We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth Kennedy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Elizabeth, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

In 2017, I wanted to start up a baking side hustle and began taking orders and baking from my home. I never would have dreamed of the possibilities that this side hustle would create. Earlier this year, I was presented the opportunity of opening up a bakery in my hometown. I have always dreamt of opening up a bakery since I was a little girl. When I was presented this opportunity, many emotions came over me such as fear, excitement, and anxiousness. I began to think of the risks that came into play. Where would the money come from? Where do I even start? Will I be successful? As these questions came, I began praying about the idea of taking this big risk. I prayed that God would open the doors if this was the right thing to do and to have people in place to help me along the way. If this was the wrong thing to do, I would ask Him to close the door. He did not close the door. He has provided me with the resources and people that I have needed to help me every step along the way. I would not be where I am today if it were not for Him!

Elizabeth, 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’ve always enjoyed being in the kitchen since I was little. I can remember when I was a little girl, I was often in the kitchen with either my parents or my grandmother. We would make all sorts of things like my dad’s homemade bbq sauce, cookies with my grandma, and dinner each night with my mom. I am so thankful for them. They have made me who I am today. .

My favorite childhood memory is helping my grandma or my dad in the kitchen. I have always had a desire to cook and bake. When I was young, my grandma taught me so many things from baking cookies and cakes to all types of other desserts. My dad taught me how to make his homemade bbq sauce that had been served in his family’s restaurant years ago. He also showed me how to make his amazing spaghetti sauce.

As I got older, I wanted to branch out into baking on my own. I created the business Sweet Pea’s. The name Sweet Pea’s came from my grandma. Her nickname for me was always “Sweet Pea.” I knew right away that was going to be the name for my business.

Sweet Pea’s is a small business located in Glennville, GA. I have been baking out of my home for almost six years. I specialize in cakes, but I also offer cookies, cupcakes, and other sweet treats. The business is flexible to meet the needs of my customers. Over the years, I have expanded my menu to offer other sweet treats such as cheesecakes, pies, and macarons. Fast forward to today: I am in the renovation process of opening up my dream bakery in my hometown which will offer light breakfast and lunch fare along with specialty drinks.

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

In the beginning, social media and word of mouth were my only sources of advertising and these kept me busy enough while I was in college and into my first year as a college graduate. Then about a year ago, I had a friend reach out to me after she had been published in the Savannah Voyage. She had mentioned my business to the Savannah Voyage who then reached out to me for an interview. Little did I know that her recommending me to the magazine would grow my business even more. Since then, I have had multiple orders from not only people who know me, but also from people who have never met me. I have been so thankful that I have had so much support from all of my customers.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I first started my business, I began posting on my personal Facebook page. I had family members share my posts, and I started building a clientele base. I would post pictures of orders that I had done to create interest in my products. Since then, my best friend has helped me with marketing on my social media pages. Together we make a great team in coming up with captions, eye-catching photos, and seasonal menus.

The advice that I would give someone who is just beginning to build their social media presence is to make your posts or videos inviting. By doing this you are making your audience want to follow your page and want to see what you will come up with next.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetpeasabakery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetpeasabakery/

Image Credits
Briana Corlee owner of (Briana Roses Photography) took the photo of the heart cake with the champagne and flowers.