I’m Jen, the owner of Crêpes à la Maison and Be Fluent in French (website coming soon).
I’d like to tell you a little bit about myself. I grew up and spent most of my life in France, and during a visit to New York City eight years ago I met Javier during my first WEEK here (true story)! Javier and I decided a year after having a long distance relationship that it wasn’t for us. So I packed my bags and joined him in New York. So I packed my bags and joined him in New York. It was the best decision I ever made because although we are not together anymore, I became an entrepreneur and live the life of my dreams.
The next big thing after my move across the Atlantic was to find a job. One day, someone mentioned posting an ad on Craigslist. My response was “Who’s Craig?” Well, thanks to Craig, whoever he is, I started offering private French lessons.
Pretty soon I signed my first student, who worked in fashion, where everyone wants to speak French. Within no time, my teaching schedule started to book up so quickly–and the rest is history. My clients work for companies like the New York Times, Helmut Lang, and JP Morgan. One day, one of my favorite Hollywood actresses’s assistant called to see if I would start working for her! It was beyond my wildest dreams. So, how did I end up starting a crepe company? I grew up making homemade crepes every week. It’s probably the first recipe I learned after mastering French toast (pain perdu).
The idea for Crêpes à la Maison came about during a weekend away in Montauk with friends. While there, I decided to host my first impromptu crepe party, along with a do-it-yourself crepe bar. All of my friends feasted on a range of sweet and savory crepes that sunny summer afternoon. ALL of them suggested that I start a catering business. “Why not?” I thought to myself. “Wouldn’t it be great to replicate that amazing feeling we had in Montauk over and over again?” And that’s how Crêpes à la Maison was born. I always had an entrepreneur spirit burning inside of me, but It wasn’t until I landed in New York that I totally embraced it. I’m not gonna lie: starting your own company requires tons of hard work and perseverance. There were days when I just wanted to open a book, kick up my feet with a glass of wine, and not think about Crêpes à la Maison or Be Fluent in French. Well, I’m so glad I didn’t give up! Looking back, there’s one lesson that kept recurring for me. It’s follow your dreams and intuition because no matter how difficult the road gets, the journey makes the destination so much more rewarding!
Hope you’ll enjoy reading my posts!
Bisous!
Jen