Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Hart.
Hi Jessica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I own an at-home cookie bakery in Jackson, TN (right outside of Nashville). I have been making and decorating custom cookies out of my home since 2019. I never thought after graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice that I would be spending hours in my kitchen baking and icing cookies, but here I am living the dream! I always like to give my background, because I think it’s important to inspire others to try something new outside of their comfort zone. I had never baked much of anything other than cupcakes and brownies that come in a box. I also have zero background in art.
What I did have though, was a determination to succeed and my faith in the Lord to open a new door that would allow success. My cookie journey began when I was a stay-at-home mom who had recently moved back to Arkansas and I wanted to find a way to make some extra money without needing to put my kids in childcare. After spending some time googling “jobs for stay-at-home moms”, I kept coming across owning an “at-home bakery”. I had no experience or expertise in baking, decorating, or owning a business, but it was the start of the pandemic and I was ready to find something new that I could try at home. I researched food cottage laws and read up on starting an at-home small business. After deciding that custom cookies would be my forte, I knew that I would be faced with a huge learning curve when it came to how to make and decorate them.
I spent hours upon hours watching cookie-decorating videos on YouTube and Instagram. There was so much to learn and so much to buy in order to get started. Thankfully, my husband supported me in starting this new chapter, mentally and financially, and has been my biggest cheerleader since starting my business. I was determined to give this my all and I spent more time in my kitchen than ever before. After a few weeks of baking and decorating, I felt confident enough to start sharing my work with others. My friends, family, and neighbors embraced this new journey and started ordering from me and soon enough I was making around 1-3 dozen a month and I thought I was busy then! I give God all the glory in that. I mean, you should have seen some of those first orders, haha! Looking back though, I am proud of where I started and how it has pushed me to where I am today. After moving 2 more times since living in Arkansas, we have landed in Tennessee and although I have only been back open since the fall of 2022, I am making on average, 20 dozen cookies a month.
Being so close to Nashville has already had a huge impact on my business. Nashville is a huge party-hosting hub! I love making custom orders for bachelorette parties and girls’ weekend trips in Nashville! Cookies are such an easy thing to transport and serve while there, too. I am grateful that I live close enough to draw customers from there and all over West Tennessee that order from me.
For me, there is no other job I would rather be doing than making other people’s celebrations sweeter with custom cookies and when it comes to parties, southern culture will always take first place in hosting! I look forward to continuing to provide for anyone’s cookie needs here in Tennessee!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My biggest struggle was not having any baking or art background when I first started. I am self-taught and spent countless hours learning techniques and food safety, but there will always be something new to learn. I certainly enjoy that aspect of this business.
Every order is unique, and challenging my creative side is something I have really come to enjoy now. Starting and stopping my business with each new move has also been a challenge, but never underestimate the power of prayer!
With each new city, we have moved to, I reflect with gratitude on all God has allowed me to do with my talent and He has blessed me with each new start.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I make custom vanilla almond-flavored sugar cookies. I am able to customize orders to fit any theme you’d like, including special characters, universities, and special occasion cookies. You name it-I can cookie it! Cookies are such a fun party favor because they can incorporate a variety of different elements of a theme in just one order. I also love how easy they are to transport and pass out. No knife is needed when serving them!
I take a lot of pride in what designs and themes I put into my orders. My work represents me and from the beginning, I have set moral standards in what I will put on a cookie. I will not make an order that goes against my Catholic faith and values. I think that customers appreciate the fact that they are supporting a business that values Christianity.
Presentation is very important to me and I want my cookies to not only look and taste great but to also be packaged with thoughtful detail. Once a customer places an order, I will spend hours designing their cookies on paper and researching the specifics they have requested for their order. Each cookie will come heat-sealed and be placed in a bakery box with tissue and crinkle paper. On the outside of the box, there will also be a sticker that lists all ingredients used.
This is extremely important to me since I use almonds in my cookies and it is a known food allergy. I finish off the look with a ribbon tied around the box to give it that “gift box” look.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
There will always be something to celebrate and cookies will continue to be a requested party favor for years to come! I do see a heavy social media presence as a big influence on people ordering custom cookies.
With apps like Facebook and Instagram, people are able to share their celebrations and all of the details that they selected for their events. I am always so grateful when a customer tags my business in their party pictures! I have gotten so many new customers through people simply sharing and tagging my work!
Pricing:
- Custom orders start at $55 a dozen and $100 for 2 dozen
- Shipping is $12 a box. (I’m able to fit up to 18-24 cookies per box
Contact Info:
- Website: Sugarpigscookies.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugarpigscookies/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087770170119&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Angela Spencer Photography
