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

Tori, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Smiley Sweeties’ mission statement is, “Desserts are luxuries so why not treat yourself.” We often look at luxury as the state of comfort and extravagant living. We pay large amounts of money for desirable things that are hard to find to add pleasure or comfort to our lives. I believe desserts are sweets courses or dishes that put you in a state of comfort and extravagant living. Cheesecake, tiramisu, and even cupcakes are desirable things that add pleasure or comfort to our lives. When I created my business in 2020, many companies and businesses had to take a pay cut. I wanted to create a business with the mission to make desserts with an extravagant look and taste for an affordable price. Therefore, everybody can afford to treat themselves. Since hard work deserves a sweet reward.

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

Hi, my name is Tori Foster. I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. In my freshman year of high school, I started to bake and bring three-layer cakes to school for lunch. Classmates eventually asked me whether I could bring them a slice of cake. Soon I was selling cake slices for $7. I stopped shortly after due to starting sports and different clubs. Even though, I played soccer and did cheerleading my passion was crafting. I love creating things with my hands. In my sophomore year, I started taking fashion classes and went into a fashion design career pathway. Fashion-led me back to my main love which was baking.

Baking always came second nature to me. Most of my family members are bakers. Some have created cookbooks and others have culinary degrees. All my baking skills have been taught to me by family members or through a series of trial and error.

I started Smiley Sweeties the summer after my sophomore year of college. I offered a variety of seasonal desserts. My menu depends on the season and what is trending around that time. Currently, my fall menu offers gourmet apples, brownies, holiday trays, dessert jars, pies, rolls, etc. Due to my increase in catering orders, I converted my treat business over to a catering business. Although I offer catering now, my customers are still able to order treats during the week.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I built my reputation by offering desserts that are trending. Social media is consistently changing and staying up to date with the trends is necessary to catch people’s attention. Another one is by being consistent. I have a business plan that I constantly update with release dates, menu items, pricing, and more. Always have a plan and stick to it. Post every day on your platform. Try to think outside of the box when it comes to marketing your product or service. Stand out among the crowd by giving everything your special touch.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One lesson I had to unlearn as an adult and professional is to aim for perfection. Growing up, we always want to do our best in everything we do. We set high expectations for ourselves. We set goals, deadlines, and high standards. I learned to try my best. Give everything your best shot. All you can do is try and keep working on it. Perfection will come over time. Nobody is a natural at anything they do. They have to practice, study and try again. And if you genuinely believe it is meant for you never give up on it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Smiley_sweeties
• Facebook: Smiley Sweeties
• Linkedin: Tori Foster
• Other: TikTok: @smileysweeties1

Image Credits
Photos were taken by Tori Foster.