Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Olivia Weems, founder of Livie's Bakes 'n' Jams, located in Loganville, GA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Hello there! My name is Olivia! I'm a luxury baker that specializes in elegant cakes, decadent desserts, and handcrafted jams. I believe that you don't need to wait for a special occasion to have an elegant and blissful cake. Being alive is more than enough to celebrate!

My goal is to share God's love through my baked goods and jams. People should enjoy the quality taste, presentation, and customer service experience because that is so hard to find nowadays. I promise that my baked goods will bring a smile to your face when you bite into it. If I can bring a smile to your face by "Making Your Day Just a Bit Sweeter," then I count that all as joy in my eyes. I'm located in Loganville, Ga, so if you ever need a wonderful and tasteful cake or baked goods. I'm your girl!

Tell us about yourself

I went to Athens Tech and achieved my Pastry/ Bread Arts Certificate. I have three years of corporate bakery experience. I strive to give all of my clients the best customer service baked good experiences from texture to taste to presentation. They deserve the very best quality!

I started my business back in April of 2020 (during quarantine). I went into my parents' closet and found an unused jam maker ( it was still in the box too!), and I made my first strawberry jam. My parents, siblings, and even neighbors loved it. It made my heart full of joy to know that it made others smile, and I continued to work more and more on it. I made all kinds of jams too. Strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, jalapeno, and so much more.

Sadly, when I wanted to become a cake decorator at the bakery I worked at for three years, they declined me several times. Why? I may never know that answer. Despite that I taught myself to decorate, they still denied me to progress in that field. I can't tell you how many times I went to bed in tears, every time the manager either yelled at me or didn't acknowledge my request to be a cake decorator. But that didn't stop me from pursuing the dream that I wanted to come true in my life.

Finally, I said I had enough, and God told me to move. On February 14th of, 2021, I resigned from my job at the corporate bakery. Not only to pursue my dream to be a renowned luxury baker, because that was what God directed my life to go. To share His love through my baked goods and handcrafted jams. I also craft my goods to help people remember the better memories in their life whenever they indulge in my baked goods.

"Oh, Come Taste and See that the Lord is Good. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him." -Psalm 34:8

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Starting... I will never regret the day of putting in my resignation letter. I will never regret getting my food license. Because at the end of the day, this is one of the proudest achievements in my life.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I would have to say being the only person running this baking business can be hard, especially when you have a lot of orders to get done in one week, from cakes and jams to brownie orders and cookie cakes. Thankfully, I have my family that supports and helps me. The number of times that my older sister would stay up with me until I was done baking or my parents who brought back bulk butter for me... That's something I will never forget. I thank God for them every day.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

One of the hardest aspects of being a business owner is getting your name out there, pricing yourself correctly, and researching to make your business stand out. I remember when I first started, I had such a hard time pricing my goods to their actual worth.

  1. Pricing Your Worth. Take, for example, my jams. I only use four simple ingredients (sugar, a touch of butter, the chosen fruit, and pectin) that not only taste amazing but it doesn't have any unnecessary additives, like high fructose corn syrup or dyes that could harm my consumers. Unlike the jam, you might have a grocery store that has all these unnecessary additives and sugars that aren't good for you. I only want to give my clients the best quality possible, but that also means that I must price it according to its worth.
  2. Getting Your Name Out There. Another aspect I must mention is gathering your reoccurring clients. You could have the best product ever made known to man, but if you don't tell people about your business or if they don't talk about it to other people, then it goes nowhere. Marketing is key because if you don't make an effort to share your business, who will?
  3. DO YOUR RESEARCH! I have met other business owners who didn't take the face of business seriously, from the presentation, to the taste/ quality of the product, to the customer service. No matter what business you are in, these 3 points are vital to running a professional company. If you treat it as a hobby, then that's all it will ever be. You never want to go into something and not do your research. That could have terrible consequences.

If you have a passion for it and what to get paid for what you love doing, then make a business out of it; however, running a business isn't for the faint of heart. You're going to have to want it more than anyone else because no one will run the business better than you.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Don't be afraid of change and taking that first step on the path God has for you. It took me three years to figure out that being in a corporate bakery wasn't for me, that I wanted more out of my life. I encourage you to do the same.

Now I am making elegant cakes, blissful desserts, and handcrafted jams for all to enjoy. I even get to ship these items across the lower 48 states of the US.

It's never too late to start that dream, no matter what age you are. Put your life and heart in God's hands, and I promise you that everything will be alright.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.liviesbakesnjams.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liviesbakesnjams
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liviesbakesnjams/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.