What started as making homemade meals for family and friends has now become a growing brand known for its flavorful and health conscious seasoning blends. Yemisi Anderson, owner of The JAY Effect, had a love for cooking that she said she would have never thought to be a thriving business.

Getting The JAY Effect and going wasn’t easy, but she overcame the challenges. Her business was chosen from over 2,200 businesses as a finalist in the SCORE competition.

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SCORE is a mentorship program that works with small businesses to advise them on business topics and help them expand their business.

Anderson, a Chicago native, attended SIU, earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. With a background in early childhood education, she spent years working in daycare centers as a teacher and later as a director before establishing her own in-home daycare. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led her to reevaluate her career choice.

“I enjoy feeding people,” Anderson said. “Even in college, I was in the dorm room that had the Crock-Pot and the George Foreman, making meals so people could come and hang out. Sunday dinners became a regular thing.”

Her love for cooking grew even more when she met her husband, who shared a passion for grilling. Together, they ventured into catering and bringing flavorful meals to their community. When Anderson became pregnant with their second son during the pandemic, she became more mindful of the ingredients they were using in their food.

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“We started paying more attention to what we were eating and what we were feeding our kids,” Anderson said. “At the same time, we received feedback that some of our dishes were too salty. That made me start thinking about seasonings and how we could create a better alternative.”

One day, while reflecting and praying, Anderson said she had a vision for a company that would produce seasoning blends with balanced, high-quality ingredients. What began as an upgrade for their catering business soon took on a life of its own. With an initial investment, they produced 60 bottles of their first seasoning blend, which quickly sold out within days.

“We never expected it to turn into a full seasoning line,” Anderson said. “But we reinvested every dollar we made back into the business, and it just kept growing.”

Starting The JAY Effect, the seasoning business, was not without its difficulties. One of the biggest challenges was sourcing ingredients and packaging in the right quantities.

“When you’re a small business, you don’t have a large amount of money upfront, but you also need more than just a handful of bottles at a time,” Anderson said. “Finding a reliable supplier was difficult. Since there weren’t any local bulk suppliers, we often had to travel to St. Louis to get what we needed.”

Developing the perfect seasoning blend was a critical process of trial and error. Anderson and her husband adjusted ingredient ratios and tested their mixes at family gatherings and vendor events.

“One of our customers finally said, ‘Your food is always good, but lately, it’s been consistently good.’ That’s when we knew we had the right mix,” Anderson said.

The name The JAY Effect holds personal significance, it stands for a combination of both Anderson and her husband’s first names, Yemisi and James.

“Most people assume it’s just my husband’s name, but it actually represents both of us and what we create together,” she said.

Running The JAY Effect while managing a household is no easy feat. Anderson and her husband homeschool their three children, and she also oversees her son’s entrepreneurial venture. A typical day involves homeschooling in the morning, followed by hours dedicated to business operations, including preparing orders, reaching out to stores and shipping products.

“Every day is different, but it’s always busy,” Anderson said. “It starts by us homeschooling, and then the second half of the day is work.”

As the business grew, Anderson sought resources to help scale her operations. She connected with the Small Business Development Center at SIU, which led her to SCORE, a network of experienced business mentors.

“The SBDC has been helping me since before my business was even officially registered,” Anderson said. “They encouraged me to connect with SCORE mentors for guidance on scaling my business, especially since I don’t have a big corporate budget but need more than just the basics.”

Anderson’s dedication paid off when she was selected as a finalist in the national competition.

“That was nuts,” she laughed. “I never expected to be chosen. I had never pitched my business before, and it was one of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve ever done.”

The experience also highlighted the unique challenges small businesses face when trying to expand.

“Small businesses often get overlooked, not necessarily because people don’t want to support them, but because they don’t realize how much of an impact a small investment can make,” she said. “For us, even a small boost could mean a major step forward.”

As The JAY Effect continues to grow, Anderson hopes to expand the brand’s reach while maintaining the authenticity and personal touch that started it all.

“We started with just a little, and we’ve built something amazing,” she said. “I can’t wait to see where it goes next.”

Editors note: This story was updated to correct two errors: 

– An earlier version stated that Yemisi Anderson is a co-owner of The JAY Effect alongside her husband. Anderson is the owner. 

– A mistype in an earlier version was corrected to clarify that JAY is a combination of the names James and Yemisi. 

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