We were lucky to catch up with LaTambria Smith-Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, LaTambria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission the drives your brand?

You know…there’s always a reason why we do most of the things we do. As for me, there are a few reasons. For starters, I established my baking business in 2014, one year after I laid my infant son to rest. My intentions, really, was to do something fun with my daughters while also managing my occasional moments grief and depression. Many people don’t understand that during that time, I still had to be mama to two small girls, so there was not a lot of time grieve for me. Many days in fact, I’ll bake just random stuff to keep from breaking down. I still do that even to this day. As far as my authorship endeavor, writing, for me, is another way of releasing my inner thoughts, or another way to share my life-altering experiences with people who need them the most. Writing also allows me to simply let go while also using my testimony to encourage and help someone else that may read it. Lastly, pediatric dentistry is a field I’ve been in for nearly 18 years — and counting — and I just love interacting with my little patients and making them and the families comfortable. For the most part, they feel like family when they visit our office. I do all of this to set an example for my girls and, most of all, to make sure they have everything they need as they continue to grow.

LaTambria, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m LaTambria Smith-Johnson, Owner and CEO of Tam’s Sweet Treats & More, a flourishing baking business that went into operations in March 2014. Besides overseeing the day-to-day operations of my business endeavor, I am four-time published author and a Corporate America professional as I’ve served as a Pediatric Dental Professional for nearly 18 years. I am a wife of nearly three years, married to my wonderful husband, Andre Johnson, who is President and Executive Editor of Making Headline News, a Dallas/Fort Worth-based national media publication. I am a mother of two amazing daughters: Amaiyah, 14, owner of Amaiyah’s Art Madness, Mariah, 13, owner of Mariah’s Queen Thingz. Also, I am an “Angel Mom” to my late baby boy, Amari Aubre’ Carter. I’m a strong woman of faith and know that with God all things are possible.

As the face of Tam’s Sweet Treats and More, I own a home-based baking business that is committed to following Texas cottage laws. I specialize in a variety of desserts and have become a fixture for accepting last-minute orders. Generally, I offer everything from cakes, cupcakes, chocolate covered treats, cake cookies, cheesecakes, themed gift baskets, and more for every occasion. I’ve been featured in several magazines, blogs, have taken part in baking contests and, most recently, my business was featured in a baking calendar for 2022. My ultimate goal is to produce products that put smiles on my customer’s faces and joy in their mouths when they taste it. As always, customer service and satisfaction are my top priorities. For what it’s worth, I think that is what sets me apart from other businesses, because it’s not just all about the money for me. Baking is my passion. Therefore, I take my time and go to great lengths to meet and/or exceed the customer’s expectations. I take pride in making others happy.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In March 2020, the global pandemic erupted and completely shut things down. Our dental office, to my surprise, eventually ceased operations later that month, and I had no idea when it would reopen. So, I sat back talked to my husband and thought of what to do to supplement that missing income, even though he told me to take that time to rest. Knowing me, I just couldn’t sit still. So I gathered a few products, did my research and headed to the kitchen. I began creating new baking products and, shortly thereafter, dessert tacos were the first item that debuted and, boy, they were as good as advertised. Before I knew it, a slew orders were coming in from everywhere, largely because so many families, like mine, had to shelter-in-place. Then my next new item, Cake Cookies, debuted and, like those dessert tacos, had become a highly sought-after product. In a nutshell, this dreaded global pandemic is what helped fueled my competitive drive to grow my business, all the while generating a significant increase in income. Although birthday parties and other events weren’t happening for a while, these two desserts and cake cookies had become massive game-changers for my business. They still are to this day. Then came the first opportunity to become an author two months later (May 2020) when I was afforded the golden opportunity to join a collaborative book project with over 200 other female writers. For me, it was an amazing opportunity and, after being featured by Making Headline News, such credible marketing brought amazing widespread attention as book sales skyrocketed — even before the official book release. All in all, these pivots, particularly during unprecedented times in our world, allowed me to expand my brand and business and, most importantly, enjoy an increase in economic revenue in the process. God will always give you the vision to get through any obstacle that may arise. Just never give up or become defeated.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn was taking everyone’s word for things in business. During the infancy stages of my business, for instance, I never required deposits or any type of upfront payment. I would just say to myself, “They placed the order, so I know they will get it.” After about a year of allowing this to continue while customers’ pledges to do business fell through, that was one of the things that had to change. For example, one big order that took several days to complete and took up tons of time and product was my final straw. The customer stayed in touch until the day before the order was due only to disappear — social media account closed and all. I lost so much with that order that it opened my eyes and changed my policies on deposits and payments.

Contact Info:

• Website: Tamssweettreatsandmore.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/tamssweettreatsandmore
• Facebook: Facebook.com/tamssweettreatsandmore