Meet Tiffany Smith of The Bakesmith in Marietta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Smith.

Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like.
I had invited a friend over for lunch on her birthday and wanted something we could do to keep our hands busy while we talked. I’d seen a fun video of decorated sugar cookies on Facebook and thought I’d give it a try. I’d always stayed away from royal icing cookies because I’d had one once from a cookie bouquet and it tasted terrible! But the video looked fun so I gave it a try and I loved it so much I was hooked. Turns out fresh royal iced cookies are delicious! These were my very first cookies.

How I got to where I am today was a slow process. It started with giving away lots of cookies and slowly people started recommending me to friends and family outside of my own friends and family. I realized I wanted to really do this so I started looking into what I needed to start a business and quickly got overwhelmed. There was so much info out there and a lot of it was not very clear, and a lot of it cost money that I didn’t readily have. I wasn’t sure what licenses or certificates I needed and in what order I needed to get them in. So I reached out to another local baker that I had seen recommended frequently on social media but I was scared. She may see me as competition and tell me to take a hike and to figure it out on my own. But Kristi from Summit Sweets did the exact opposite. She welcomed me with open arms, walked me through the process, and even sent clients my way. I soon learned that the cookie world is full of wonderful men and women who love to create and are usually willing to help and support those in their community. I’d surely not be where I am today without my wonderful cookie friends and communities.

Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Is the road ever smooth? Haha. The road has had its highs and lows. Learning to juggle a growing business and taking care of my three active young boys, while dedicating time to my husband of 16 years and to the church I serve in was definitely a learning process. I had to learn to say no, make time for myself, and structure my days and stick to that structure.

Tell us about your business/company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
My business is The Bakesmith. I specialize in custom decorated sugar cookies but I also do cupcakes. I think what sets me apart is the amount of detail I put into my designs. I spend a lot of time on the little things that make the cookies extra special and often take on orders that other cookiers shy away from.

I also work hard to make sure my cookies taste good. If you order from me, your cookies will likely have been baked and decorated only the day before pick up. Royal icing takes about 12 hours to set before I can bag and package. All my cookies are individually bagged and sealed to ensure a soft, fresh cookie.

I also offer cookie decorating classes both for adults and for kids birthday parties.

What were you like growing up?
I’ve loved to create in the kitchen from an early age. My mother was a wonderful cook and baker. She raised six kids as a single parent so she taught us how to be self-sufficient in the kitchen. My first love was cheesecakes. I made my first cheesecake at age 12 and have found excuses to make them ever since. My husband and I throw a cheesecake party every year where we make loads of cheesecake and invite our friends over to eat it with us haha. I’ve dreamed of a little cheesecake shop one day, who knows, maybe it’ll still happen.

Pricing:

• Pricing starts at $3 per cookie

Contact Info:

• Email: TiffanyTheBakesmith@gmail.com
• Instagram: @TiffanyTheBakesmith
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebakesmithmarietta

 

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