We recently connected with Jacqueline Weber and have shared our conversation below.

Jacqueline, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I always knew deep down that I wanted to own a business one day. More specifically, I dreamt of owning a bakery. However, I never felt like it was really in the cards for me and was instead something that I would daydream about often. I jumped from job to job for years attempting to find the right fit for me, but nothing ever stuck. I knew that I needed to be doing something creative and fulfilling but most importantly, I knew that my purpose was to make other people happy. I found an office job that would at least allow me to help people, but other than that, it was not meeting any of my needs and I became a miserable version of myself. Before I knew it, we were in a global pandemic and I began working from home. I immediately knew that I needed to make some significant changes at that point but was unsure on how to navigate doing so. I began baking on my lunch breaks and as soon as I would clock out of work just as a little stress reliever. It became such a wonderful creative outlet for me and quickly became something that I would look forward to every single day. I began delivering free baked goods to friends and family during that time to try to spread some positivity. It was such a great feeling to pour myself into something that I love doing and then be able to share it with others. One day it hit me and I knew that this is what I wanted to do with my life, so I started planning!

I started off by treating myself to a professional baking class because let’s face it, I knew that I had some natural talent but I had no idea what I was actually doing or how to even get started. Honestly, that class was the best gift that I could have ever given myself! Like I mentioned earlier, this was during the pandemic so in-person classes were not an option and I was limited to learning online which of course comes with its own territory of issues. I not only learned a lot baking-wise from that class, but it also helped me to be better at problem solving and working independently.

Once I had an understanding of the basics, I came up with a to do list and business plan. First on my list was nailing down a business name and getting a logo made. I was very inspired by my grandma and wanted to base my business on my memories of her. My grandma was an extremely gifted baker, but sadly she passed away when I was in kindergarten. We unfortunately never got to bake together, but I like to think that she’s in the kitchen with me now. My business is not only named after her, but my logo and entire design were all thoughtfully created with her in mind. I knew that I wanted my menu to have a nostalgic feel as well and have my grandma’s stamp of approval, so I got to work on that right away.

I developed my own recipes for sugar cookies, drop style cookies, cupcakes, and dessert breads. Once I felt like they were perfected, I began offering custom sugar cookies and treats through my personal social media pages. I wanted to get comfortable with the idea of charging for my baking services, so I started small and only worked with people who I personally knew. Once I got over the anxiety of charging for my edible creations, I knew it was time to tackle my entire business to-do list and put my dream into motion. I completed all of the necessary certifications for my baking business and then created my business social media pages, ordered business cards and participated in a few pop-up shops. It was such a rush and I finally had that feeling of fulfillment that I had been chasing for years. That’s when I became confident in what I was doing and really believed in myself.

I knew that I wanted to keep doing pop-up shops and events moving forward, so I reached out to several farmers markets in the area and started small. There were definitely some learning curves and hurdles to jump, but I learned so much in my first season and am so happy that I did things the way that I did. I made some mistakes along the way, but that is the best way to learn in my personal opinion.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi, my name is Jacqueline and I created Junie Pie’s Baking Company in 2020. I started dabbling in baking as a hobby but have always been very creative and inventive when it comes to desserts. I have always enjoyed combining different flavors to reach a new, almost undiscovered territory in baked goods while still having a sense of nostalgia. My main goal in baking is to help others taste happiness. I use high quality ingredients and will not release a new product/recipe until I am 100% satisfied with it. I offer a huge selection of different treats at farmers markets and events; my menu rotates weekly but always includes jumbo cookies, decorated sugar cookies, dessert breads and sometimes loaded cupcakes or other various treats. I do have a few staples on my menu that make it to the markets every single week, but everything else rotates for the most part. I think that having such a unique selection of goodies to choose from is so special and really stands out. I have something for everyone!

I also have a permanent menu available for custom orders. That is a great option for anyone who prefers to stick to the classics and/or does not enjoy a weekly rotating menu. I offer custom order pickups locally in Madison Heights, MI as well as at my farmers markets during the summer and fall. You can find me at the Troy Farmers Market every Friday from 11-3 (June-September) as well as the New Baltimore Farmers Market every Sunday from 9-2 (May-October). I also have pop-up events scheduled in the Detroit Metro area throughout the year and always post where I will be on my social media pages.

One of my most popular sellers are my hand decorated sugar cookies. I often hear that my cookies are “too pretty to eat” to which I always reply, “but they are too delicious to not eat”. My cookies are not only baked with love, but also decorated with so much detail and care. I am a self-taught cookie decorator and have learned strictly through trial and error. I have learned so much over the years that I now even teach classes! I teach cookie decorating classes locally at cake supply shops and eventually plan on offering at home classes and decorating parties. Cookie decorating truly is a labor of love and it takes me days to complete a cookie design from start to finish. I tend to book up very quickly for custom cookie orders as I cannot take on as much as I would like to since they are so time consuming. For anyone wanting to book, please do it as far in advance as possible. As of now I ask for a minimum notice of two weeks (when booking is available). I truly dislike having to say no, so please plan ahead so I can bake for you. Trust me, I would love to create something magical for you! I am unable to ship at this time and all orders must be picked up locally in Madison Heights, MI.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Baking definitely started as a “side-hustle” for me and it took me a few years to fully commit to strictly working independently. I kept a full-time job for as long as I could manage juggling both. I eventually took on part-time supplemental work instead, but that even became impossible to handle on top of my little baking business. It was a very tough decision to make and I was scared to take the leap, but I’m so happy that I did. It was really intimidating to me to only have one source of income and I was very stressed that it would not work out or that my business would not head in the right direction. However, focusing solely on my business helped it grow even more and I’m so proud of how far it’s come. I was able to take on monthly corporate orders, more custom orders, and add even more events to my schedule. It still amazes me that I get to do this for a living and love my job so much.

My baking business is still growing and I’m excited to see where it goes. I am hoping to have a food truck in the near future and will continue to work toward that goal. I have the most wonderful customer base and am constantly thrilled to be a part of everyone’s lives through the power of baking. I can’t wait to be able to offer even more for everyone!

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

Word of mouth can either make you or break you, so I follow one simple rule: treat every customer like they are your only customer. Customer service is huge and I put a lot of emphasis on it. I want my clientele to know how important they are to me, so I make it obvious in every way possible. I try my hardest to go up and beyond for my customers and always provide service with a smile. Kindness goes a long way. It is very hard to please everyone, but it doesn’t hurt to try! I also reward my customers who are extra sweet and delightful to work with. I will sometimes sneak in some extra cookies or a surprise for them and let them know how much their business means to me. Word of mouth has definitely been the most effective form of gaining new business for me.

I have also gained a nice following from my farmers markets and events. It still amazes me that I have so many return customers and have built such a bond with so many people. I really look forward to seeing everyone’s smiling faces each week. I think that simply putting yourself out there is so helpful in growing your business and clientele.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/juniepies
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/juniepies
• Other: For order inquiry or general information, I can be contacted at [email protected].