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

Carolyn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?

The most innovative thing that I have done in life is to become an Author. It had always been a lifelong dream of mine to write a Texas Cookbook, and a children’s book. For ten years, I jotted down ideas in a spiral notebook. When I turned 70. I decided that I better get busy on my cookbook. I hardly knew how to operate a computer. I was 68 before I got my first computer. I was determined to learn how to design a unique cookbook. I did all of my artwork, designs, photographs, collages, and typing. I also designed my covers for both books.

I always tell people to never give up on their dreams. If I can do it, you can do it.

A Texas Gal Cooks Cookbook received “Best of Texas Cookbook in 2018. My Children’s book, “Granny Ozarks Treats” also received “First Place on cover design in 2019. These were from The Texas Association of Authors. My cookbook was also chosen to be in The Texas Museum of Authors in Austin, Texas.

Carolyn, 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 am a very creative person, and love to do decorative food. A Texas Gal Cooks Cookbook has given me so many great opportunities. I love being able to share my recipes all over the world with others. I encourage people on my website to contact me if they need a special recipe or help with any type cooking problem, to reach out to me. I have even walked people through how to cook pumpkin pie, or other recipes in my book. I have stayed on the phone and taken the amateur cooks through the whole recipe. I love to help others, and that makes me different than some other businesses. I am retired and that gives me time to be a hands-on person with my books.

I Have had so many opportunities being an Author. I have been invited to sell my books at The State Fair of Texas. I have been invited by women’s clubs to demonstrate cooking, and also making gift baskets.

I have a website-atexasgalcooks.com I have recipes on the site, and a place to ask questions regarding my books and recipes. The books can be purchased on the web site also.

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

I like to use my website to market my books. There, I can put recipes, hints for cooking. and photographs of my recipes. I also have a blog section for questions and answers. I use it for someone looking for an old recipe that they had as a child from a parent or relative. They fondly remember the food but did not acquire the recipe. I like to relate to my customers. I like to tell them about food gifts and food gift baskets.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I live in a small town, where everybody knows everybody. I always am carrying food to people I always had a reputation as a “great cook” My friends were all so proud that I was writing a cookbook.
We have a fall festival ln October. It is The Cotton Harvest Festival; I was thinking positive with my cookbook being finished right before the festival. I took a big risk and ordered a lot of books. I was also selling at the State Fair of Texas for the first time, so I was hoping to sell a good many books there also. What a thrill, when I had my table set up and my books out at the Cotton Harvest Festival, there was a line of customers all the way down the street to buy my book. I also sold a lot of books at the Fair. Whew!!! There I was all worried and I had to reorder books.

I also won First Place at the cake baking contest there at the Cotton Harvest Festival. I made a red velvet with cream cheese icing. I did the icing in an orange color and decorated it like a pumpkin patch.

Contact Info:

• Website: atexasgalcooks.com
• Instagram: [email protected]
• Facebook: Carolyn Stovall
• Linkedin: [email protected]
• Twitter: [email protected]
• Youtube: [email protected]
• Yelp: [email protected]

Image Credits
Sanjeewani Gunathilaka, my illustrator from Siri Lanka. Sanjeewan illustrated my children’s book” Granny Ozarks Treats ” She is an amazing illustrator. We became very best friends while we were working on the book together.