We recently connected with Jodie Landers and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jodie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I believe, before anything else, you absolutely have to have the mindset that anything is possible. When I first started baking, I gave myself no other option but success. I have a mindset that I believe sees growth and my potential.

Secondly, I believe you absolutely have to have guts and persistence. It can sometimes take years to build your success story. It is easy to give up and hard to push past setbacks and stay committed.

Lastly, it takes passion. Loving what you do is so important and translates into your work.

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

I started a hobby of baking from home in 2017, working on recipes and gathering clientele. I started a social media page in March 2019 and quickly gained a large social media following and quickly outgrew my home kitchen. I decided to renovate a commercial space that my husband and I already owned into a commercial kitchen and cake shop and opened my doors in December of 2022. I have been thriving ever since.

My social media following is finally at a whopping 7.7k in a town where the population is 3K! I stay fully booked for months in advance. I boom primarily at weddings but also at birthday cakes in the off-season. My weddings are in in the Southwest Georgia and North Florida regions.

About my brand: I want my customers to know how attentive to detail I am. How much love and pride I put into my work. I enjoy meeting and talking to each and everyone of my clients. My favorite part of my job is watching live long memories be made. I’m so very grateful to be such a small part of their days.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

My hardest years have been in the last few opening up.my storefront. I decided to open a cake shop in the middle of, in my opinion, one of the worst economies I’ve ever seen. It has been an absolute struggle to find any profits in what I do. This sometimes takes a lot of faith to continue going blindly. I fully believe I’m building this business for a reason. I’m blessed to be able to enjoy my career. I’m doing what I love. Whether that brings me wealth or not. I’m helping people make memories, and I’ll forever be okay with that.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My most effective strategy building and keeping clientele, is honestly, just remaining kind and having open communication. I believe transparency is the best when it comes to my clients. I think people crave “real”. My customers know that I am upfront and honest. They know that no matter what, I have their back and will help them if I am able, to my best ability. We build a strong relationship from the beginning. Most of my customers are returning because we have a friendship when they leave my store. Everyone deserves love and kindness. I hope they always find that with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gimmesugardesserts.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gimmie.sugar/profilecard/?igsh=dzRoOWdsNWF2djYy
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/gimmiesugardesserts/
• Other: Tik Tok:
  https://www.tiktok.com/@gimmiesugar?_t=8qKnMVsB8Bi&_r=1

Image Credits

Gandy Photographers, Monica Terrero Photography, Sumer Heath Photography, and Elizabeth Godwin Photography