We recently connected with Hailee Carter and have shared our conversation below.
Hailee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
As an entrepreneur, I often find myself making the untraditional choice in life with one driving factor: happiness. ‘On the Horizon’ is a brand that represents all those who steer off the beaten path and create their own story.
After selling my house and first brick-and-mortar location in March of 2021, I spent the following year evaluating how to move forward personally and professionally. With the goal of exploring new places and experiencing new aspirations, I bought a cargo van for the purpose of converting the vehicle into a livable space, while simultaneously purchasing an aluminum cargo trailer for the purpose of converting the tow-behind into a mobile commercial kitchen. Together, the two granted the flexibility and freedom to travel and bake, while sharing my story and pastries with many along the way.
The creativity I find in rustic antiques, plants and gardening, painting and crafting, books, baking, hiking, and much, much more speak to my passions and the lifestyle I adore. ‘On the Horizon’ is all about bringing the outdoors in; baking in a food truck and living in a van allows me to immerse myself in nature as much as possible while operating a licensed and sanitary kitchen all over the State of Maine. Becoming ‘Hailee On the Horizon’ has given me the opportunity to explore different revenue streams and inspire people I may have never met otherwise. When not wearing an apron, kneading a batch of my community-famous cinnamon rolls in the mobile bakery, I can often be found soaking up some sunshine with my dogs, Clyde and Daisy Mae. While developing and executing the concept of a mobile personal and professional life is not easy, my brand, ‘On the Horizon’, is a vibrant example of how unexpected changes can lead to great happiness and success!
Hailee, 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?
While ‘Happiness is always On the Horizon’, resiliency is the key to reaching it.
I have always loved to bake and growing up I used to tell folks that I would own my own bakery one day. As I grew up, the opportunity to seek a profession as a baker was not something that seemed possible in my community. All local bakeries closed due to economics etc. and the concept of learning to run a business rather than a kitchen sounded more financially stable. Despite being an over-achieving student, I found myself dropping out of college twice with no clue as to what I wanted for my future. Being artistic with so many different interests, I became a licensed cosmetologist and yet, felt bored and unsatisfied. Reaching toward another ambition, I contacted a recruiter, and at 23 years old I returned home from active-duty military service with physical injuries that required rehabilitation. Over the next few years, I worked a corporate dental insurance position, finished college, bought my first house, built the foundation for a family, and realized how unhappy I was. The one activity that brought clarity and passion to my day was baking; something I had done with my grandmother since I was old enough to hold the measuring cup.
Now, On the Horizon Bakery operates as a mobile food truck selling pastries and desserts via window service directly to consumers in town, fulfills private orders such as multitiered cakes requested for special events, actively offers wholesale to local small businesses and massive oceanside restaurants, travels and participates in fairs, festivals, and private events state-wide in Maine, and does so as a one woman workforce who truly loves On the Horizon and everything the brand stands for. Folks seek out On the Horizon Bakery because of the intimate thought contributed to each order, whether it be the personal delivery by myself, as the owner and baker, or the specific requested details of the product purchased. Despite being one individual, I am proud of the care and commitment I provide to every email inquiry, constructive criticism shared, and smiling, hungry face at my mobile bakery window. As On the Horizon grows, I want all customers, followers, and fans of ‘Hailee On the Horizon’ to know confidently that I aim to always uphold the highest level of customer service and continue to share the happiness of my mobile bakery with those who are interested and inspired.
You never know what your future holds. Soak in the moment and always strive for your best. I believe it is important for folks to remember to stay resilient; continue to try new things and be open to change until they find their Happiness On the Horizon.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Pivoting will always be a crucial piece to operating a successful business.
I first launched On the Horizon under a different name, intending for the bakery to be a part-time hobby. Baking was a therapeutic outlet that allowed me to be creative and connect to a piece of myself that had been missing in the “suburban lifestyle” I believed I was supposed to be striving toward. Looking for some financial assistance to continue, I began construction on a small brick-and-mortar located on the front lawn of my residential property in downtown. This was to act as a storefront for goods to be sold to the community once a week. In 2020, the Covid pandemic brought my corporate employment to an end so I launched the bakery as a full-time business that Fall. Unable to keep up with demand and limited due to restrictions set in place by City Code Enforcement and the pandemic, foot traffic slowed as the Maine Winter arrived. I had built this business that I was unprepared for and could not support independently. Feeling stuck and stressed, my personal life suffered and I opted to sell my house and I close the doors to my business.
Over the next two years I rebuilt my business and brand, attempting to focus on work-life balance. Knowing that commercial real estate was financially unrealistic and lacking the confidence to commit to a lease, I brainstormed a concept that would allow me to invest in my own form of equity. My goal was to separate my personal and professional space to the best of my ability and by building an independently owned food truck, I would never be financially forced to sell my commercial kitchen based on On the Horizon’s level of success.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Funding On the Horizon Bakery has been and continues to be a personal and professional investment. Some founders will insist that the mark of a successful company is the ability to change ownership while not disrupting profit margins; that if you market yourself on a personal level, you will never be able to sell your company for what it is worth because without you, the value of your company depreciates. I believe this to be true depending on your company’s goals and demographics. Marketing myself as ‘Hailee On the Horizon’ has put me in the unique position of not only owning and operating a business, but becoming the business. Folks invest in On the Horizon because they wish to invest in me; On the Horizon is not just a mobile bakery but a personal brand, and one that I never intend to sell.
When I first began financially investing in On the Horizon, it was as a different entity with different goals to coincide with my relevant day job and current geographic location. Paycheck by paycheck, I literally invested my own blood, sweat, and tears into my first storefront. I learned to frame walls, built onto my existing electrical knowledge, sanded, painted, insulated, and still developed a menu, researched and lugged equipment, and kept my own books. The brick-and-mortar was constructed on my residential property, meaning if I were to ever sell my property, I would theoretically get a personal return on my investment. Upon eventually doing so, I used that return to invest back into my business by purchasing a trailer, construction materials, and kitchen equipment to build out my ‘mobile bakery food truck’.
Throughout 2021 and 2022, construction and marketing of On the Horizon became my main focus. With my cargo van already purchased and waiting to be converted into the DIY camper van I envisioned living and traveling in, I made the personally difficult choice to postpone my adventures, seek local employment in a relatable career field, and continue to invest personal funds into the remaining construction costs of the mobile bakery. Being a single female in my twenties with two dogs and an empty van, funds became limited but I was determined to own my business with no financial debt to family, friends, or lenders. With my newly obtained job as a baker/cook/barista at one of the only cafes in town, I continued posting pictures of my creations on social media (with the owner’s permission of course) and quickly gained popularity for products I had originally not advertised available through On the Horizon Bakery. Folks began coming into the cafe to purchase products baked by ‘Hailee On the Horizon,’ the young girl who loves her dogs, the outdoors, and ventures in her van. Despite being transparent about my lack of cake decorating, private orders began pouring into On the Horizon’s inbox, followed by requests for wholesale products for local restaurants. Before I realized, I was a full-time daily employee at a cafe that I not only helped bring business to, but a cafe that supported my personal and professional endeavors as ‘Hailee On the Horizon’. And during every spare opportunity between work and construction, I was baking special orders, pumping every penny straight into the final touches of my mobile bakery.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.onthehorizon207.com
- Instagram: onthehorizon207
- Facebook: onthehorizon207
- Other: linktree – linktr.ee/hailee.onthehorizon Youtube and TikTok soon.