We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah Burke a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

Growing up, I always loved to cook and bake. I started really enjoying it as I got married and had someone to cook for and loved sharing food and recipes with friends and family. My friends would tell me I should sell some of my baked goods. I decided to try my hand at custom cookies for my best friend’s kids’ joint birthday party. They were Lego themed and I remember being so happy with how they turned out. Looking back, they were a little rough, but not bad for my first time! I had such a positive response from posting them for friends and family to see, I decided to offer Easter cookies that year. I took several orders and delivered to each customer. That led to even more positive feedback about my cookies! I have a background in graphic design and in marketing. I was actually working still as a marketing specialist for a bank. I designed my logo, business cards, and started social media pages that June. My business didn’t take long to get rolling, and busy!! Word of mouth and offering items for holiday sales helped things grow rapidly. After working for the Bank for over 15 years, I quit to be home full time with my kids and to grow my business.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

As with most businesses, coming up with a name takes a lot of thought and time to get just right. My business, Rosy Bee Custom Bakes, got its name from my kids’ names. My daughter Cora’s middle name is Rose. The “Bee” portion comes from my son’s name, Bennett, and also our last name, Burke. I loved the idea of a pink bee and landed on Rosy Bee. I didn’t want to limit myself to just cookies, so I added “Custom Bakes.”

I offer holiday sales but the majority of my business is from custom cookies. I love bringing someone’s ideas to life in cookie form. I pull inspiration from event themes, invitations, and pride myself in creating clean designs that are classy and fun. My artistic background really allows me to envision and plan cohesive designs for each client.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Custom decorated cookies are my main seller. I am often recommended to families in community and mom groups on social media when users are searching for someone to provide treats for birthday parties, baby showers, and weddings. We are from a small town. I have built strong connections with members of our local Chamber, teachers from our school district, as well as school administration. Having these relationships with a majority of our town has really helped grow my business.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I try to engage my audience with giveaways and sporadic contests. I try to think of things I enjoy looking at when I post. I highly recommend posting yourself! Show your face! I am not the best at this, and every time I make a post with a photo of me, or me with my family, I get three times the engagement! I have been told, “Oh! I didn’t realize you were the one who made cookies!” It’s a good reminder to show your face.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosybeecustombakes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosybeecustombakes/