When Texas native JaNae Thomas made her way from Houston to LA, she - like most people- was chasing a dream. Graduating from the University of Houston with a degree in Television and Broadcast Journalism, the goal was to make it big as an entertainment journalist and host on E! News. But that wasn’t her only talent. Thomas navigated the restaurant industry. From humble beginnings at well-known Texas chain Pappasito’s at age 19, to waitressing at one of the hottest spots on Sunset. But it wasn’t exactly an easy feat. So it only made sense for her to start her own business - Glamorous Drinks - a mobile bartending company.
"When I moved out to LA I noticed that it was hard for women of color to break into the bar/club industry at all of the Hollywood lounges,” Thomas said. "So I had to figure out how to create my own lane.”
But between acting gigs, hosting gigs, and waitressing, Thomas had very little time to execute her business – so she did it on the side. That is, until a friend brought something to her attention.
"One day somebody told me, 'You know that you’re number three on Google for mobile bartending in LA,’ and I’m like ‘What?’” Thomas said. “I was having so many issues at work with trying to take off, and trying to get my schedule the way I wanted it. I was like, why don’t I take over my business full-time? So last September I decided to step out on God and figure it out, and it’s truly been a blessing.”
Fast forward to today, Glamorous Drinks is the go-to service for countless celebs – including Jamie Foxx, Partynextdoor, and just recently Drake’s dad Dennis Graham’s video release party.
Courtesy: Instagram
Courtesy: Instagram
As for journalism, Thomas has since shifted her focus to hosting and writing about music, but right now Glamorous Drinks is her top priority. And it’s safe to say her business wouldn’t be where it is now, is if she didn’t shoot her shot.
“Now that I’ve seen that I can be on my own successfully, I don’t want to have to clock back in for anyone,” Thomas said. “I see a lot of my friends that are still at jobs that they hate. A lot them are actresses so they’re like ‘I can’t wait to book this gig so I can leave.’ Having that freedom of being able to wake up and create your own every day is a great feeling. It makes you go that much harder.”
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