We recently connected with Kimberly Simpson and have shared our conversation below.
Kimberly , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
I grew up in a house where my parents didn’t believe you just gave up or quit because it was “too hard.” My parents are deceased now, but they still impact the decisions I make in life and in business.
My dad was a Captain in the U.S. Army and later retired as a Supervisor at Champion International. He instilled a “work ethic” and the skills of “problem solving and critical thinking” in me and my brother. My father had perfect attendance and missed one day of work from the time he began his career to the day he retired. I call that true loyalty! There’s a saying that ‘you don’t get tired of the work, you get tired in the work.’ When creating edible art, it requires patience and practice. I show up for my customers daily. I haven’t canceled a paid order or quit because I was too tired. There have been days where I didn’t think I could push through, but I would hear my dad say “Kim, you can do anything you put your mind to!” We’ve all heard that before growing up, right? However, it was different for me. He would then add “(K)eep (I)t (M)oving!” My name has meaning! In times of distress I would just chant, “What’s my name? KIM! Keep it moving sis! Keep it movinggg!”
My father was also very kind and had character. It’s hard sometimes to mimic that in everyday life, but it stuck with me in running my cookie business. Customers want you to be professional, prompt, and kind. How I do business is reflected and mentioned a lot in my Google reviews and those key elements are often highlighted. If a customer sees that someone else was happy, they too will feel at ease when choosing your business. They may need that “extra push” to close the deal if they see that your business is trustworthy. REVIEWS DON’T LIE!
My dear mom mostly was a “stay-at-home” parent when my brother and I were in grade school. She worked at a couple of great jobs when we were in middle school, but ultimately chose to be home to take care of the family, which is a full time job too! I learned a lot of life lessons from my mother. For one, like me she too was trusting of people and gave away her value. I would find myself heartbroken over friendships and letdowns. And like me, someone had to sit her down. One day she said, “Everyone is not your friend! You can’t trust everyone Kimberly!” I carry those words in life and generalize it to business — Everyone is not your customer and everyone doesn’t want to see you win!
My mom was my cheerleader, my taste-tester, my assistant, and late night company while working on products. It’s difficult to sum up how much my mom has impacted my life and career. Just through her sacrifices, taking care of our family, and loving and nurturing us is beyond words. But if I took a stab at it I would say something has stuck with me, “to love many, trust few, but paddle your own canoe!”
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.
I’m a self taught baker. However, my background has entirely nothing to do with baking (lol). I was a legal assistant for 17 years. I worked for Follett Higher Education as the Course Curriculum Manager for the University of Mobile. I also have a degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from University of South Alabama, and numerous enriching job experiences.
I explored baking in 2003 while taking a cake decorating class at Michael’s Craft Store with a coworker. We would make cakes for our law firm and other firms in the building. One day I saw a show on HGTV with two ladies baking cookies out of their home. I thought that was pretty cool so I decided to give it a try. That’s when me and another co-worker decided to make cookies. Our first event was a youth football championship where we baked lots of cookies and took them to the game to sell. That whole box of cookies sold out which launched us into orders for other events. Looking back on those cookies from 2005, they “looked a hot mess!” However, everyone raved over them. Icing consistencies were off. The writing was horrible. What I know now from what I didn’t know then, looking back I’m surprised they sold!
The scripture comes to mind to never despise small beginnings! Fast forward, I am happy to say that I have a thriving cottage foods cookie business! I offer custom, hand decorated, themed cookies for all events. I specialize in weddings, birthdays, holidays, gifting, corporate events, and anything in between. I also teach cookie decorating and host parties. I am currently working on a subscription box so customers can receive delicious and beautifully decorated cookies right to their door.
I receive a lot of orders from customers coming to Pensacola, FL for various celebrations. They reach out to me through social media or email. When I ask how they heard about me, usually it’s through Google or my reviews. Out of town customers just want to know that “you got it handled” and they trust and expect that you will create something they will love. To date, everyone has been satisfied.
For those who do not live in Pensacola, Florida, no worries! I ship cookies! I have many customers across the country that reach out to place orders. I prepare the cookies, package them with care, and ship them out. It’s really an easy process.
What I think sets me apart from others is, I’m ME! I’m an original and there’s no one else like ME. Mind you, there are many talented cookie decorators in this world, but I can only speak for me. I bring my A-game, I research and am a lifetime learner, and I’m always happy to be your “kookie lady.”
