We were lucky to catch up with KATRINA LEATHERWOOD recently and have shared our conversation below.

KATRINA, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

The biggest lesson I learned from my previous job was to chase my dreams and never give up on myself. I spent countless hours working hard for someone else when i could have been putting that same hard work and determination into my own brand. I also learned the value of customers. My first customers were my co-workers and they catapulted my baking business. They encouraged me to take my craft serious and to kick start my baking business. Some of those co-workers are still my customers today.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Katrina Leatherwood. I operate a home based bakery. I provide custom cakes and treats for all occasions, I am literally a one stop shop. You can order a custom cake, along with treats for your entire dessert table. I have an array of desserts on my menu from candy apples, chocolate covered strawberry towers and cheesecake jars to rice kripsy treats and cake pops. I started off helping my mom make chocolate covered strawberries for a gender reveal. Everyone loved them and I made them again for the baby shower. That gave me the idea to try chocolate covered pretzels, then cake pops. From there I thought if i can make cake pops I can make cupcakes. I started making cupcakes which eventually turned into me trying whole cakes, The rest is history. I am self taught and continuously learning and improving.

Problems I solve for most of my customers is finding the right cake and treats for their event. They typically have an idea of what they want and I bring it to life. What sets me apart from others is my drive and my meticulousness when it comes to customer service. Customer service is key to me. Anyone can buy a cake. The customer service and product is what keeps your customers coming back.

I am most proud of my evolution as a baker. As stated previously , I started off making chocolate covered strawberries, so to start there and progress to wedding cakes is a big deal for me. The main things I want everyone to know about me and my business is that I strive to do my best with each order. You will receive great customer service and great product. To any fans, I want to encourage them to KEEP GOING! Never stop perfecting your craft and doing what you love.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Word of mouth is everything. My customers hands down is what built my reputation within the baking market. They have referred me time and time again and that is the main source of my clientele. I have also participated in several pop up shops all over Georgia to get my name and business more exposure. Social media has also played a pivotal role. Many of my post are re-posted which gives people that may not follow me a chance to view my content.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source for new clientele for me would be the pop up shops I attend. I get to meet hundreds of new people who get to try my product and potentially place an order in the future.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lssweettreats.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=t1uclcznbwi1&utm_content=3dwxndh
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katrina.leatherwood.1

Image Credits
Samuel Mcknight