Meet Sage Beausejour, Owner of Sweet Sage NYC
August is Black Business Month, a time to acknowledge and highlight Black entrepreneurs who are often underrepresented and may face barriers when starting and maintaining their businesses.
NYCHA, which is home to many small business owners, provides a range of opportunities for residents to pursue entrepreneurship through its Office of Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability (REES). Among these enterprising residents is Sage Beausejour, a Brownsville Houses resident and owner of Sweet Sage NYC, a sweet and savory catering company she launched in February 2020.
Ms. Beausejour is a 2020 graduate of the inaugural cohort of the Catering Business Pathways (CBP) program, which was designed in partnership with NYC Small Business Services (SBS) to support residents already operating catering businesses by providing advanced training, resources, and guidance to help them take their businesses to the next level. CBP has since merged with the Food Business Pathways program to streamline support for food entrepreneurs across NYCHA communities.
The NYCHA Journal spoke with Ms. Beausejour about her proudest moment as a business owner, her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, and her goals for her business.
Tell us about your business. I own Sweet Sage NYC, which I launched officially in February 2020. As a catering company, I make various sweets and desserts for birthday parties, baby showers, graduation parties, corporate parties, and more. I also do savory catering solely in intimate settings, so I’ll come to a client’s home and cook for their friends and family.
Why did you want to start your business? From the age of three, I knew I wanted to be a chef. I later went to culinary school at SUNY Delhi and obtained my Bachelor of Business Administration in culinary arts, worked in various kitchens, and even moved to Miami to open a catering company. After I moved back home to New York, I felt like I was helping other people build their companies. I wanted to have my own business, I wanted to be a professional chef, and I wanted to be on TV. I told myself that it was time for me to pour into myself instead of everybody else.
What’s been your proudest moment as a business owner so far? My proudest moment was last year when I got the chance to compete on a new TV show with Buddy Valastro, the “Cake Boss,” called Cookie, Cupcake, Cake; it’s currently streaming on Hulu. The bakers compete in rounds where the first round is cookies, the second is cupcakes, and the final round is cake – and there is a theme to all of the desserts. I’m featured in episodes one and six. On episode one, I was sent home. After being sent home, the show called me because they really enjoyed having me and wanted to give me a redemption episode – so I returned for episode six. I went back and I won the whole thing.
The theme for the cake in my winning episode was road tripping. I wanted to transport everyone to Trinidad and Tobago to pay homage to my granny on my mother’s side, because she is the one who taught me how to bake starting at 3 years old. My cake had the mountains you have to drive through, a steel pan, the flag, coconut water, a Julie mango, the beach, sand, and waves.
Buddy Valastro spoke with me numerous times throughout the day and encouraged me to be more confident, because I have the skills and it was time for me to really own it. It made me feel very seen, because having been in the industry so many years and also since I became a mom, I kept not getting the validation and respect I deserve. Winning was my proudest moment, because it was the validation I needed to know that this is the right path for me; it hasn’t always been a smooth one, but this is what I’m supposed to be doing.
What’s one piece of advice you wish you had before you started? I would tell myself to not put a timestamp on my goals. I’d give myself a timestamp and if the goal didn’t happen by that date, I’d feel disappointed in myself. I’ve now learned over and over again that I can only control some things and nothing happens before its time. I give myself more grace and more time if I need it. Not accomplishing something by the date I set doesn’t mean it will never happen – it just means it doesn’t have to happen when I said it should.
What advice would you give NYCHA public housing or Section 8 residents who want to own their own businesses? Ignore the fears and the naysayers and just get out there and do it. There’s nothing you can’t accomplish as long as you take the time to invest in yourself. You can achieve your goals in your own way, no matter the career or the business idea: find the resources, take advantage of them, and do it.
What’s a goal you’re working towards with your business? My goals for my business right now are to gain more corporate clients. Last year, I started to do more corporate catering. I really enjoy it because it’s very straightforward and I don’t have to chase corporate clients for money. I’ve been able to work with Nike, ING, and Spectrum, and I want to continue to build on that. I’d also like to gain more celebrity clients; right now, I have Marlon Wayans as a client, and I’d love to have more. With the right funding, I’d like to open an incubator kitchen where I can expand my business and support other entrepreneurs.
NYCHA public housing and Section 8 residents interested in starting or expanding a business should contact the REES hotline at 718-289-8100, visit the REES website for a calendar of upcoming information sessions, and sign up for the REES newsletter to receive up-to-date information on resident business development initiatives.