moms Network Young Entrepreneurs Spotlight Series
As the fourth installment of an important series, I am excited to introduce you to 15 year old, Tess Higgins, from Chatham, New Jersey. She does it ALL! She creates and makes creative pies, cakes, cookies, as well as clothes and jewelry!
What is your name, how old are you and where are you from?
Tess Higgins, 15 years old. I live in Chatham New Jersey but go to school at the Morris County School of Technology in Denville.
What is your business called and how long have you been established?
My business is called By Tess and it has been established since March of 2019
What is your mission?
To create beautiful things that bring joy to both myself and my customers.
What was a recent project you worked on? How did it come about?
I just completed one of my favorite projects so far! A client ordered one dessert every month for six months, the type dessert was totally up to me! I surprised them every month with creative pies, cakes, and cookies. While I appreciate every baking order I receive, this is my favorite because I was able to experiment with new flavors and decorating techniques that I normally wouldn’t get to when baking for someone else!
Anyone special you would like to thank for helping you get this business started?
I have been lucky enoug
h to meet many strong business women in my life. Melanie, the owner of Mud Clay Studio in Madison, has been helping with my entrepreneurial and creative dreams since I was eleven years old and first started taking pottery classes. Not only has she given me my first job, an extraordinary hands-on learning experience, but she continues to advise and support me as a successful business owner. Her fearless work ethic has inspired me to follow in her footsteps. Similarly, Ellen, the owner of Scooch a mi in Chatham has been supportive of my business since I met her. Last year, I walked into her store wearing one of my necklaces, and the next week I had over a dozen pieces in her store.
What are your future plans and goals for your business?
I would love to open a By Tess store in the future. I would want to feature local artists as well as my own things. I’d like my store to be a place where people could go and spend time and appreciate the artwork made by real people in their own town.
What advice do you have for other young entrepreneurs?
Don’t forget to take a second to learn from your failures, they’ll teach you more than any success.
Favorite things to do outside of your business?
I love to travel, spend time outdoors, exercise, and hangout with my family and friends
One thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I go to a vocational school, rather than my town’s public high school. The Morris County Vocational School is in Denville, and I am in the culinary academy. That means I am learning in the kitchen three hours every other day, and the rest of the time I take regular classes with kids from the other academies.
