Today we’d like to introduce you to LaShanta Smith.
LaShanta, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve known, as far back as I can remember, that I enjoyed being in the kitchen. I never really saw it as a career, I saw it as a hobby. Sorta like basketball. I liked it enough to play but I sucked at it so there wasn’t a future in it for me…LOL And there weren’t many professional role models in the kitchen. Remember Food Network didn’t hit the scene until early 90’s, by then I was graduating high school with nothing on my mind but to get out of the neighborhood I was in. So my inspiration to cook, to serve, to do anything in the kitchen came directly from my granny!
Fast forward, I’m working for an outsourcing company for about six years… around 2012 and I decided to go to culinary school. I worked full time and went to school full time with three kids and a husband. Six months into the program, my marriage begins to suffer, so I withdrew. I was so hurt, so disappointed! I ended, what’s called a rotation, in the baking and pastries class. I took the curriculum from that course and all the recipes and used them at home. I began to feel better about withdrawing. Baking bought me so much peace, well that and God! It was like I found my niche! This whole time I was pursuing the savory side of kitchen when the sweet side was where I belonged. It came so easy. I immediately thought…I could turn this into a business… so in 2012… I did! I started with cookies, hence the name Cookie Crumbz. I moved on to cupcakes and shortly afterwards…custom cakes. For so long, I stayed away from cakes. Even regular whole cakes. It seemed so far fetched. In my head, which is the worst place to be sometimes, it would take forever to learn how to do. The opportunity presented itself again for me to go back to school and instead of a culinary certificate, I decided to go for the Degree program for Baking and Pastries. I left corporate America on December 31, 2015 and baked full time and I haven’t looked back. God has held my hand and guided my feet my whole life, it’s only over the last few years I’ve learned to really trust His process and follow his leadership. Everything that is good about me, my product, my service, my business acumen…I owe to Him.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Easy? What’s that? LOL Absolutely not! As I mentioned before, my marriage took a hit early on and I’ve had to come to grips with what some would consider harsh realities. Like family support or lack thereof. I even struggled with getting a job even though at the time, we needed me to. I did get one though…LOL, But it was hard because a piece of me felt like I was supposed to give Cookie Crumbz all of my time and attention and anything less than that, in my mind, meant I didn’t want MY business to succeed. I learned otherwise though. 😊
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Well, I’m a home-based bakery. I have provided custom cakes and cupcakes since 2012.
I’m most proud of my growth. My willingness to learn and to get better is always on my mind but actually BEING better is where my heart is. Being a better human overall is my aim. Everything else will fall in place if my attitude and character is intact.
I can’t say what sets me apart. The custom cake designers that I know or follow seem to produce great product and have really good customer service, beyond that… I don’t know that anything else matters in this business to the consumers.
What were you like growing up?
Silly! I don’t take things too serious. I wasn’t easily offended, and I’m still not. I hung with my male cousins so I think some may have considered me a Tomboy but I was a softy. I played basketball until I found a boo thang…LOL But I wasn’t that good anyway so they didn’t need me on the team.
Pricing:
- Custom Cakes start at $150.00
- Delivery is available at $1.00 per mile.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 7708731648
- Email: cookiecrumbzllc@gmail.com
- Instagram: cookie_crumbz_llc
- Facebook: Cookie Crumbz Bakery, LLC
Image Credit:
Tyler Tott
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