We recently connected with Nicole Baker and have shared our conversation below.
Nicole , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
My first paying customer was actually the mother of another local food allergy mom. She wanted a birthday cake for her other daughter and reached out to me. I so appreciate her for taking a chance on me. And I was so excited!!! And nervous of course! She told me what she wanted and I researched and got all my supplies and ingredients together. And I began creating this cake. And I remember it was summertime and it was so hot! And back then I didn’t know everything I know now about custom cake making. I was terrified this cake was gonna be ugly and melt!! LOL In hindsight it left much to be desired and I have since improved my craft! LOL
But at least it didn’t melt!😄
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 started my business to provide a very much needed service to the food allergy community. We don’t have a lot safe food service/establishment options that cater to us specifically. So it is very important to me that people know I’m here for their dairy, egg, and nut-free bakery needs.
My son was diagnosed with multiple food allergies to milk, eggs, peanuts, and shellfish as an infant.
As a nurse, I already knew how dangerous that diagnosis was but as a mom, I was just learning how life-changing it would be. I’ve always loved to cook and I’m sure that was no coincidence because those skills came in handy as I had to navigate this new normal making most of my son’s food from scratch.
It was no easy feat to ensure proper nutrition, as well as safety when dealing with a picky toddler. But armed with my love for my son, and my love for the kitchen I set out on a journey that would eventually lead me where I am today, the owner of a small business providing allergy-friendly cookies, and cakes.
My business launched in 2020 after years of consideration and planning and has had to pivot during these challenging times but the focus always has remained the same, to provide safe and delicious baked goods to the food allergy community and promote food allergy awareness.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
My business launched in 2020 after years of consideration and planning and has had to pivot during these challenging times. We had to find new ways of doing business which meant being creative and implementing contactless services. Customers appreciated the effort and many businesses were able to continue operations and even flourish during such a challenging time.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Facebook groups. It’s a great way to make connections with potential customers and other business owners.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.crumbscookiecompany.com
- Instagram: crumbscookiecompanync
- Facebook: Crumbscookiecompanync
Image Credits
Edmonds IV photography