University of Georgia Athletics
2022 Arch Award: Jacobs Followed Her Plan For Cheeky Peach
October 09, 2022 | Equestrian, General, The Frierson Files
View the 2022 Arch Award page
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Katie Jacobs gets things done. She's a planner that spends part of every Sunday figuring out what she needs to do in the week ahead, for her business and for her family. And whatever needs doing at Cheeky Peach, her successful women's clothing shop that she started in Athens in 2010, Jacobs will push up her sleeves and do.
A former Georgia equestrian rider, Jacobs grew up around horse farms. And as a rider, you do a lot more than ride.Â
"My formative years were spent mucking stalls, feeding horses, riding horses. That's 100% in my blood," said Jacobs, who in 2017 was recognized by the University of Georgia as a 40 Under 40 honoree.
The hard work and passion that Jacobs threw into riding is being directed toward Cheeky Peach, which now has a second location in Atlanta. Between success in business and raising a young family with her husband, Jason, a former Georgia baseball player, Jacobs says she falls back often on what made her a successful student-athlete.
"It's a lot of juggling, but I think having a plan and working at it — you go back to athletics: you figure out your plan and then you work your plan," said Jacobs, who was Katie Foley when she competed for Georgia (2005-06).
In recognition of her success in the business world, Jacobs is one of three recipients of the 2022 Arch Award, presented by the Georgia Athletic Association and Piedmont Bank. The other recipients are former Gymdog Dr. Leah Brown and former Georgia wide receiver Mohammed Massaquoi.
"I feel honored to be awarded like this," Jacobs said.
In 2007, while working in the jewelry business, Jacobs started coming up with a business plan for a women's clothing store she'd like to open. In her words, working in jewelry sales she "was making no dollars but I was getting a lot of great experience." She also at that time helped the Athens nonprofit Project Safe open a thrift store in town. "I was learning a lot about what I thought I needed to do," she said.
Of course, then the recession hit in 2008. Cheeky Peach opened its doors in 2010, to a much different economic reality than the one Jacobs faced back in 2007 when she was coming up with her initial plan.
"Everything at my store was under $100 when I started, so I was able to keep things inexpensive, but at the same time I could give customers a really great experience and listen to their needs, and connect those dots for them," she said. "That was sort of unique and special, special enough that maybe I could survive a post-recession horrible economy where clothing stores were closing down."
Jacobs and her husband, who serves as Cheeky Peach's business manager, made it through the early months and years, and then things really got rolling.Â
"It was hard at first, those first couple of years were hard. My husband and I talk a lot about how that past and that foundation just helps us overcome so much better, and we're more agile, because we understand that you're going to have a bad showing or a bad game, but it's really what you do after-hours that makes the big difference," Jacobs said.
Things were going great until 2015, when the roof collapsed right before football season, forcing them to close until it could be repaired. That was a a rough experience, she said, but it did prepare them for the pandemic and lockdown in the spring of 2020.
"You just never take anything for granted. You cannot plan for some things in life, no one can, and I think you just always have to be prepared," she said. "I always say, my purpose drives my plan, and I just always stick true to my purpose and my business. And the plan is going to have to change because circumstances around you that you can't control are going to change."
Unable to open her shop, Jacobs leaned into her and the shop's social media following to stay connect with their customers and community.
"My husband and I came to work every single day," she said. "I went on social media every single day, and just tried to relate to people. I cooked at home on social media, and I just tried to bring a lightness. The result ended up being that we were able to survive that time. We knew what we needed to to be able to pay our bills.
"You go back to that athlete mentality: you're just not going to accept failure."
And from that rough stretch, Jacobs said, she and Cheeky Peach came out stronger.
"The hustle sets back in, you know how hard you're going to have to go at it, and it's been a tough two years," she said. "I feel stronger for going through that time, absolutely."
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Katie Jacobs gets things done. She's a planner that spends part of every Sunday figuring out what she needs to do in the week ahead, for her business and for her family. And whatever needs doing at Cheeky Peach, her successful women's clothing shop that she started in Athens in 2010, Jacobs will push up her sleeves and do.
A former Georgia equestrian rider, Jacobs grew up around horse farms. And as a rider, you do a lot more than ride.Â
"My formative years were spent mucking stalls, feeding horses, riding horses. That's 100% in my blood," said Jacobs, who in 2017 was recognized by the University of Georgia as a 40 Under 40 honoree.
The hard work and passion that Jacobs threw into riding is being directed toward Cheeky Peach, which now has a second location in Atlanta. Between success in business and raising a young family with her husband, Jason, a former Georgia baseball player, Jacobs says she falls back often on what made her a successful student-athlete.
"It's a lot of juggling, but I think having a plan and working at it — you go back to athletics: you figure out your plan and then you work your plan," said Jacobs, who was Katie Foley when she competed for Georgia (2005-06).
In recognition of her success in the business world, Jacobs is one of three recipients of the 2022 Arch Award, presented by the Georgia Athletic Association and Piedmont Bank. The other recipients are former Gymdog Dr. Leah Brown and former Georgia wide receiver Mohammed Massaquoi.
"I feel honored to be awarded like this," Jacobs said.
In 2007, while working in the jewelry business, Jacobs started coming up with a business plan for a women's clothing store she'd like to open. In her words, working in jewelry sales she "was making no dollars but I was getting a lot of great experience." She also at that time helped the Athens nonprofit Project Safe open a thrift store in town. "I was learning a lot about what I thought I needed to do," she said.
Of course, then the recession hit in 2008. Cheeky Peach opened its doors in 2010, to a much different economic reality than the one Jacobs faced back in 2007 when she was coming up with her initial plan.
"Everything at my store was under $100 when I started, so I was able to keep things inexpensive, but at the same time I could give customers a really great experience and listen to their needs, and connect those dots for them," she said. "That was sort of unique and special, special enough that maybe I could survive a post-recession horrible economy where clothing stores were closing down."
Jacobs and her husband, who serves as Cheeky Peach's business manager, made it through the early months and years, and then things really got rolling.Â
"It was hard at first, those first couple of years were hard. My husband and I talk a lot about how that past and that foundation just helps us overcome so much better, and we're more agile, because we understand that you're going to have a bad showing or a bad game, but it's really what you do after-hours that makes the big difference," Jacobs said.
Things were going great until 2015, when the roof collapsed right before football season, forcing them to close until it could be repaired. That was a a rough experience, she said, but it did prepare them for the pandemic and lockdown in the spring of 2020.
"You just never take anything for granted. You cannot plan for some things in life, no one can, and I think you just always have to be prepared," she said. "I always say, my purpose drives my plan, and I just always stick true to my purpose and my business. And the plan is going to have to change because circumstances around you that you can't control are going to change."
Unable to open her shop, Jacobs leaned into her and the shop's social media following to stay connect with their customers and community.
"My husband and I came to work every single day," she said. "I went on social media every single day, and just tried to relate to people. I cooked at home on social media, and I just tried to bring a lightness. The result ended up being that we were able to survive that time. We knew what we needed to to be able to pay our bills.
"You go back to that athlete mentality: you're just not going to accept failure."
And from that rough stretch, Jacobs said, she and Cheeky Peach came out stronger.
"The hustle sets back in, you know how hard you're going to have to go at it, and it's been a tough two years," she said. "I feel stronger for going through that time, absolutely."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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