We recently connected with Amy Tackitt and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, thanks for joining us today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

I have to say that I have been incredibly blessed lately as I continue to grow and change personally and in my small business life. In May, I participated in the Boerne Handmade Market which happens twice a year and you have to apply and get selected. Before the market took place, one of the leaders of the market, Tiffany, had reached out and asked if they could feature some of my brittle (along with a few other vendors) for their segment on KSAT 12’s SA Live show! Of course I said yes, and it was surreal seeing my product on TV. Little did I know that a few weeks later, a host from SA Live reached out to me personally and asked me to do my very own segment on their show. I was super nervous, but I went alone, set up some of my best selling goodies and was able to tell some of my story to viewers in the San Antonio area. It actually aired on June 23rd. I am still just in shock that I was on TV. I am so grateful for the opportunity and just love cooking and baking for people.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Amy Tackitt, and I am the owner of Two Oaks Culinary, a small business in Wilson County that makes all sorts of baked goods, brittle and now venturing into the world of meal prep and small catering. I have a deep love and affinity for all things food and drink and I am constantly learning and trying new things so I can be a better baker, better chef, and just a better version of myself than I was yesterday. I had spent almost 20 years in the banking and finance world and decided a few years ago to make the jump and follow my true passion: food. In that 20 years, I married, had two amazing daughters, finished my associates and bachelors degree in business and most recently, obtained a second bachelors degree in food science & technology from Kansas State.

My roots in food run deep with my family as my grandmother and parents were always gardening and we had fresh vegetables and fruits growing up. We didn’t appreciate it as much then because we had to help tend that garden and pick weeds and water…but now I am so grateful and love getting some of my parents homegrown veggies today! I have many of my grandmother’s handwritten recipes including her chocolate pecan fudge and other treats such as divinity and strawberry pie. I will continue to use her recipes when I can and cherish those memories of her.

When you open a bag of brittle, or have a bite of cake or a meal that I had prepared, my hope is that you not only taste the ingredients and flavors, but the love put into it. My daughters ask me often…don’t you get tired of cooking and baking?!? My answer is always the same. I do get tired, but never get tired of cooking and baking. It is something I absolutely love to do and now that I have my little shop space and kitchen, it has become my sanctuary.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I want to ensure that all of my clients are happy with any orders they receive and I ask for any feedback, good or bad. My phone number is listed on my website and social media as well as email so I am easily accessible by text, call, email. My goal is to get back to clients within an hour or less if able. Sometimes emergencies arise I do my best to step up and do what I can to help.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I was baking cakes and cookies at home under the Texas Cottage Law and then began making brittle. The brittle business began to get bigger than what my home kitchen could handle and I had a friend who allowed me to use his offsite kitchen so I could make brittle in a bigger scale. I made the decision to use some of my retirement savings and invest in myself and a small building on some property owned by my father in law. We renovated the 1200 sqft building and made it my small commercial kitchen and I worked hard to get it certified by the county and I am now baking and brittle and doing new things as well as my full time job! I started my website so now you can order brittle and have it shipped.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.twooaksculinary.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twooaksculinary/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twooaksculinary