We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nailah Darby. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nailah below.

Alright, Nailah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

The bakery’s name was chosen to pay homage to my great grandmother, Carrie Vine. Despite popular belief, she was not necessarily a baker. She was a prominent midwife in the North Area of Charleston, SC. My father always described her as a no-nonsense woman who was incredibly strong, and exceptionally nurturing. She did everything in her power for the sake of family and reared those under her to be just as strong and wise. To honor such a matron, the bakery was coined as her namesake. It is her spirit that we aspire to embody and her standard of excellence that we reach for. Each treat is crafted with the same level of care she displayed in her endeavors.

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?

I am a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Hospitality. As a newlywed, first-time mom, and dessert enthusiast, I combined my education, experience and love of sweets into a local favorite in Columbia. Carrie Vine’s Homemade Treats is known for its dessert bars–in particular, the lemon brownie bar and pecan chewie bar. Both award-winning flavors represent the roots of the bakery. I experienced an abrupt change of plans when I decided not to return to work after maternity leave. Life through the cutest lemon (a baby boy), so to speak. Instead of making lemonade, I made a lemon brownie bar. While crafting an idea centered around dessert bars, I noticed a Charleston favorite missing–the pecan chewie bar. It seemed fitting to provide Columbia’s market with a staple treat from Carrie Vine’s and my hometown. The rest is history.

Today we offer a variety of dessert bars that include vegan and gluten-free options. All of our dessert bars are adorned with a topping, drizzle or glaze. Year-round flavors include red velvet brownie, iced oatmeal raisin, and sea salt chocolate chunk to name a few. The goal is to make our patrons feel at home when they eat our desserts. Carrie Vine treats are ideal for get-togethers, holidays and birthdays. We’re excited about future endeavors, as we prepare to ship, develop new products, and partner with businesses in our community. We have big news in store, so stay tuned!

I hope you like what you see, ’cause I know you’ll love what you taste.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being consistent, persistent and kind. While trail and error are inevitable in business, it’s important to strive for and maintain consistency. From attending markets regularly to meticulously executing recipes and packaging standards, people have grown to rely on our treats being as good as they were the first time, if not better. One must also persist in cases of diversity. I’m blessed to have heard ‘yes’ more than ‘no’. However, the treats we offer are not attractive to everyone all the time. That’s okay. I’ve learned to keep smiling and treat others how I wish to be treated. I spread joy where I can and wish all that I encounter the best. When met with a “No, thank you.”, I often respond with “Good to see you either way!” or “I hope you have a nice day!” You never know what people are going through in life, so it’s always best to lead with kindness.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

One of the most effective strategies for growing a business is offering consumers a free trial. We see it all the time via video streaming platforms, fitness applications, retail memberships, gaming platforms, etc. Free trials minimize consumer risk, allowing them to test a product or service without financial commitment. Whether it’s “cancel anytime”, “no questions asked”, or “money-back guarantee”, consumers relish low risk interactions with companies, particularly with ones they are not familiar with. We happily and regularly provide that at Carrie Vine’s Homemade Treats. In fact, it has been essential to our growth. During our weekly market sales, we attract potential patrons by offering free samples. It has proven to be an imperative practice where customer acquisition and retention are concerned. It’s in the fabric of Carrie Vine’s, and we will continue this strategy for the foreseeable future.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.carrievinetreats.com
• Instagram: @CarrieVineTreats
• Facebook: facebook.com/CarrieVineTreats
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/carrievinetreats

Image Credits
The headshot is credited to Jennifer Roberson of Jen Roberson Photography. The photo of me holding a pan of treats is credited to Tricia Simon of Tricia A. Simon Photography.