We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Nicks recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ashley , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.

I believe Corporate America generally prioritizes their profits over the quality of the products they produce. Mass produced baked goods may use cheaper ingredients and preservatives to extend shelf life which ultimately compromises the taste and nutritional value.

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?

Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, Simply Lula is a bakery that specializes in Pie Flavored Cookies. Our goal is to provide high-quality and unique cookies that will satisfy the cravings of all cookie and pie lovers. Our menu includes various Pie Flavored Cookies, including Apple Pie, Pecan Pie, and Peach Cobbler. We also have a selection of Fresh homemade juices( Strawberry Tea & Berry Lemonade)
Recently, we released a new product named “Zoey Dougheys” which are bite-sized balls of sweet fluffy dough deep-fried and coated in our signature sweet mix. Zoey Dougheys are smaller than a golf ball and have a soft airy texture with a subtle crunch. They are paired with a 2oz. container of one of our pie flavored preserves of your choosing or you can get them tossed in our sweet mix only.
Throughout the year we offer seasonal flavors to keep our menu fresh and exciting! Our cookies are made from high-quality ingredients and baked fresh daily! We cater, ship, and deliver our cookies!

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

Yes, We sell our products on our site. we have not used Amazon or the other platforms just yet. Maybe one day!
Pros would be:

Increased Reach: E-commerce on those platforms would allow your bakery to reach customers beyond your local area, potentially nationwide or even globally.

Analytics and Marketing Tools: Many e-commerce platforms offer built-in analytics and marketing tools that would help you track sales, customer behavior, and optimize marketing efforts.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

Funny you ask, I often refer to this story when I have customers who seem interested but they mention they don’t eat “cooked fruit”

My bakery was apart of an Artisan Market and we sold out within the first two hours!
Within those two hours, I would notice a particular lady who would walk and browse the other businesses but she always stopped to see our table. We would speak to her each time she came around and ask if she had any questions about our products. She’d say she had no questions and basically stare at all of the products on the table. Finally, The last time she circled by, we were just about sold out of everything so I came from behind the table and approached her. I mentioned to her that I noticed she had circled around to my table quite a few times so I asked her what was it that was catching her attention about my bakery. She stated “ I am absolutely baffled about you selling pie flavored cookies! The weird thing about it is that, Well, I don’t eat cooked fruit but your products look so delicious! They literally look like mini versions of Pies! I said yes ma’am, they are!
I created them so that after you have your main meal you don’t feel so guilty for consuming an entire slice of pie. You’d be able to have more than one flavor and not have to waste any.
She replied” Oh wow! That’s Genius! I love it!”
I said I know you stated you’re not a cooked fruit consumer but how about you give it a try and give me your honest opinion on what you think about them? We’re almost sold out and I’d love for you to get a chance to experience them. She said “Ok, sure, I give it a shot.”
She tried them, She LOVED them, and she is now one of my most returning customers. She has them for all of her events, she provides them as gifts, and she has also had us do some birthday parties for her!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.simplylulabakery.com
• Instagram: https://Www.instagram.com/Simplylulabakery
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimplyLULA