Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Parker.
Stacy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I suppose my story isn’t unusual in the way I decided to start my baking business. I love baking treats for people. I love seeing their eyes light up as they take a bite of a cookie or cupcake that I put my heart into. I was encouraged to begin selling my baked sweets and decided to give it a shot. It wasn’t long, maybe two months, after I officially started Stacy’s Cookie Lounge that I got a phone call from a prospective client. She wanted hand decorated sugar cookies for her client’s event. I wasn’t making decorated cookies at that point. I was only baking gourmet, organic cookies like chocolate chip, oatmeal and snickerdoodle. I knew I could do some basic decorating because I made Halloween and Christmas themed cookies every year. Her request didn’t seem to difficult so I quoted her a price. Secretly, I didn’t know if I could deliver the quality of work she probably wanted, but I knew I would do my best.
A couple of days later, she called to let me know that I won their business! Wow! It was so exciting and scary. That first order turned out ok and the client was pleased. They followed up with another order and another! I soon had to step up my game! I watched a ton of YouTube videos and experimented with different techniques for decorating cookies. Every order was more and more challenging and the cookies were being delivered to major motion picture and television studios!
Meanwhile, I began setting up at farmers’ markets around Los Angeles selling gourmet cookies which wasn’t very successful. I met lots of wonderful people and learned a lot about what people are looking for in their sweets. I had many requests for gluten-free and vegan cookies. I began researching and sourcing gluten free and vegan ingredients.
As the months went on, I was getting consistent orders for decorated cookies. The quality of the artwork was improving every order. I was having such a great time being artistic! It was a perfect fit for me. I have been painting on canvas for over 15 years. Cookies are a mini canvas for me. I’ve learned how to paint with a slightly different, more delicious medium. Decorating cookies has become a passion for me; one that is a natural fit. I recently reminded my Father that at the age of 4, I discovered my passion for art. I would enter the weekly coloring contests sponsored by the local grocery store. I worked so hard to color the best picture they had ever seen! I never won but I never stopped coloring.
The business doesn’t look the same as it did on Day 1 but I’m so happy with how it has evolved. At this point, decorated cookies make up about 75% of my orders. I never would have dreamed how this journey has progressed. I made the decision to never back down from an opportunity and trusted in the learning experiences along the way. I love what I do so much! It brings me an immeasurable amount of joy to see how happy my clients are when they receive their custom cookies.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has had its challenges. I thought that setting up at farmers’ markets would be a great opportunity to get feedback from people and get a feel for our market position. We tried five different markets throughout LA with little to no success. Most weeks, we barely made enough to cover our booth rental fee. We tried repricing, repackaging, sampling, etc. Nothing worked.
Stacy’s Cookie Lounge – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We bake organic cookies and cupcakes. We specialize in custom decorated sugar cookies. We are known for our detailed artwork on cookies and for offering gluten-free and vegan options.
I’m most proud of our unwavering commitment to baking with Certified Organic ingredients. We put our hearts into our work because we truly love what we do.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
It’s so hard to choose just one!
I recently quit my day job to commit 100% to my bakery!
We recently made a 16″ Ed Sheeran Gingerbread man that was actually given to Ed Sheeran by Ryan Seacrest.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stacyscookielounge.com
- Phone: 310-651-0834
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacyscookielounge/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StacysCookieLounge/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/stacys-cookie-lounge-playa-vista-6
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