Check Out Jodie Landers’ Story

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Jodie Landers.

Hi Jodie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started a hobby of baking from home in 2017, working on recipes and gathering clientele. I started a social media page in March 2019 and quickly gained a huge social media following and quickly outgrew my home kitchen. I decided to renovate a commercial space that my husband and I already owned into a commercial kitchen and cake shop and opened my doors in December of 2022. I have been thriving ever since.

My social media following is finally at a whopping 7.3k in a town where the population is 3K! I stay fully booked for months in advance. I boom primarily at weddings but also at birthday cakes in the off-season. My weddings are in Valdosta, Hahira, Thomasville, Moultrie, Cairo, and Tallahassee in the Southwest Georgia region.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would be lying if I said I didn’t face any challenges or obstacles. That was my first reaction. Building something absolutely from the ground up was so hard. I had a lot of support but no financial backing other than my husband and I using resources like his credit and savings we have built together over the years.

My only option for a storefront was a building we already owned, which was fantastic. We renovated it and made it work! That, alongside running his business, being a mama and already running this business from home, was a challenge. My husband Dan and I took a leap of faith and dove right into renovation. This was a bigger beast than we bargained for. Nevertheless, we made it!

My clientele grew quicker on social media, but one of the harder parts was gaining clientele in person. The city we are in has an overall 37.3% poverty rate. I had to search hours from my home for clientele because what I offer seems to be such luxury items. I had to search hard for people with expendable income. Lastly, learning all of this, with no training or schooling, has been a challenge. I am fully self-taught.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I would say this is an outlet for me to express myself. I consider each cake as a gift from me to my customers in a way. It is my heart in dessert form. I am most proud of the level of emotion and care that go into my work. I put everything into each design and each individual order. I am proud and my perseverance through the harder times, the late nights, and the difficult jobs I never imagined I could do.

I’m proud I had the ability to grow from something so small to something of this magnitude. I am proud that my kindness speaks volumes to people and that they fully trust me with these pivotal moments in their lives (weddings, Birthdays, honors, etc). I’ve also been awarded the “Best of Georgia ” from the Georgia Business Journal

Who else deserves credit for your story?
I have had the biggest support system. My husband, Dan, keeps me going daily, he is my rock, my safe place to land after a hard day. He helps guide me and teach me. He is the most selfless person I have ever known. My daughter’s kindness, grace, and intelligence motivate me to keep creating these pieces for people.

My mama, who is hands-on in my bakery, usually 4-5 days a week. She is there for one reason: to see me succeed. She and I are a team in the shop most days. Without her, I couldn’t have done this. Countless friends and family come to my shop at random to do what they feel is even the smallest of tasks to help me thrive in what I do.

They are the ones that spread good reviews and help me gain clientele. That I can lean on in the harder days. Everything each of them does for me is a key factor in why I am able to be successful. I owe them everything.

Pricing:

• Single Layer Cakes starting at $120+
• Multi-tiered cakes start at $320+
• Wedding Dessert Bars start at $225+

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gimmesugardesserts.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gimmie.sugar?igsh=dzRoOWdsNWF2djYy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gimmiesugardesserts?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Image Credits
Gandy Photographers, Monica Terrero Photography, Sumer Heath Photography, and Elizabeth Godwin Photography