Today we’d like to introduce you to Tia Haines.
Hi Tia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Let my family tell it, I’ve been baking since I was about 7 or 8 years old… different things from boxed brownies to cookies! For me, I would say the journey began in 2017. Mother’s Day was coming up and instead of buying something typical, I wanted to do something for all of the mothers in my life. Everyone in my family loves sweets, so I came up with the idea to turn their favorite desserts into cookies! I am a self-taught baker so of course, I did some research to see if it was even possible to do and found that it was by replacing certain ingredients with things that I knew they would like. My first batch of “dessert cookies” included Carrot Cake Cookies, Red Velvet Cookies, Banana Pudding Cookies, Key Lime Cookies, and Oreo Cheesecake Cookies and they were a HIT! And so begins Tee Tee’s Eateries!
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?
This road has been far from smooth! Running a business takes constant planning, constant preparation, and constant on the spot readiness! The business that I am running today is miles away from the business that I started in 2019. I had to learn how to constantly evolve with flavors, cosmetic details such as packaging and presentation, customer service (being able to adapt to the many personalities that a business owner can come into contact with), as well as adding and taking away different options based on the demand and whether or not it would be beneficial for me to add/keep or take away certain options. In the midst of all of that, learning to master my craft such as different recipes based on feedback from customers or my “taste testers” and presentation such as coloring, decorating, and shelf life.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I consider myself to be a home-baker extraordinaire! Being self-taught, I’ve done a lot of research and comparison of techniques to generate my own special way, or as I like to call it, the “Tee Tee Way.” I’m most known for my unique flavors but what sets me apart are my unique dessert cookies! I have mastered turning almost any dessert into a cookie and that is what I believe makes my bakery so unique! I’m most of proud of the progress that I have made from deciding to start a business to where I am now in my professionalism and the mastery of my dessert-making!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson that I have learned on this journey is to listen to my customers! My customers provide such great feedback that is always welcomed because I’m always looking for ways to improve and what better way than to get improvements straight from the source! A lot of times, I have found that customers give me advice without them even knowing that they have just by different polls that I post or things that they’ll send me to see if I am able to make. All in all, listening to my customers has been extremely beneficial.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @teetee.eats
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Email: TeeTeeEats@outlook.com
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Phone: (470) 437-2391
Image Credits
BG13 Media did my personal photo! He is an absolute dream to work with! IG: @BG13media
