We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brooke ODell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brooke below.

Brooke, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Being a business owner is not for the faint of heart. I have heard that phrase my whole life. It’s similar to hearing the phrase “c-section” and not fully understanding the layers and complications of having a major surgery, you just know that the end result is a precious baby. Being a business owner of a small independent retailer who has survived a world shutdown and COVID-19 in the midst of one of our worst recessions, plus physically relocating and expanding a business is another fun event all in itself. I wonder to myself daily what it might be like to have a job I can walk away from at the end of the day, a job that doesn’t demand round-the-clock attention, stress, emails, questions, problem-solving.
But, at the end of my day, I also wonder how others feel fulfilled from a job that they leave behind, one that doesn’t involve being able to see and interact with customers and friends daily, one that doesn’t involve a world of creativity that allows me to dream and create anything I can imagine, a job that doesn’t involve hearing voices of little ones giggle and sing regularly, a job that doesn’t allow me to feel like I am fully stepping into my purpose as a human and believer.
Happy and hard can go hand-in-hand. There are elements of my job that bring me pure joy, but that doesn’t take away the hard that also comes every day. There are elements of my business where I am still figuring things out years later and still trying to make my foundation stronger. There are challenges we face daily as a small business, but I get to face those challenges with an amazing team, a group of friends, mentors, advisors, and the most supportive family anyone could ask for. A regular job would be….regular. I’ve always been one to surpass vanilla.

Brooke, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was once described as a “renaissance woman who uses buttercream and whimsy as the tools of my decadent trade”. I am a dreamer at heart and to my core. I left a great corporate job when I had my oldest son, now 17, to be a stay-at-home mom. Not knowing how I would make an income, I picked up a cake decorating book and after 11 years of being a home-based cake artist, I purchased Sugar Drop in Brentwood, Tennessee. Sugar Drop was around for over 50 years by the time I purchased and I am the fourth owner of the brand. After a complete overhaul of the physical property and brand concept, we became a one-stop retailer and bakery. We have a private events space where we teach classes and host events. We have a full-service bakery providing a line of family recipes all handmade. We are also a retailer selling everything from cake and cookie supplies to paper products and gift items. We are a unicorn of a business model. In 2020, we moved to our new location and expanded our blueprint by 700 feet. Our location allows you to feel like a kid in a candy store, from the glitter floors and candy chandeliers to sprinkle countertops and disco ball ceilings. We recently expanded to offer a line of apparel, accessories, and cake toppers that are all original designs handmade in Tennessee.
My goal is to help provide a respite from reality. Whether you are taking a class or enjoying our 125-year-old family recipe lemon bars, we want to be the best at what we do, but bring back that inner childlike spirit and wonder when you step into our doors. Our parties are designed for families to walk in and celebrate and we have taken care of all of the details. Our classes and events allow students of all ages to come and have fun and learn a new skill without any fuss or stress. Our shop is filled with special brands we have curated that help support other small businesses, particularly women-owned businesses, that all have a bit of whimsy.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The week before the world shutdown in 2020, I met with an advisor. She told me that if the world shut down, it would be my time as a creative to shine. We talked of how big businesses who were used to pumping out money without ever having to reinvent the wheel might struggle, but for creatives, it was a great time to pull out all of the stops to show off our brand. The following week as I was walking into my store solo, not knowing how I would pay my rent or keep my doors open, it was all I could do to not throw myself a pity party. And so I created our Pitty Party Box. This box was filled with a set of cookies inspired by the chaos around us in the shape of toilet paper, rubber gloves, a wine bottle, poop emoji, and a sad face. It contained a bag of balloons labeled, “This blows”, a lollipop that read, “This sucks”, and a small confetti cannon popper to use as needed. We ended up shipping out Pitty Party boxes nationwide. Stepping into the hardship with humor was therapeutic for us and allowed us to help send joy to others during a very hard time.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

We are very grassroots with our business brand. Purchasing and taking over a brand came with its challenges, but making it my own has been a long labor of love. The brand did not have a great reputation when I purchased it it was known for having staff that was generally not kind or helpful and very outdated. My main goal with our store was to make it feel like a haven for customers of all ages, especially little ones who dream of being bakers or business owners one day. We have worked hard to find ways to continually give back to our community, to set high standards with our product and any Sugar Drop item or experience, so that guests leave but can’t wait to come back. Are we perfect? No. But, we do our best to kindly work with others in our community and I believe that is what has helped us to have a sweet reputation in our community and keep our doors open.

Contact Info:

• Website: sugardrop.com
• Instagram: @sugardroptn
• Facebook: Sugardroptn
• Linkedin: Sugardroptn
• Youtube: Sugar Drop TN
• Yelp: Sugar Drop