Meet Maleah Gluck | Owner of Madams Jams

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maleah Gluck and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maleah, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
In my old life, I worked in the world of education for the past 15 years. My most recent job for the 7 years before I started Madams Jams was as a Director of Admission at boarding schools. Although I absolutely loved my job, loved the students and loved the work that I was doing, I found myself at a crossroads. I was telling students to follow their dreams and do what their heart lead them to do and I was not doing the same thing. So before my thirty fifth birthday I decided that I was going to follow my own advice and follow my dreams. I started my little jampire almost 2 years ago, and it was and still is one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life! The rest is history!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Madams Jams is a black female owned jam and pickle company based out of Evergreen Colorado. We also have a farm in the Glen Arbor area in Northern Michigan. We use produce from local Colorado and Michigan Farmers and donate 5% of our proceeds to local charities that we believe in. We currently participate in the Erie, Louisville, Denver Highlands and Denver South Pearl Street Markets. We are also in the exciting process of finding a manufacturer to make our products as well.

Professionally when I started this business, I often joke that people should watch all of the Ted talks in the world because they are all true. What I mean by that is that starting a business is HARD, and emotional and you will make mistakes! In our case burn jams, drop jars, have shipping dilemmas and the list goes on. With that being said there is no greater reward than creating a business and watching your community enjoy your business. I pinch myself everyday that I am blessed to be able to do what I love and share it with so many people. That is the fuel that drives me through some of those harder days. To us giving back is very important as well and being able to have a business that allows me to do so on a small scale right now powers me to know that we will continue to do so and one day will hopefully be able to give back on a LARGE scale.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a best friend visiting the city, I would probably tell them to explore outside of the city as well! Denver is amazing and some of my favorite places to eat in the city are Sushi Den for Sushi, Blue Pan Pizza for Pizza and Avanti for a fun roof top night out! With that being said, I would tell them to head up the hill just a little bit and visit Morrison, Kittredge and Evergreen Colorado. All of these little cities are less than 45 minute away from downtown Denver, but the mountain and small town charm will make you feel as though you are a world away in the best way! Morrison is an adorable town and home to Red Rocks Amphitheatre which in my opinion is one of the best music venues in the country! You are also able to hike the park when there are not shows and they offer additional amazing activities like yoga on the rocks. If you continue up the hill about four miles you will stumble across the tiny town of Kittredge and there hosts our FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN COLORADO…Switchback Smokehouse. Set on a beautiful river Switchback has the best BBQ in Denver if not the world. The meats are smoked in house daily and you might want to get there early on in the day as they are known to sell out. They also have a world class Sweet Shack where they sell homemade ice cream (try the Strawberry made with our very own MJ’s Strawberry Rhubarb) and breakfast sandwiches. An absolute must if you are in Denver. If you head up the hill another 2 miles you will be in Evergreen Colorado which is home to many amazing hiking trails, cute shops and restaurants.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would really like to dedicate my shoutout to my mother, my brother and my family in Colorado that SERIOUSLY support me. My mother is one of the most amazing, selfless, people on the planet, hands down! She is the consistent example of a boss woman! She has shown me on the daily why gratitude, had work and giving back are so essential in this life, all while dedicating her entire life to supporting her children and her family. I would not be nearly as brave or believe in myself with such intent without her guidance and support. My brother and family in Colorado are the glue that keeps me together and the team that helps me with everything in order to keep the jampire going! It takes a village… and I am so glad and appreciative for mine.

Website: www.madamsjams.com

Instagram: @Madamsjams

Facebook: Madams Jams

Other: Madamsjams@gmail.com