Life & Work with Reena Black

Today we’d like to introduce you to Reena Black.

Hi Reena, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Reena Black. I’m originally from a small town in East Tennessee named Kingsport. I moved to Murfreesboro in 2005 to attend college at MTSU, and I’ve been in the Middle Tennessee area since! Flashback! It’s 2008, I’m a junior in college and completing my internship at Walt Disney World. I was a marketing major, my advisor told me not to go, but it’s Disney! I was assigned a job at Goofy’s Candy Company where I learned to dip strawberries, pretzel rods, giant Oreo cookies and caramel apples for guests. I had a blast but figured I’d never use the skills again. Fast forward to adult life, where potlucks rule and you need a signature item to bring to the office. I started dipping treats to bring to work and quickly became the go-to person for sweets. One day in January 2020, a colleague asked if I would do an order for her, and she said she’d like to pay me. I said sure, not thinking too much about where it would go. I started getting more orders from coworkers, then friends of coworkers, then friends! Then the pandemic hit. I continued taking orders as a fun way to keep myself busy and my mind occupied. In August 2020, I came up with the name Blackberree Dip Shop (Black – my last name, Ree – my first name) and the rest is history!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Honestly, it’s been smooth so far. I take that as a sign that I’m where I’m supposed to be, and I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Blackberree Dip Shop specializes in a variety of great-tasting, beautifully made chocolate and caramel dipped treats. The caramel apples and cake pops are made from scratch, not store bought. Other items include chocolate-dipped strawberries, pretzels rods, Oreo cookies and Rice Krispies treats.

I’m most proud of my focus on attention to detail, relationship building, and customer satisfaction. I purposely do not have a website or use an online order form because I want to speak with each customer one-on-one to better understand their desires, needs, and expectations. I make myself readily available via email, direct message and even text to answer customer’s questions. My goal is to guarantee customers have a personalized experience they may not receive from a larger commercial company. Also, I want every customer to say their treats are too pretty to eat, then watch them enjoy every last bite. They taste just as good as they look.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as being happy with the work that you do and knowing that you are making others happy as well. I know the saying “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” sounds cliche, but it’s on point! Hearing positive feedback, having return customers, being consulted for my advice by others who are also in the treat-making business brings me so much joy and makes me want to keep doin’ what I’m doin’.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/blackberreeds?utm_medium=copy_link
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackberreeDS/

Image Credits
All images were taken by me, Reena Black.