Meet Jennifer Blazer, the visionary force behind BBP Services LLC. With a unique perspective on the needs of business owners, Jenn founded BBP in 2015, driven by her mission to assist small businesses. Her unwavering commitment to providing solutions that drive personal and professional success is the cornerstone of the company’s ethos.
From an early age, Jenn held a clear and unwavering dream – to establish her own bakery. This resolute aspiration served as a guiding light, influencing her life choices at every turn. She pursued this dream with tenacity, earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, and later, attending the Scottsdale Culinary Institute to refine her culinary skills. In the midst of her passionate pursuit, Jenn’s interests unexpectedly expanded into the accounting industry. Through experiences in private settings, she gained invaluable insights into this realm.
As Jenn’s personal and professional journey unfolded, it gradually became evident that her path was steering her toward a distinct and unforeseen calling. This realization marked the inception of BBP Services LLC. In 2015, she bravely embraced the opportunity to blend her unique fusion of culinary aspirations and accounting expertise. This marked the beginning of her journey to empower fellow business owners.
Jenn’s motto, “Helping business owners get back to what matters to them,” encapsulates BBP’s essence. With a fervent passion for her work, she dedicates herself to providing the foundation for clients to achieve both personal and professional success.
Venture into Top Shelf Services
Back in 2015, Jenn took a big leap of faith and started BBP. At the beginning, BBP’s main focus was on helping with bookkeeping, management reports, payroll, and taxes. And guess what? Jenn quickly gained a reputation as a problem-solver extraordinaire. Basically, if you had a mess of receipts, years of messy books, or a backlog of taxes to sort out, Jenn was the go-to person to turn things around. She especially became known for her knack for handling tough situations.
But that’s not all, Jenn also had a special talent for creating detailed reports, especially for businesses in construction, oil & gas, real estate, and even the cannabis industry. Yes, you could say she loves a good challenge.
As time went on, BBP didn’t just grow in size, but also in what it could offer. In the middle of 2020, Jenn started Top Shelf Services, a new part of the business aimed at helping cannabis clients with specific services related to regulations (280E & 471) and even giving advice on cultivation.
And now, there’s been a big change. BBP has undergone a makeover and is now known as Top Shelf Services. It’s all about the team now – the “I” turned into a “We”. Having two separate companies wasn’t necessary anymore, because Top Shelf Services truly represents who they are as a united team and the top-notch help they provide.
Steering the Ship
Jenn’s role has undergone a significant overhaul, transforming her into the driving force behind the company. Departing from the earlier days of managing all aspects herself, she now operates from a strategic standpoint. Daily operational details and direct client interactions have taken a backseat, replaced by a focus on providing the team with the necessary resources, training, software, and equipment to ensure their efficiency.
Her foremost responsibility revolves around charting a course towards the company’s objectives. Whether through crafting effective sales and marketing strategies, orchestrating training initiatives, or devising expansion plans, she’s the catalyst for propelling the company forward.
One of the most rewarding aspects of her role is witnessing clients sing praises about the exceptional bookkeepers and other team members. The knowledge that her team is making a positive impact is a source of great satisfaction. But it’s not all business; a strong sense of camaraderie is deeply ingrained in the company culture. Birthdays are a major highlight, spanning an entire week of celebration to showcase appreciation for each team member. This collective spirit truly forms the core of the work environment.
Bold Steps Toward Bridging the Gap
Top Shelf’s growth trajectory shows no signs of slowing down; in fact, it’s skyrocketing. The team has recognized a glaring issue: there’s a significant shortage of skilled bookkeepers to match the surging demand for services. It seems that the art of bookkeeping is becoming a vanishing skill. Taking her role as a problem-solver to heart, Jenn has taken a decisive step – she’s launching a bookkeeping institute to bridge this gap.
This company will not just offer the education required to become a Certified Bookkeeper; it goes beyond that. Students will also get a chance to partake in a paid internship program, gaining hands-on experience that solidifies their understanding of the concepts and allows them to put these skills into practice.
