The Journey

With the newest New Mom’s Group alumna and others who have subscribed to this list via Instagram newly added to this group, I thought this would be a great moment to reintroduce myself, especially since this was my first time not facilitating New Mom’s Group.

My name is Petrushka. I’m a mom to three kids, ages 9, almost 6, and 4. Five years years ago, my husband Nick and I decided to open Sugar Hill Creamery. Nick had recently lost his job. The chef/owner of the restaurant that he managed decided to close for good. I was pregnant with our second child at the time and working one hour and 15-minutes away in Crown Heights at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. There is really nothing more powerful than the presence of children to force a whole life audit. We reflected on the fact that we worked on both ends of the day and didn’t have much time for each other (or our kids). If Nick decided to work for a new chef, our lives would be a lot of the same. With these realities in mind and my observation that there was not one ice cream parlor in all of Harlem, Sugar Hill Creamery was born. Six months after we opened in July 2017, I left my job and became full-time in the company. We serve small-batch ice cream inspired by my Caribbean and African American culture, Nick’s Midwestern culture and upbringing, and Harlem, our neighborhood of almost 20 years. 

On Halloween of 2020, we opened our second location in West Harlem. In case you’re wondering, we had been working on this well before COVID. We started shipping our ice cream nationwide on Goldbelly that year, too. And, then on Memorial Day weekend of 2021 we opened our third location within the Time Out Market in DUMBO.

For the last three years, I’ve taught undergraduates at City College in the Art Education and Art Departments. As a trained artist, museum educator, and curator, I find great joy in helping the next generation of practitioners develop their artistic and educational practices. The opportunity to work with undergrads has taught me so much about myself and has given me the opportunity to reflect on my own education and career. Of course, these thoughts have also prompted lots of thought about the educational decisions we are making for our kids.

Last year, I also launched my coaching practice, which is designed to support women as they craft powerful and authentic lives that are aligned with their values. My decision to leave the career that I had been educated to carry out, is probably one of the best decisions I have made as an adult. My interests never changed, but my desire for how I wanted to spend my time did. I’ll never tell you that running a business is easy. It’s not always easy. But, I’d prefer the hard that I experience sometimes being my own boss over anything else. I now work with seven clients one-on-one and later this year look forward to hosting my time management workshop that is designed to help you get the most out of your day.

Each week I send an email reflecting on some aspect of motherhood. This job is big and beautiful. But, it doesn’t come without its thorns. Reflecting on my own thoughts and actions through writing and sometimes video, grounds my practice as a mother. My hope is that it inspires new thoughts and affirmations for you as you journey through this chapter of life. 

I am so grateful for this space, the one we have created at the shop, and my opportunity to work with women to craft lives that better serve them. My decision to trust in what my hands and mind can do with the support of our community (this includes you), has changed the course of my life and has given our children an opportunity to enjoy us as they learn about themselves and the world around them.

If it’s been a while since we’ve connected or we’ve never officially met, I’d love to learn more about you. Please feel free to drop me a line anytime.

Have a great week!

Petrushka

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