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

Shaleena, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

You have to be passionate about whatever it is that you’re doing, because that passion will keep you focused, especially during the difficult times of when you want to give up. There will be long days, late nights and early mornings. You will miss out on social gatherings. It may take time for you to see your business make a profit.

You also have to remember your why. Why did you start the business? What are your goals? How often are you evaluating your goals, and are you setting new ones consistently?

How you engage and interact with your clients is important to your success. Customer service and quality products are the top priorities for my bakery. I need to ensure that I deliver a quality baked good, along side a positive client experience.

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 background and context?

My name is Shaleena Lott, and I am the Owner and Baker at Brins Baking Boutique. I have a Master of Science Degree in Psychology, and was a mental health therapist for over 10 years. I also have a background in Real Estate sales.

I began Brins in October 2021, shortly after my 5 year old son recovered from Covid. While working in corporate America, I realized that the work/life balance was nonexistent, especially when I needed to care for my son, who has Autism, while he was recovering from Covid.

I launched my bakery online, via social media on October 15, 2021. My middle name is Brinae, and my mom was the only person who called me Brin, so that’s where the name originated. When I launched my social media pages, I didn’t tell anyone about my business, because I wanted the following to grow organically. I know that people will decide to support you, or not support you based upon who you are, without actually trying out your product for themselves.

I started with custom orders for Bundt cakes and cookies for the first few months, and began vending at a local farmers market 5 months after launching. At that time, only 1 market in the area would allow me to be a vendor, because the other markets were full.

By May 2022, I stepped out on faith, and resigned from my corporate position. Within a week of resigning, markets began contacting me, asking if I could be a vendor at their event. I am now a regular vendor at 7 different markets, and have the opportunity to interact with my clients weekly.

My bakery specializes in Baby Bundt cakes, where I offer a wide variety of cakes each week. I take pride in the product that I offer to my clients each week, and the quality ingredients that are used. I put a lot of work into the presentation of my product, because I want to offer a full visual and tasting experience for my clients.

I’m proud of how much the bakery has grown in such a short time. I went from launching, without anyone knowing who I am, or what I offer, to having a weekly client base that search for me at the local markets, which I’m so thankful for. My clients are my Bundt Besties, and I’m humbled by the support and love that they show me.

My commitment to my brand and my clients is to always give the best experience possible! That sometimes means minimal sleep, and declining social event invites, but that’s the current cost of brand building right now. Unfortunately, my grandmother, who was my biggest supporter passed away in April 2022, so she was unable to see bakery expand into our current markets, but I saw her work hard for her family, and the pride that she had for her work that she produced. Her strength and work ethic is the blueprint for which I follow.

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

Fun fact: I am NOT a professional baker! I did not attend culinary or pastry school. I’ve learned to bake via trial and error.

Baking became a side hustle after I made a Moscato Bundt cake for my husbands birthday party in August 2019, and our friends tasted it. Within days, people were asking me to bake that cake for them. By October of 2019, people were asking for me to bake their desserts for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

After 2 1/2 years of it being a side hustle, it officially became a business, with the Moscato cake being the #1 seller, and is on the menu as The Signature flavor.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When I launched Brins, I worked a full time job as a residential home sales agent, so my income financed the business initially. My family has gifted me baking pans and utensils as Christmas and Birthday gifts. The earnings that are made from the bakery, go directly into the bakery.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brinsbaking.com
• Instagram: @brinsbakingboutique
• Facebook: @brinsbaking
• Yelp: Brins Baking Boutique

Image Credits
Personal Photo-Photos by Titus