As Top Shelf keeps growing, they need more than virtual space. They’re in the early stages of designing a brand-new building to house their team, ready to offer services all across the country. Top Shelf has always been about working remotely, using tech to keep them connected with clients, but now, with this growth spurt, they’re taking things to the next level.
Technology is not just a tool anymore; it is a game-changer. Top Shelf is gearing up to use it in full force, reaching more people and helping more business owners. They are not just sticking to the same old routine; they are embracing technology to make a tough job easier – handling those daunting books. This expansion is not just about a building; it is about using their skills and tech-savviness to assist fellow business folks all over.
Following Learning and Collaborative Leadership
To keep pace with this rapid growth, Jenn is an unyielding learner. She immerses herself in podcasts, articles, newsletters, blogs – anything that is relevant to the industry or technology. In a world where AI has elevated her team’s efficiency and speed, it is only fitting that Jenn remains up-to-date, maintaining a competitive edge in this realm.
A co-founder of The Association, the sole women’s professional development group in her vicinity, Jenn wears yet another hat. Week after week, they furnish invaluable content on an array of topics: leadership, marketing, growth, human resources, negotiation, and more.
Her commitment to learning and nurturing the next generation is unwavering. For Jenn, leadership is a concept deeply intertwined with personal experiences and encounters with leaders. She’s noticed a prevalent misconception – that leadership involves selfishness, trampling over others to climb the ladder, and an overt ‘Look at me!’ attitude. To her, this could not be farther from reality.
For Jenn, leadership is about collaboration. It’s about reaching the pinnacle and then extending a helping hand to those on their ascent. It’s devoid of selfishness, secrecy, or an air of superiority. True leadership is found in humility – in teaching someone to surpass you, in recognizing that your skills can propel someone to new heights and serving as their mentor. Sometimes, it’s about working behind the scenes while your team revels in the limelight and you handle the complaints. It’s about providing unwavering support and being a living example, that others can proudly emulate.
Recipe for Building the Perfect Team
When hiring for Top Shelf, Jenn seeks out certain qualities that spell leadership. It’s not about formality here – it’s about vibes and attitude. In Jenn’s book, every team member has their own blend of strengths and not-so-strong points. The key is being open to learning and evolving, together. Think of it like being a coach and being coachable all at once. Everyone pitches in to tackle the tough spots and shares the good stuff.
However, there’s a crucial quality that Jenn places great importance on – being a team player. Within Top Shelf, hierarchical distinctions that elevate some or marginalize others are absent. The company culture is rooted in a profound ethos, treating every individual entering the premises or engaging over the phone as if they were conversing directly with Jenn. Rudeness is an unequivocal taboo; it simply has no place here.
Additionally, Jenn pays close attention to fundamental attributes: effective grammar usage, comfort with software tools, and adept conversational skills. The significance of communication cannot be overstated in any way.
And here’s the scoop on attitude – grit and sleeves rolled up. While Jenn’s all about taking care of yourself and having mental health days when needed, there’s work to be done. Goals to smash. So, it’s about showing up, even when your bed’s calling you. Sometimes it’s overtime, sometimes it’s rallying together for a curveball task, and sometimes it’s fuelled by a massive pot of coffee and snacks. This team thrives on the idea that they’re in it together, and everyone’s success is wrapped up with each other’s. So, pulling your weight is a must.
Sharing Significance of Taking Risk
Jenn shares that the biggest risk she has taken is to let go of control. This sounds easy but it was extremely difficult. She had to learn to trust that she hired the right person and then trained them correctly. She had to learn to let go so she could stop wearing all of the hats. Now, don’t get her wrong, she still struggles with this because no matter what happens, everything falls on her. When a mistake happens, she takes the hit or falls on the sword because this is her company and her responsibility – her liability. She has had to adjust her mindset to become comfortable knowing that her team is capable of performing their job as directed to. It may not be exactly how she would do it, but it’s professional, follows procedure, and the client is happy.
Jenn asserts, “Without taking this risk, we would not be where we are now. We are moving in a steady direction towards a larger team, larger building, and the institute. Our mission is to help business owners get back to what is important to them. Simply put, we are putting in the work to keep our word and to help more business owners.”
Written by Steve Sanchez.
