We recently connected with Jamilia Thomas and have shared our conversation below.

Jamilia , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

A couple of years ago, at the time, I was a Lead Special Investigator for the State. Working insane hours in the pandemic. Dealing with Child Deaths, Serious Injuries, School Investigations, and Family Preservation Cases, I needed something that would take my mind off of work. Although working with children and families was and still is a passion of mine, I needed an outlet. I needed to create a space that didn’t require urgency. 24/7 all my mind was focused on was ensuring safety, mitigating safety threats and strengthening families in their area of their weaknesses. Baking was therapeutic and it gave me the opportunity to escape my reality. Making cupcakes was my first love which transitioned into baking cookies. Let’s rewind, when I was a little girl I used to binge watch Cake Boss and any type of cooking show. I always said that I wanted to become a baker/cook as a side hustle when I grew up. Not to mention, I came from a lineage of cooks. My grandmother the late Mrs. Rosie Smart was “the cook” and held her own brick and mortar “Rosie’s Buffet” for 14 years. Now let’s fast forward, my co-worker Jakeya at the time who became more like a sister and I created a buddy system at work. We went out on cases together which also allowed me to get to know her family. I would make cookies for her children and to see if I really had a gift for baking or if I needed to stick with my day job. We all know children are brutally honest! Jakeya would call me with her children on the phone to give me feedback. When they approved them, I was like okay I may have something here. I began making cookies for my family who were giving me the same feedback as Jakeya’s family. A year and a half would pass, I was still baking and started baking as a hobby for other people. Everyone started saying “you should turn this into a business!” “Your cookies are just that good”. I was scared, nervous and a bit doubtful. Nevertheless, I took the leap of faith on April 14, 2022. This was the day that “It’s Cookie-tastic Online Bakery” was born. This was definitely a “God” thing. Everything started lining up but in between the line-ups, I wanted to quit my business about 3 or 4 times. Entrepreneurship is hard work and you must be built for Ford tough! Let’s just be honest! I must say, I have such a great support system who reminded me that “If God is for you, than who can be against you”! My parents supported every business venture, my close friends who wouldn’t allow me to give up on my dreams. Not to mention, I also had a marketing police friend, Shonivia, who pushed me to finish my website. I was surrounded by destiny pushers. My official launch date didn’t take place until a year later, April 14, 2023. It has been a journey full of hard work, dedication, consistency, sleepless nights, perseverance, prayer…. much prayer but I would not change anything about it.

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

My name is Jamilia S. Thomas and I am the baker and owner of It’s Cookie-tastic Bakery. Our goal and mission is to provide an unforgettable experience by ” making every bite count”. We strive to provide great customer service and a quality homemade/made from scratch product utilizing high end ingredients. We specialize in gourmet and regular cookies, brownies and rice krispies. Baking was a needed outlet. I have always had the desire and passion to bake/cook. In my younger days, I also used to binge watch cooking shows on the weekends. Not to mention, I had an awesome example to glean from. Watching my grandmother, the late Mrs. Rosie Smart in my adolescent years, allowed me to discover what was already on the inside of me.
Its’ Cookie-tastic Bakery is “BIG” on presentation. Not only do we provide a quality product, we provide excellent packaging and if you need it personalized; we can provide that too! We love that our customers get to experience both. My proudest moment was when a customer was shocked by the “taste” of our products. She expressed that she just knew Cookie-tastic Bakery products were going to be basic or bad due to the packaging being excellent. “There’s no way you can have both (a great product and packaging)”, she stated.

What I want our future and current customers to know is that we take great pride in delivering a great quality product. As I stated before, we want to leave our customers with an unforgettable experience by “making every bite count”. What sets It’s Cookie-tastic Bakery apart is that we put a lot of love and creativity in our brand. Did I mention? Our products are made from scratch. We strive to give our best at all times. If it is not right, we will not put it out. One of our funniest moments is when a customer asked us if we had any ugly cookies available? Shocked, proud and grateful all at the same time, that a customer wanted to purchase our ugly cookies. As I would say “they didn’t make the cut cookies”. She said, baby we know how the cookie tastes and that is what we are wanting and proceeded to purchase.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I am all things creative. Before discovering my love for baking, I was a part-time graphic designer. This was my very first business. I loved making other people’s vision come to life. My mom always told me, each season of your life is preparing you for your next. Who knew I would follow in my grandmother’s footsteps of becoming a cook/baker and who knew my creative side would play a major part in my Online Bakery Business? Starting a business isn’t a walk in the park. Marketing plays a big part in your sales. I knew I had to collide my past season with my current. I started questioning myself and at that moment, I began to brainstorm. What makes It’s Cookie-tastic Bakery different? How can I gather my audience to cause revenue to flow? What would make “It’s Cookie-tastic Online Bakery standout on social media. I knew that “people eat with their eyes”. My presentation of my product and my graphic designs had to be eye-catching, colorful and enticing. I began to make graphic videos, incorporating ingredients from my product in the actual picture of the product to gain the viewer’s eye. My advice is to start. Start with what you have and as you grow, make the necessary changes. As my mother would tell me post, post, post. So what if they get tired, post anyway. Post your product, make and repost reels at least 3 times a day. Let the audience/viewer know what you have to offer.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Providing a quality product and professional packaging helped us build our reputation. With humbleness and gratitude, word of mouth has It’s Cookie-tastic Bakery buzzing. We absolutely appreciate each and every customer and all forms of their support.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.itscookietasticbakery.com
• Instagram: It’s Cookietastic Bakery
• Facebook: Its Cookie-tastic Bakery
• Youtube: It’s Cookie-tastic Bakery

Image Credits
Photographer: Mel B. Elder Jr.