Conversations with Quanda Tarleton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Quanda Tarleton.

Hi Quanda, 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?
Business first started as a cupcake home based cupcake bakery, but I always had a desire to learn how to make decorated sugar cookies. I started my journey of cookie decorating by first watching tutorials, reading cookie decorating books, and lots of practicing to develop my recipe and technique. I also learned a lot from the more experienced cookie decorators like sweet sugar belle, lilaloa., and you can call me sweetie.. I thank God that with lots of prayer and practicing I became really good at it.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It wasn’t a smooth road nevertheless. I opened a storefront bakery in 2019 which was around the time covid began so unfortunately the business struggled to stay afloat during that time. It was hard to get employees, racial tensions were high because of the death of George floyd and my business was located in a suburban area of Rockland County so I saw a decline in business especially as a black owned business. Eventually I went from a walk-in bakery to a by appointment only bakery. I stayed in business for two years and eventually sold the bakery.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As of now I am home based cookie decorator. I relocated to Dallas Texas. I specialize in custom cookies for every occasion. I am most proud of how far I came in this journey from the clients I worked with, to the challenges I faced, and taking the leap of faith to run a bakery for 2 years all by God’s grace and glory. What sets me apart from others is everything I do is to give God the glory from attention to detail everything is done with love, care and genuinely putting my all into everything I do. I love the joy that my work brings to each and every client I work with.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
What I learned from doing this business for some years now is failure is part of the journey, you learn, you get back up try again, and whatever it is that’s not working you reinvent the wheel and keep going. Failing at something is not the end of the world, you learned what didn’t work and step out on faith, come up with a plan and allow God to establish your steps. The thing you’ll regret most is never trying at all.

Pricing:

• Custom Decorated Sugar Cookies cost between $5.00-$9.00 per cookie depending on the complexity of the designs

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thenewyorkcookieboutique.com
• Instagram: @thenewyorkcookieboutique