We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lissy Keller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lissy below.
Lissy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?
The job I worked straight out of college was as an educator at the Saint Louis Zoo. Their education is so focused on wildlife conservation that I learned about many trends in retail that were less than ideal for the environment and wildlife that may be struggling to survive in their native habitats. In learning how to best educate others, I became better informed.
This is why I purchase ingredients in bulk when possible, locally when available, and those that are sustainably sourced. My single-use packaging is compostable to prevent an abundance of additional, plastic trash going into landfills as a result of people purchasing my product. Reusable and minimally processed tools are also used in the kitchen. Vegan ingredients have a smaller carbon footprint due to the lack of animal-based products, which has also resulted in several vegan recipes that frequent my cookie shelves on a given Market day.
Lissy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My given name is Melissa, but I go by Lissy when I speak with close friends and family, so I like for all of my customers to feel comfortable using my nickname. I developed a love of baking while spending time in the kitchen with my beloved grandmother (Oma) preparing hundreds upon hundreds of cookies. I did not bake much while focusing on finishing college, but when I was only working at my full-time job, I had enough time to use baking as therapy. In my workplaces, I was typically known for being the one who would bring in all manners of cookies and other treats frequently.
A few years after I began working as a Clinical Research Coordinator in my current day job, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. My job went from 40 or more hours in the office to all hours being worked remotely. The stresses of the pandemic resulted in an increased need for my baking therapy; however, I was not able to share the fruits of my labor with anyone other than my husband. Needless to say, we both put on some pounds, and I knew another alternative was needed for me to bake my heart out and share them to spread joy to others, like my grandmother did, Thus began my business, “Lissy’s Confections, LLC.”
Overland became the home I gained when I moved from O’Fallon, IL into the home my then-boyfriend purchased. It seemed like common sense for me to sell at the local Farmer’s Market in Overland since I loved shopping there.
I am a lover of other cultures and tastes, so I will frequently experiment with different treats and ingredients used in other cultures. Cookies are the perfect portioned treat for Markets, so I combine the two. I do have traditional flavors (which many people love) but I also love using flavors like pandan, ube, miso, and sesame.
I am proud that I have created a business that is as eco-friendly as it is while serving many people in different communities. As someone who suffers from chronic pain as a result of chronic illnesses, I am proud of myself for working a full-time day job and working this business in the evenings and on weekends. The therapeutic benefit of baking transitioned to help me cope with chronic fatigue and pain as the conditions have come on over the years. I am just so happy that the activity I so love to do can bring joy to others. It makes all the time spent worthwhile.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients for me has been attending local Farmer’s Markets so that people can try my product by purchasing them singly. Once they know which are their preferred flavors or ingredients, they can place orders with me, and they know exactly what to expect when they receive their orders.
Word of mouth has been the best way to find new clients when it comes to my product that fits the vegan diet. Once a single person has tried and fallen in love with my vegan cookies, they always have a friend or handful of friends who also follow the vegan diet. They share my social media or tell them which Market to find me at that weekend so they can try my products, as well.
If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?
Since my baking business is my weekends and evening job, I do work a 40+ hour a week job that funds all of the baking. The ingredients and packaging don’t pay for themselves (unfortunately). I work as a Clinical Research Coordinator specializing in regulatory aspects of Phase I (early or first-in-human) studies for cancer patients. I am notorious for bringing in baked goods for meetings in order to bring joy and smiles to my coworkers. I feel like burnout is becoming a bigger issue in workplaces everywhere, so any piece of sunshine that can be provided to light their day is the least I can do.
Contact Info:
- Website: lissysconfections.com
- Instagram: @lissysconfections
- Facebook: @lissysconfections