{"id":3101,"date":"2021-07-26T10:41:35","date_gmt":"2021-07-26T14:41:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3101"},"modified":"2021-07-26T10:41:35","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T14:41:35","slug":"ice-cream-stand-owner-amanda-hughes-indulging-in-her-passions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3101","title":{"rendered":"Ice Cream Stand owner Amanda Hughes: Indulging in her passions"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Emma Vallelunga<\/strong><\/p>\n

Photos by Alice G. Patterson<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amanda Hughes lives her life indulging in everything Syracuse has to offer. Whether it\u2019s giving business advice, participating in group workouts or selling ice cream, there\u2019s always something she can contribute to her hometown, and there\u2019s no place she\u2019d rather be.<\/p>\n

Hughes is a Syracuse native who left Central New York during her college years. While playing lacrosse for Duke University, she received her bachelor\u2019s in sociology and later a master\u2019s in business administration and marketing from LIU Brooklyn. During that time, she was an assistant women\u2019s lacrosse coach for nearly two years, which further reinforced important values \u2014 hard work, dedication, communication, teamwork and goal-setting \u2014 that would serve her well later on.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat really set such a beautiful foundation for the opportunity to start these businesses much later in life that I really never anticipated or thought of beforehand,\u201d Hughes said. \u201cWhen the opportunities presented themselves, I was able to say yes and do that with confidence, and I know a large part of that was because of the sports background that I had.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Hughes finally came back to Syracuse in 2015, everything fell into place.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really enjoyed being close to family, and I loved connecting and reconnecting with my hometown,\u201d she said. \u201cI was a native, but I also felt like an outsider. I had been away for such a long time. It was fun to explore my hometown with these new eyes and fresh experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since then, Hughes founded The Ice Cream Stand in downtown Syracuse, an ice cream shop selling cones, flurries, milkshakes, coffee and even cookie ice cream \u201cstandwiches\u201d in the spring and summer months. Hughes said the inspiration to start the business came from being able to bring a community together through a common good.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just jumped at the chance,\u201d she said. \u201cI thought it was a perfect fit for my background. My personal brand and overall philosophy is very playful, adventurous and fun-loving, and I get to really live and breathe and develop that with the business. I think it creates this experience that\u2019s really magical for the community as a whole, especially [with] an item like ice cream. Food isn\u2019t good or bad. It exists. It\u2019s ice cream. It\u2019s delicious. It doesn\u2019t have to be anything [other] than a smile or a happy moment, and we don\u2019t have to attach anything else to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Hughes, one word is at the core of everything she does. The definition of indulge, to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of, is proudly displayed on the wall of the Stand and serves as a valuable reminder.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople often think of indulging as gluttonous, and it doesn\u2019t have the most positive connotations, but it really does,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s the permission you\u2019re giving yourself to enjoy the ice cream, this moment, a walk, whatever it is. I think it\u2019s important for people to constantly be reminded of the power that they possess, and that power is often in just simply allowing and giving ourselves permission to say yes to things, to try things, to say no to things. We\u2019re the only [people] we really have to answer to, acknowledge and honor at the end of the day, and everything else is just an extension of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to ice cream, Hughes saw another way to make an impact in Syracuse. In 2018, she became the founder of November Project Syracuse, a local community organization that hosts free fitness workouts for anyone who shows up.<\/p>\n

While the November Project is a movement that started in Boston, Hughes attended a workout with November Project Buffalo and eventually found a way to make Syracuse one of more than 50 cities worldwide with a November Project organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really just fell in love with that whole community,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was so warm and welcoming. What I loved was someone like myself, who\u2019s very active and has done high-level fitness, and people who have never worked out before, came together and were able to enjoy this one workout. And I thought, \u2018Syracuse really needs this, and I could definitely make this happen.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

For three years, she and dozens of others have met at Thornden Park every Wednesday at 6:15 a.m. for a 30 to 45-minute workout that includes anything from running laps to playing outdoor games. Hughes\u2019 experience as a coach, love of sports and passion for teamwork made her enjoy every moment of being a part of another community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sort of how I run my team at The Ice Cream Stand too,\u201d she said. \u201cEverything [I do] is pretty sports-focused, but that\u2019s part of who I am. I want to be that supporter, cheerleader, teacher and coach, and I still get to do that in many different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even during the pandemic, Hughes found another need she could satisfy in her community. In May of last year, she virtually launched Jayne\u2019s Collective, a collaborative workspace aimed at helping women business owners. It is open to anyone looking for business advice, conversation, motivation and workshops to promote positive thinking and build a stronger sense of community.<\/p>\n

