Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandi Crawley Sargent.
Hi Brandi, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have been baking my whole life and have always been passionate about it. My great-grandmother and grandmother started teaching me when I was old enough to stand on a chair next to them. My great-grandmother always told me that the ugliest cakes tasted the best. I couldn’t decorate cakes at all other than to use a snipped gallon bag to put a squiggly type design onto my bundt cakes. In 2020 a friend of mine requested a homemade carrot cake for her birthday. My husband and I had just bought our first home and were awaiting the arrival of our first grandbaby and I thought “What if I could sell my cakes to help make a little extra money?” The idea was born, now it was time to bring it to life. What did I want to call my business?? I thought about this long and hard. I knew that I wanted my grandma name to be in it and it would not do for me to be called any “G” names. I’m from a small town, Valley, AL and am a big Alabama fan so I decided my grandma name would be “Bam Bam.” Several factors led me to call it “Bam Bam’s Ugly Cakes”, one being that I couldn’t decorate, my great-grandmother’s words in my ear, and the fact that it would be smart marketing. Our then 14-year-old son, Lil Shane went to work with me right away, baking dozens upon dozens of different homemade cookies, putting them in baggies and stapling my business cards to them.
Then we set out in Fayetteville and all the cities around us going door to door and giving them out to all the businesses and also individuals who requested them on my newly made Facebook page. Business picked up right away, one order then another and it just kept growing. This is one of my favorite memories with Lil Shane, as he was taken from us way too soon on July 1, 2022, killed in a crash on his way home from work on his motorcycle when another vehicle pulled out in front of him. I started decorating by watching some videos, talking to some of my fellow bakers and just dove right into it. I still learn some new recipes, tricks, or techniques every day. I am so grateful to have my husband and my oldest daughter to help me with my big events and all of the support from my family, friends, customers, and followers as they are always there cheering me on. So far, it has been an amazing journey, chaotic at times, but it brings me a lot of joy and that helps with the grieving process. My goal is to continue to learn and grow and to serve my delicious creations to as many people as possible.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road as I constantly have to change the way that I operate and adapt to all kinds of life changes. I also still have to raise my prices consistently to reflect the rise in the cost of ingredients and that has been very challenging. You lose some potential customers because your prices are too high, but most of my customers really do understand why and the transaction process is smooth and these are your ideal customers.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In my opinion, the thing that sets me apart from others is that I make my cakes from scratch, and I believe that the flavor, moisture, and texture of my cakes is unparalleled. I’m most proud that even though I see a design and think that I could never pull it off, I face my fears and give it my all and most of the time I impress even myself. It’s a very rewarding feeling.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Since I’m from a small town where there are not any choices, I love that here the possibilities are endless. I do hate the traffic though.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bambamsuglycakes?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: @bambamsuglycakes on TikTok
Image Credits
Brandy Nicole Photography
