We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tess Higgins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tess, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I think it’s valuable to celebrate all success, whether it be big or small. When I get asked about of what I’m most proud, I remember the day I stood behind the counter that I had sanded, painted, and recovered by hand; in the space I had leased, redecorated, and turned into By Tess with no small amount of sweat and tears. I think of every glowing review, return customer, and article written about my endeavors. I think of the day I got to hand my first employee her first paycheck (before being picked up from work by my mom since I was too young to drive). Meanwhile, what doesn’t get enough attention are the myriad successes I have daily that make what I do such a passion for me. From the creativity of taking a customer’s color scheme and flavor preference and getting to create something beautiful and delicious, to every time I place an eye-balled cup of sugar on the scale and read exactly 200g. The pride of watching (hovering over) my friends and family as they taste-test (are force-fed) a recipe I’ve been perfecting, and approve; or the satisfaction of reworking a recipe until they do. When I take the time to recognize my successes, I find it’s these smaller accomplishments that encourage me the most.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I (Tess) have been creating as much as I can for as long as I remember. Food, pottery, jewelry, art… you name it. A few years ago, I decided I had the skills necessary to begin sharing my creations. I wanted to create a space where I could showcase my work and, also, support other local artisans like myself.

I originally opened By Tess up the street from its current location in 2021 when I was 16 years old. (I wrapped up high school in a couple years and passed the GED.) I expanded into my new space in the Spring of 2022, and now own and operate By Tess out of the Strand Mall as an 18 year old.

By Tess has an array of delicious American lunch-type fare and a wide selection of handmade baked goods and desserts. I also take custom orders: my custom cakes and frosted cookies have been a huge hit! The cookies are individually wrapped and make fun party favors! By Tess also features handmade products including candles, shirts, bags, soaps and chocolate: some are mine and others are made by other local artists!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I used to tell myself that, by working hard and thinking ahead, I could avoid all the problems and mishaps. After running my business for some time, it’s become clear that there will frequently be problems and missteps, and thinking there won’t be is unrealistic. I do my best to ensure that things run smoothly. When they don’t, I don’t waste a bunch of energy getting upset. I search for a solution, or I learn something from it. Putting out fires (sometimes literally!) is a norm. And, after I do so, I take a second to think how I can cross that issue off the list of things that might go wrong tomorrow!

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

Dedicating time to getting the word out and making sure local folks know I’d love to feed them/make sure their events are extra special doesn’t come easily to me. But, I know my business won’t be successful without marketing. I love being featured in publications like this one! At our grand opening, we encouraged Summit Farmers Market visitors to head over to By Tess for free cake! I make the rounds through Summit with menus and free cupcake tokens and invited everyone to come try By Tess for lunch and dessert. I have a social media presence and post pictures of our delicious food as often as possible. But honestly, I think that my customers’ posting how happy they’ve been with what I’ve made for them on community forums has been the easiest and most cost effective way to market my business. I’m so grateful to the gracious folks who take the time to post about how attractive and delicious my stuff is. It brings new customers in the door and makes me feel great at the same time!

Contact Info:

• Website: by-tess.com
• Instagram: bytess.co
• Facebook: By Tess
• Other: E-mail: [email protected]