We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lisa Rodriguez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lisa below.
Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?
I often get the question, What made you start the ” Cookie Business” ? I always start off by offering a slight chuckle and then lead in to the story behind Lisa’s All Occasion Cookies. So, the story is really this simple, I was at a child’s birthday party and at the end of the party when everyone was saying their goodbye’s I was the one packing up my leftovers and ensuring I grabbed a goodie bag on the table when I noticed the cutest Minnie Mouse cookies in cellophane bags spread all over the table, so, I took the initiative of grabbing a few and putting them in my purse. On the long drive home I started to crave something sweet and had forgotten all about the cookies in my purse and decided to pick on the leftovers. Fast forward to a few days later, I was looking for something in my purse and noticed the cookies sitting at the bottom of the purse in surprisingly great condition! Curiosity got the best of me and I opened one up and starting eating it. I could not believe how delicious this cookie was. It was still so fresh even all the days that had since passed! I immediately reached out to the parent of the little girl who’s party I had attended and asked where she had purchased the cookies? She eventually got back to me and informed me that they were custom cookies from a lady she had known in Lulling Tx. Of course I was not going to travel all the way to Lulling Tx for some cookies ( although the thought did cross my mind). I started to research ” How to make decorated sugar cookies” on Youtube. I was obsessed! I must have watched tutorial videos from cookie recipes to royal icing recipes, to decorating styles and tips for almost three months before I was brave enough to try the process out on my own. December 2015, I took to the store to buy everything required for this process and headed home for a day of experimenting. My first batch of decorated cookies was born and consumed all in about two hours! The icing wasn’t perfect, the cookies were however, perfect in every way! They tasted exactly how I remembered and Thus, LIsa’s All Occasion Cookies was established!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Lisa’s All Occasion Cookies is a Cottage based business based in Von Ormy Texas. We specialize in customized decorated sugar cookies. We are possibly the most affordable cookie business in the State of Texas offering a flat rate of $35.00 a dozen. Trust me, I know there are a lot of other cookie artist’s out there saying NO WAY!!!, but there is a method to my madness. I price my cookies low for a couple of reasons. Number one, I want my product to be affordable for my clients. Just because I am priced low does not mean that the quality of my work is a ” You get what you paid for” scenario. I am an artist first and foremost. I do this because this is a form of art for me. An outlet if you will. Secondly, I have continued to stay in business by word of mouth due to my low pricing and quality work. I offer services for residents of Von Ormy Tx, San Antonio Tx, New Braunfels, Shertz Tx, and Live Oak Tx. Our cookies come individually wrapped at no additional cost. We also specialize in personalized printed cookies. We offer delivery and last minute order options for a small fee. We are always aiming to make your next event the talk of the town! ‘
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
My business grew overnight with just a few pictures of some ” Plain Jane” Christmas cookies I had posted one evening. I got so much feedback on individuals wanting to place an order even though at no time had I mentioned in the post that I was in fact ” Taking Orders” or even selling the cookies, but, the interest was there, and so I ran with it. With a little bit of amateur photography skills and extremely improved decorating skills, over time, Social media has become my biggest networking forum for my business. It’s a free and great way to get the exposure your business needs.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
I would have to say Youtube and Social Media in general have been my biggest teachers as far as my business is concerned. These forums provide all types of groups and pages that allow you to learn different skills and also provide great marketing tips and strategies that can help with ensuring your business runs smooth and efficiently. In the world of cookie decorating things are always changing, and being able to learn from others how to develop and enhance certain skills is very nice. Social media is a great way to connect with others in the same industry and build support for one another.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551916374886
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lmarie1980?_t=8geixtFF4qk&_r=1
Image Credits
Images By: Lisa’s All Occasion Cookies