What I’m most proud of is being organized. Running a business and wearing all the hats takes organization. From the front of the house to the back of the house, I’m that girl. I’m the admin, marketing director, design team, photographer, content creator, supply buyer, sales/production manager, customer service overseer, and clean up crew (just to name a few).
The main things I would want potential customers to know about my business are that I enjoy working with people, and I communicate well. It’s frustrating when you come across someone who doesn’t enjoy their job or that the necessary information for a smooth experience is not given. I would also say that the ordering process is easy-breezy, and my cookies are surprisingly delicious, per my customers. I say that because usually a decorated cookie is beautiful, but it tastes horrible! Not in my case!
Finally, I enjoy laughter. I humor myself by making funny reels and posts on my social media. It lets customers see my personality and attracts potential buyers. So if you enjoy looking at beautifully decorated cookie photos and videos and like to laugh, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I’ve always been employed full-time and ran my cookie business on the side. I would spend time daydreaming at work about the “what if” scenario. I often scratched out my business plan to see how I could leave my job but yet be profitable in a cookie business. I’d find myself at work thinking how bored I was and could be doing the thing that I love the most. We’ve all been there, right? I would often confess the scriptures: “Your gift will make room for you.” and that “God gives us the power to get wealth.”
As time went on and I kept contemplating my vision, life happened. My mother became ill and I became her caregiver. Things were okay in the beginning but she got worse and ended up on dialysis. I was still employed full-time and things started to shift. Finding reliable assistance while I was at work started to unravel. My mother wasn’t being cared for to the expectation that I required and that she deserved. One day while she was at dialysis, she had a stroke because too much water was removed from her body. She could not walk, move the left side of her body, sit up, or speak. I got a call at work that she was headed to the emergency room. What happened next was confirmation for me. I was asked, “Will you be coming back to work?” At that moment I knew my circumstance was not important to my employer and I made the subconscious decision that my employer was not more important than my family.
The good news is after my mother got out of the hospital she had zero deficits from the stroke. She could walk, stand, sit up, and speak. I altered my schedule so that I could now be with her the entire day that she required dialysis. I learned a lot by going and sitting with her. I learned her sessions were shorter than everyone else’s, her labs always came back with positive results. I started asking tons of questions and getting a second opinion, until she was able to get off of dialysis completely!
Fast forward, she is now at home and I am still working my full-time job and thinking about all the cookie orders I’ve turned down because of my full-time employment. We were paying mediocre caregivers, and were having too many issues with people not showing up or coming late. My mom said that she prayed about the situation and since I take such good care of her, she felt that if I could quit my job and be her full-time caregiver, she would be willing to compensate me. We sat down and worked out the details and within a few months I put in my resignation.
So now I had the best of both worlds. I was with my mother caring for her needs and building our bond, at the same time focusing on my cookie business and building a brand. I was now making more with cookies orders than working a full time job.
Looking over the timeline, I quit my job in November 2018 and the company filed bankruptcy and closed in November 2019. My mother passed away in October 2019. God already knew the end from the beginning! “Take care of your mom because her time is ending soon, leave that company because their time is ending soon too.” If you recall, 2020 is when the pandemic hit. There was no way that me or my mom would have been okay being separated at any point due to medical emergencies and doctor’s appointments.
James 1:4 says, “So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
In order to endure or be resilient, have faith and don’t give up on your dreams and visions. I am not here to say that it’s easy, and I’m not here to say that is too hard. But I’m a strong believer that what you make happen for others God makes happen for you!
How did you build your audience on social media?
How I initially built my audience on social media (Facebook initially) was through contests. For an entire year, I held a contest each month. It provided not only engagement but it also had a call to action. I gave away cookie platters and the latest trending treats.
I Googled monthly contest ideas and created a plan. Don’t make it overly complicated either. I’ve seen contests where you have to tag 10 people, go like all these different product pages, stand on your head and wiggle your nose.
Instagram is a little different, and I am still figuring out the algorithm. One thing is for certain, you have to be consistent on Instagram and the content you share is far different from what you would post on your Facebook timeline. Instagram is more “reel driven,” and Facebook is more “photo/story driven.”
I do find that creating content on the platform and saving it to your drafts makes the process easy. The challenge is to be disciplined enough to show up everyday post.
Contact Info:
- Website: kookiekraze.com
- Instagram: @kookiekraze_com
- Facebook: @kookiekraze.com/pensacola
- Email: kimberly@kookiekraze.com
Image Credits
Kimberly Simpson