COVID-19 put Hughes\u2019 plans to open a physical space in downtown Syracuse on hold, and for now, she\u2019s decided to pause the Collective temporarily to regroup and re-evaluate the classes for the needs of the members.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose needs are definitely going to be different now than they were when we launched in the summer of 2020 and through the winter,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted the Collective to be designed and created for the members. I want to make sure I really understand what it is that they want and need so we can creatively deliver on those things, and they can have fun building that with me and with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every project Hughes puts her mind to focuses on community and human connections, but she also plans to take some time for herself. She recently made the decision to step away from November Project Syracuse to focus on other passions, like the Stand and the Collective. But no matter what she does, Hughes knows she\u2019ll always indulge.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I\u2019m excited to have some more down-time and be still and not do much of anything at times,\u201d she said. \u201cA lot of people asked me, \u2018What\u2019s next?\u2019 or said, \u2018I can\u2019t wait to see what you do next,\u2019 and it wasn\u2019t until several people came at me with that that I thought, \u2018Wow, I really don\u2019t have anything yet,\u2019 but I know that I\u2019m creating the space for that next thing to arrive, and in the meantime, I\u2019ll just enjoy a little more R-n-R.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Emma Vallelunga Photos by Alice G. Patterson Amanda Hughes lives her life indulging in everything Syracuse has to offer. Whether it\u2019s giving business advice, participating in group workouts or selling ice cream, there\u2019s always something she can contribute to her hometown, and there\u2019s no place she\u2019d rather be. Hughes is a Syracuse native who…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1143],"tags":[639,638],"class_list":["post-3101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspire","tag-amanda-hughes","tag-the-ice-cream-stand"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Amanda-Hughes-owner-The-Ice-Cream-Stand-0005-scaled.jpg?fit=1708%2C2560&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1894,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1894","url_meta":{"origin":3101,"position":0},"title":"The Ice Cream Stand","author":"Staff","date":"June 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Bringing Syracuse Year-round Sweetness By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Steven J. Pallone\u00a0 About three years ago, Central New York native Amanda Hughes discovered a new favorite spot in her hometown: Clinton Square. Amanda had returned home after attending college at Duke University and earning an MBA in marketing from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG_7287.jpg?fit=1200%2C737&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG_7287.jpg?fit=1200%2C737&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG_7287.jpg?fit=1200%2C737&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG_7287.jpg?fit=1200%2C737&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG_7287.jpg?fit=1200%2C737&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":614,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=614","url_meta":{"origin":3101,"position":1},"title":"Amanda Funk","author":"Staff","date":"March 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Running a Funky One-Woman Show By Kathryn Walsh | Photography by Alice G. Patterson Amanda Funk knows how radically a plan can change. Before she started her own marketing firm, The Funk & Jackson Group, the Cortland native planned to become a homicide detective. But after her now-husband proposed while\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Z_WBOC_Amanda-Funk_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Z_WBOC_Amanda-Funk_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Z_WBOC_Amanda-Funk_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Z_WBOC_Amanda-Funk_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Z_WBOC_Amanda-Funk_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2090,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2090","url_meta":{"origin":3101,"position":2},"title":"Anne Snowdon","author":"Staff","date":"September 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Breast Cancer Warrior By Carol Radin | By Marita Hughes\u00a0 When Anne Snowdon started treatment for breast cancer, she decided to be like a phoenix, the mythical bird that dies and is reborn. A nurse by profession, Anne based her prediction not only on her medical care, but also her\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":966,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=966","url_meta":{"origin":3101,"position":3},"title":"Amanda Hopkins","author":"Staff","date":"July 28, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Leading in the Age of Technology\u00a0 By Jasmine Gomez | Photography by Mary Grace Photography\u00a0 St. Margaret\u2019s School principal, Amanda Hopkins, once spent a chilly November day on the roof of the school reading a book. The almost seven hours she spent atop the building were an effort to encourage\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/AmandaStMargarets-3-ONLINE-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/AmandaStMargarets-3-ONLINE-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/AmandaStMargarets-3-ONLINE-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/AmandaStMargarets-3-ONLINE-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/AmandaStMargarets-3-ONLINE-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":524,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=524","url_meta":{"origin":3101,"position":4},"title":"Bailiwick Market & Cafe","author":"Staff","date":"February 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"One-Stop Local Shop By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Steven J. Pallone\u00a0 Bailiwick Market & Cafe \u2014 the expansive, high-ceilinged barn boasting everything from Caf\u00e9 Kubal coffee to locally-sourced meals to locally-crafted goods and artisan works \u2014 started out as a simple dream of an ice cream shop. Nancy Hourigan\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Food"","block_context":{"text":"Food","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=102"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Food_Bailiwick_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Food_Bailiwick_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Food_Bailiwick_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Food_Bailiwick_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Food_Bailiwick_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":950,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=950","url_meta":{"origin":3101,"position":5},"title":"Dani’s Dessert & Wine Bar","author":"Staff","date":"July 28, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Big Dreams of Small Plates By Shweta Karikehalli | Photography by Steven J. Pallone Nestled in between other local establishments like Pizza Man and Mohegan Manor, Dani\u2019s Dessert & Wine Bar is a small but inviting addition to the streets of downtown Baldwinsville. Owner Tammy Panebianco, a veteran in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Food"","block_context":{"text":"Food","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=102"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_1870-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_1870-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_1870-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_1870-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_1870-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3101"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3104,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3101\/revisions\/3104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}