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

Chrisshele, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

“Chrisshele, this is so good, you should sell this!” “If you truly enjoy it, why not start a business?” I would hear that phrase or question many times before I finally pushed myself forward. I have always enjoyed baking. Since I was a kid and my mom would let me in the kitchen with her, I was baking. I even have an old picture on my website from many Christmases ago cutting out sugar cookies in my grandmother’s kitchen. Besides just loving sweets, I realized that I am truly happy when I am in the kitchen creating. I call the kitchen my lab because baking is definitely a science and you’ll see some interesting chemical reactions if you mix too much or too little of the wrong ingredient.

I started my home-based baking business because my family & close friends believed I could, pushed me to take the leap, and because I really enjoy making people happy through food. Seeing someone’s face light up or do a little dance because that bite tasted so good makes me smile from ear-to-ear. I hold my breath when people are in front of me until they give me a thumbs up. I’ve always loved baking and would be the one to bake for any party or gathering. Over the last few years, I expanded my palette from the basics after watching all of the wonderful creations that come from the Food Network. I do consider myself to be great at following recipes and a keen sense of the flavors most enjoy. Whenever I’d try something new, I would make sure someone tasted it and it would always be a hit.

As I kept adding desserts to my repertoire, I felt more comfortable putting them out there for people to enjoy. I thought it would be more difficult than it has to start this business but it wasn’t. I was determined to get things going and to do it right. I modeled my business after what I want to see from bakers and I did a lot of research on what was in my area. As we were coming out of the pandemic lockdown, I created a social media presence and the looked into the requirements for my website. I researched shipping costs so my desserts could reach my family and friends in California. I thought a lot about packaging which brought out the observation that many bakers offered individually wrapped items. Light bulb went off and that’s where my focus was. With everyone now more focused on germs, I wanted to be sure that I presented something that all could enjoy without worrying about contamination. I also paid attention to the desserts that weren’t marketed as much which brought me to brownies and madeleines. They do not seem like they would go together but sweet treats, no matter the category, always win! I started with classic chocolate brownies and almond madeleines, perfecting my recipes over the years. My offerings have grown to several different kinds of brownies and madeleines along with mini pound cake loaves, blondies, cookies, and baked donuts. I love being in the kitchen and creating something new. I get excited when I master a new flavor or just find a baking pan on sale!

Chrisshele, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Chrisshele Griffin, first name is pronounced Chris-Shell, and I was born and raised in Southern California. I made my way over to Dallas, Texas in 2015 to try something new. I have always enjoyed baking. Since I was a kid and my mom would let me in the kitchen with her, I was baking. I even have an old picture on my website from many Christmases ago cutting out sugar cookies in my grandmother’s kitchen. Besides just loving sweets, I realized that I am truly happy when I am in the kitchen creating.

For many years throughout high school and college, I stayed true to my old faithful desserts of sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies and sometimes 7Up pound cake when my grandmother would let me help her. But my dessert type and flavor palette has expanded since dove into the world of Food Network especially with the help of social media. I saved a picture of every beautiful dessert I saw or the ones that looked like you could smell them through your phone. I wanted to eat them up but more so, I wanted to learn how to make them. I pulled recipes for everything and from and a lot of bakers and I created. It got to the point where my taste testers, family & friends, just said sell them. We know what you make is good and people will enjoy them!

I feel like I have met the challenge of providing more individually wrapped choices for people to choose from. While you can purchase my desserts by the dozen, I have individually wrapped everything so they can be shared or placed in the freezer to eat later. I fell in love with clear packaging because I want to showcase what I have made and I want people to see exactly what they are getting. We eat with our eyes first so I want to draw you in.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

I sell my products on my website. For me, when researching how to start the business, I knew I wanted to have a website for people to shop on. I had no idea what the site would look like, but I have shopped online enough to know I needed to have pictures, descriptions, a cart feature and multiple payment options available. I viewed many bakers and other small business owners’ pages and I wrote down what I liked and disliked, and took note of what I did not want. A previous side hustle brought me back to Square and I knew I could collect payments through them. I was still unsure of how to showcase my products until I kept reading what they had to offer. I found Square to be a one-stop shop for me. I was able to build a website easily, upload my own pictures, choose my color scheme and most importantly, accept payments.

Additionally, because social media is tied to everything you search for, I started researching how to best take pictures of my desserts. I found someone offering a free webinar on taking pictures of food and editing. I then invested in equipment like a light box that helps me black out shadows. I knew this was a passion for me because it was all I could think about. I stayed up many nights trying to figuring out what else I could do to stand out and update what I currently had. I learned the hard way that you do have to get your rest as I am still working a regular job. I almost missed an important deadline from oversleeping because I was exhausted.

The best thing about selling on my own website is that I have full control on what I offer, the quantity and the prices. I can run a sale whenever I feel like it. I do not have to worry about meeting a quota to keep a product live on my website.

The downside of having your own website is that you have to maintain it or hire someone to do it for you. Square does have built-in marketing but you are still the person that has to initiate it and when it goes out to your customers and/or followers. Even though it takes more work to schedule in website maintenance, I enjoy it!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for me has been putting myself out in my community to be seen at different vendor events or pop-up shops. Of course, word of mouth is always the best, I just love it when someone tells me that their coworker shared some treats with them and now they are placing an order. But there is something about the face-to-face contact I have with new people each and every time I vend at an event. Like I mentioned before, I smile really big when someone takes a bite of my desserts and enjoys it. I stand behind everything I bake but it feels awesome when others confirm.

My goal this year is to be present at many more events so I can continue to build a strong clientele and embark on repeat business. I have already booked two Juneteenth festivals and looking to add another. I offer to anyone looking to be part of these types of events, find out exactly what you will need and be ready. It takes more than just a six-foot table and tablecloth. Follow other business owners and check out their setups then research the costs of the equipment you will need. Don’t overload yourself with too much because you want to make sure your product shines and that you don’t have too much to break down at the end of the event.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mschrissbakes.com
• Instagram: mschrissbakes
• Facebook: MsChriss BAKES

Image Credits

Personal Photo of me in the park was taken by Matthew Hargrove
Professional headshot in the black polo was taken by Ericka Fajardo
Picture of me sitting behind my display table was taken by Tyra Longcrier