We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Taylor Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Taylor, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
One thing I find in common with many people I talk to who want to start a business is the fear to take the first step. It can be very intimidating to put yourself out there for the world to see and start a business. I would say the biggest risk I took was starting my business, Heavenly Treats on Earth from scratch as a 17 year old high school student. I had no clue how much work and time it would take to build a successful business. I had no clue what challenges I would grow to overcome. I also had no clue where this journey would take me. One thing I’m proud to say is that I took that step anyway. And I highly encourage everyone to do the same! This road of being an entrepreneur is ever changing but full of growth, success, and so much opportunity. It has taught me a lot about myself. Here I am at the age of 26 still running my business. I have fallen down, made some mistakes, taken some breaks, but I am still going. Im still being supported by my loyal customers. My business is still growing, and so am I! I thank God for his strength that is keeping me going during this journey. I am looking forward to what the future holds for me and my business!
Taylor, 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?
At the age of 16 I took a class in high school that introduced me to the world of baking. During that class I learned how to make cakes and cookies from scratch. A new hobby of mine was born! I would take what I learned in school and start practicing at home. The following year of high school, I enrolled in the culinary classes offered at my high school and fell even more in love with cooking and baking. Although I love to do both, baking was the skill that I enjoyed the most. I honed in on that one and I haven’t looked back since! It’s funny to think about how I got started because at that time, I never envisioned my then hobby turning into a business. I now encourage anyone I know who wants to start a business to go for it! It can be scary to start at first, however dedication along with consistency is sure to help you to succeed in your field of interest.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
In this portion of my article I want to touch on my personal life as an entrepreneur to encourage anyone who may resonate with me. If you are an adult, you probably have experienced at least one of life’s many unpredictable turns. Well let me take you on a little journey of one my experiences with something scary can turn into a blessing! Back in 2018 I decided that after graduating from college, I would go to culinary school. That was something I wanted to do since high school. (first shift) So I enrolled and began taking classes. I absolutely loved my time in culinary school! I made new friends and learned so much from my amazing instructors. After two years of being in a steady flow of culinary school, working in a upscale hotel in Downtown Dallas, while running my business…COVID hit! My job was shut down and school was moved to being remote. I decided to take a break from school until they were back in person. (second shift) Here it is, the plan I had made for myself crumbling before my eyes. During the lockdown, I had a lot more time on my hands. To be completely honest, I fell into a state of depression during that time as well. I felt stuck and so unsure of what was next in my life. I’m sure I was not alone in feeling that way. As time went on, I began to realize that my friends, family, and clients were still celebrating exciting life events such as birthdays, weddings, Christmas along with many other holidays. It brought about a sense of normalcy during those times. It also opened the door for me to continue making orders! It sparked creative juices that I did not know I had left. I was blessed to be able to say that my business was able to flourish during that time. I was able to get a taste full time entrepreneurship. (third shift) And let me just say, that life is not for the weak or faint of heart! Here we are now in 2022 and I am back to my normal flow of working while running my business (fourth shift). I have since changed gears in my career. I am looking forward to what the next step in that journey is while being hopeful that Heavenly Treats on Earth will continue to evolve as I do. The moral of this story is to remain flexible in life through its many shifts! Allow each one of those moments to propel you forward in your journey You must give yourself grace through each failure. Lastly, celebrate every win-big or small.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
I keep in touch with my Heavenly Treats on Earth fam through various social media platforms. I love to give them updates and share progression videos to give them a behind the scenes perspective. My customers are very interactive on social media so I find it easier to keep in touch with them this way! I believe that transparency is very important in communicating with my customers. So I do my best to keep them in the loop if something comes up in my life that would affect the flow of business. As I have grown as a business owner I have learned that is important for your customers/client base to be connected to you as a person in the midst of keeping up with what how your business offering. I try my best to do just that!
Contact Info:
- Website: heavenlytreatsonearth.com
- Instagram: heavenlytreatsonearth
- Facebook: heavenly treats on earth
Image Credits
Photo credit for photo of Chef Tay: Virtuous Memories based in Ft. Worth (IG: Virtuous Memories)