Meet Samantha Zimmerman of Sami Kay Cookies

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Zimmerman.

Hi Samantha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! So I’ve loved baking for as long as I can remember. As a little kid, my grandmother would always pull the cake pans and ingredients down to the floor on a mat so I could help! I’ve watched baking shows and always said “I wish I could do that!”

“Sami Kay Cookies” came about in late 2019. I had the honor to be room mom for my daughter’s pre-school class, make some Farm Day cookies for an event they were having, and shared them on social media. A friend of a friend reached out that she loved the cookies and wanted to know if I could make some for a party she was having…. from there, it snowballed, and I had people start asking if I was taking orders and if I had a website or social media page… and there was born Sami Kay Cookies! Since then, I have partnered with some amazing businesses throughout middle TN, including Promise Manor, Jack Daniels, Vanderbilt Hospital, and Bakery on Lincoln in Tullahoma, on some larger-scale projects as well as making over 4,000 custom order cookies in a year and a half! Recently,

Custom decorated cookies are my go-to, but I love making all things sweets! I’ve had lots of “nailed it” moments but some have turned out pretty great too!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I would love to say it has been a smooth ride, but there have been struggles along the way! Being a mom of two small kiddos and working a full-time job, finding time to grow my “hobby” into a business truly was hard. Being able to balance life, work and cookies meant lots of late nights, early mornings, and LONG weekends to fulfill all the orders coming in!

However, Sami Kay Cookies was an answer to prayer when COVID shutdowns began in March of 2020. I was laid off from my role due to the nature of my work and hiring freezes. My husband and parents own a small business here in Tullahoma that gears around social gatherings, sports and other in person events, and we were nervous that they too would have to close their doors and so we were concerned about what that meant for our family from a financial standpoint.

But God is amazing, and business with SKC picked up- because people couldn’t “be” together for special events they wanted to SEND cookies for birthdays, get well soons, thinking about you, etc. and this little “hobby” paid all our families bills in March, April, and May during the COVID slow down. Any doubt that this “business” could work was proved in those months!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Sami Kay Cookies is the name I chose to merge the things I love- my nickname as a child was Sami Kay, and I just felt it was a sweet nod to all those that loved and supported me growing up. And of course cookies because that’s the main thing we offer 😉

I specialize in custom decorated cookies and work very closely with our customers determining a theme that matches the need they have; whether it be a birthday, baby shower, corporate event, thank you baskets, weddings, you name it- we’ve done it!

I think the thing (or so we’ve been told) that sets us apart from others is not only are our cookies esthetically pleasing but also taste scrumptious! Each batch is made fresh within 3 days of delivery to the customer to ensure freshness at the time of the event! If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard “they are too beautiful to eat… but I’m glad I did” I’d be rich ha ha!

Since 2019 we’ve been able to host several events in the community; Cookies with Mrs. Claus, Cookies with the Easter Bunny, several cookie classes, and a Ladie’s Night Out Event that partnered with eight local vendors to provide an intimate night of shopping, wine tasting, appetizers, and breakout activities at Promise Manor for our middle TN ladies.

We also had the opportunity to partner with several other amazing businesses in Middle TN to provide a fully furnished wedding to a very deserving couple. They were chosen for a boutique wedding at Promise Manor and were married earlier this year. Being able to provide personalized cookies for their special day was one of my fondest moments with SKC.

One of our proudest moments was finishing 3rd out of 2,000 contestants for the 2021 Greatest Baker Competition.

We offer custom cookies, cookie classes for all ages, and DIY kits

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Advice is be patient- it doesn’t happen overnight! Every skill at SKC has been self-taught. Deep diving into videos, tutorials, searching Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration, and just trial and error has gotten us to where we are. The nice thing is, there are SEVERAL amazing bakers in the area. Instead of looking at them as competition, I’ve tried to partner with them to provide a more optimized experience for our local customers. As much as it saddens me, working full time, I can not take every order that comes in. I’ve been able to work with a couple of other cookiers in the market who have provided amazing service to those customers!

I also have to tribute Kayla White with Promise Manor. She has been instrumental in helping me networking with other local businesses and building brand awareness for Sami Kay Cookies!

We’ve had the honor to provide sweet treats for staged shoots, boutique events, and their first Farm to Table dinner just this month!

I would say for anyone interested in cookie decorating take the classes! They are fun and teach some basic skills that help you get on your way! And just know that even if you don’t think they look great, they’ll still get eaten 🙂

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.samikaycookies.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samikaycookies/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samikaycookies

Image Credits
Stacy Preston Photography and Shannon Smiles Gambill Photography