We were lucky to catch up with Melissa Diamond recently and have shared our conversation below.
Melissa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
In 2006, I initially started baking for my loved ones and soon word spread about my baking skills and my delightful, sweet treats. My then-boyfriend, who later became my husband, and his sister played a significant role in helping me expand my business by introducing me to new clients. After gaining more customers, my husband and I decided to name our company Sweetcakes by Melissa. Although we went through a few name changes, we were unable to settle on one until we established the company as an LLC. We wanted a name that held meaning for our family and told our story. We finally chose the name Legacy Cakery LLC, as we aspire to pass down this business to our children and instill an entrepreneurial spirit in them, by creating a legacy of love for baking. Our business focuses on creating great cakes, and the name Cakery literally means a cake shop. Thus, Legacy Cakery is a shop designed to showcase my passion for baking and explore new techniques by adding a twist to classic cake recipes. Initially, we did not know the direction our business would take. We only knew that we enjoyed baking and wanted to share our love for creating exceptional cakes with anyone who would indulge.
In 2017, after having our third child and spending over a decade designing beautiful custom cakes and dessert tables for various events such as weddings, birthdays, corporate events, and baby showers, we decided to shift our focus and create hand-layered desserts in a jar. This concept originated from my clients recommending my cakes to their acquaintances outside of New York State. However, transporting custom cakes outside of our catchment area was challenging and could lead to damage to the cake. So, we began using plastic mason jars to transport our cakes, and this innovative method soon gained popularity. We did not anticipate that it would become such a huge trend during the pandemic, as people were staying safe at home and needed to still celebrate special occasions. We found a way to allow people to continue celebrating with our cakes by shipping them in a jar throughout the United States. We take pride in creating exquisite desserts that we can pass down to our children and ensuring our customers enjoy tantalizing flavors. During difficult times, we strive to bring joy to our customers and remind them that life is too sweet to eat bad cake!
Melissa, 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?
It still amazes me how I got into the world of baking, considering that baking has always come naturally to me. I grew up helping my grandma, mom, and aunt in the kitchen, and my interest in baking was piqued after watching the classic movie “Steel Magnolias”. You may recall the famous armadillo groom’s cake in the movie, which had a red velvet interior. I was intrigued by the concept of a cake coming in that color, and coincidentally, Paula Deen featured the recipe for the famous dessert of the South, red velvet cake with cream cheese icing, on her show “Paula’s Home Cooking” that same week. I decided to try the recipe out for my then-boyfriend, now husband’s family, who loved red velvet cake. After re-creating the recipe, I was hooked, and I have been baking ever since. The encouragement and support of my family, especially my sister-in-law, who urged me to bake for others, also helped me to pursue my passion. As word-of-mouth is a powerful advertising tool, things started to snowball from there. Since I loved baking so much, we decided to turn it into a business and build our legacy through cakes.
Initially, I never thought of baking as a profitable business. I did it for the sheer joy of it and the pleasure of being in the kitchen. Creating things with my hands and trying out new recipes was always a thrilling experience for me. I am inspired by what we create and bring that inspiration to every cake and cupcake design. Our goal is to make people happy and bring joy to others. Making quality homemade baked goods from scratch is what we do best, and we strive to make life a little sweeter through Legacy Cakery.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Baking has given me the opportunity to meet incredible people and gain valuable experience with each new opportunity. As a wife and mother of three boys, and working a full-time job in Clinical Research, I began to experience burnout in 2017. I was searching for a way to continue baking and creating unique cake flavors without spending every weekend in the kitchen. The idea to pivot to cakes in a jar came from my wonderful clients, who frequently referred me to their friends and family members living outside of my state. I wanted to find a way to reach those who were interested in my cakes, but shipping cakes can be challenging due to their delicate nature. Despite several attempts, I persevered in finding the proper packing methods and shipping techniques necessary to ensure that each cake arrived at its destination intact.
Shifting gears to cakes in a jar was my third attempt to ship cakes and cupcakes domestically within the USA. I have even shipped my cakes internationally, all the way to Africa. Proper packing and shipping are essential aspects of my brand, and I take pride in ensuring that every cake arrives safely. When the pandemic hit, we were ready to provide our cake jar service to anyone who needed cake for special occasions. Cake jars are ideal for teleconferencing celebrations of milestone birthdays, as they are divided into individual portions that can be shipped easily across the country. This innovative way of selling cakes has provided us with the incredible opportunity to sell and ship cakes throughout the United States.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
We strive to create a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere to make the process as easy as possible for all our clients. Social media and website marketing have been two of the most effective ways to expand our clientele. We ensure that our website and all our social media platforms convey a consistent message regarding our brand identity and personality, and we update these platforms regularly. Additionally, we take pride in providing excellent customer support and service. We treat every customer with love and respect and take immediate, appropriate action when any incidents occur. Our goal is to provide each client with a positive experience, knowing that happy clients are more likely to return and refer our business to their friends and family, leading to an increase in sales.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.legacycakery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legacycakery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Legacycakery/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/legacy-cakery/about/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW7kl-E6o7IQmr4Gd2WjTpQ
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/legacy-cakery-brooklyn-4
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/legacycakery/_created/ blog – https://www.legacycakerystudios.com/