Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Asbill.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Courtney. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always loved baking. Some of my earliest memories involve baking with my mother, but I sort of fell into cookie decorating. A few years ago, I took an online cookie decorating class for fun, and I fell in love with the skill. I found “cookie flooding” to be soothing–almost therapeutic–so I kept it up! After baking and gifting cookies for friends and family for about a year and a half, I was finally convinced to start selling them. It took me a while to perfect my recipe (taste is very important to me) and develop my personal design style (tougher than you’d think), but in March of 2019, White Brick Baking Co. was born! I’ve been operating as a home bakery ever since.
I had no expectations for where this new venture would go, and I’ve been absolutely floored by the support I’ve received from my customers. I continue to operate as a very part-time business, only baking in the evenings and on weekends, but it’s been a blast. I’m so grateful that I get to run a business “for fun” while still maintaining a career that I love.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think starting up a new business always has it’s challenges, but I’ve had a relatively smooth road. My friends and family supported me from the very beginning, and I’ve gained new business quickly through social media and word of mouth in DFW area.
The most difficult thing for me has been balance. Because I’ve decided to take on this business as a part-time side hustle, weekends and holidays can be overwhelming. Intentional, slow growth has been difficult at times, but it’s a problem I’m fortunate to have.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
White Brick Baking Co. is a home-based cottage food business, specializing in custom cookies for any occasion. I primarily offer great-tasting sugar cookies, decorated to match my customer’s vision. Most often my cookies are featured at parties, showers, weddings or given as gifts, but I also offer seasonal holiday pre-sales with pre-set designs and occasionally, fun seasonal flavors.
I’m most proud of the way my cookies taste! Before I even started selling my cookies, I wanted to make sure they tasted good. If they were going to be sitting around my kitchen, I wanted them to be delicious! I’ve tweaked my recipe again and again, and I’ve ended up with a thick and buttery soft vanilla sugar cookie. All the experimenting makes it even more meaningful when my customers comment on the great taste.
One of my favorite things is seeing pictures of my cookies “out in the wild” at an event. It’s such a rewarding feeling and really makes all the effort worth it!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think the DFW area is a great place for businesses like mine. Fortunately, the state of Texas does a great job enabling home-based businesses to operate with limited restrictions, which gives me the flexibility to grow with few overhead costs.
As a lifelong Dallas native, I know the importance of a good get-together. I think we’ll always carve out people and things to celebrate–and if there’s a party, there’s got to be dessert. That’s where White Brick Baking Co. comes in!
Contact Info:
- Email: whitebrickbakingco@gmail.com
- Instagram: @whitebrickbaking
- Facebook: facebook.com/whitebrickbaking
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