Today we’d like to introduce you to Deanna Lester
Hi Deanna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Panther City Cookie Co. was brought to life during a time when I really needed a creative outlet. My husband and I were in the thick of our 3 year long battle with infertility and I was looking for something to occupy my mind during that difficult season. I was scrolling TikTok one day and someone had uploaded a video of them decorating a sugar cookie. As cliche as it sounds, I felt so much peace just watching this video. I started looking at other videos of cookie decorating and before long I had talked myself into buying the ingredients needed to make my first set. The rest is truly history! I have a village behind me that believes in my vision and they allowed me to practice on them for their kids’ birthday parties, baby and wedding showers, and of course the major holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day. I hit the ground running and never looked back. I took a break once I finally got pregnant to give myself some time to enjoy the moment. Working two jobs was very time consuming and I needed to dial back a little bit. Once our son was born I made my decision to quit my day job and now do cookies full time! Being able to do something I’m passionate about while also gaining the flexibility to keep our son at home has been the biggest blessing and I don’t take it for granted. I am greatly fulfilled by seeing the joy that cookies can bring to all those who place orders with me and I’m so excited to see where the future takes Panther City Cookie Co.!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m not sure if there’s such a thing as a smooth road when it comes to owning your own business! We all have our own challenges. For me specifically, I had to learn and grow a skill that doesn’t come easily to many. Cookies are a difficult art medium and there’s a lot that can go wrong. From icing consistencies to icing colors bleeding into each other, the science behind baking and decorating sugar cookies comes with time, trial and error. I do think I caught on quickly but I also poured many hours into perfecting my craft and developing my signature recipes. Additionally, anytime you’re a “people pleaser” and taking orders from the general public, there’s some stress involved with making sure you provide the best product possible for your client. Striving for excellence is what makes me good at what I do, though. I have learned to take the things I once considered my challenges and turn them into the building blocks of my strengths.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As a cookier, my specialty is sugar cookies and royal icing decorating. However, I am also known to never turn down a challenge and I love getting asked to help with things that force me outside of my box. Just recently, I made my first gender reveal cake for some friends and I have been getting comfortable with cookie pops! (It’s like a cake pop but made with cookies and not cake.) I would like to think that what sets me apart from others is that I try to develop relationships with my customers. I’m friends on Facebook with many of them so that I can watch that baby grow up from the baby shower set I did last year, or send a happy anniversary message to the couple I designed wedding cookies for. In the grand scheme of things, cookies may be small. But to me, cookies build relationships and help me put food on my table! They’re a big deal in my household.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My husband, Josh, is always my number one supporter. He is always encouraging me to push myself harder while reminding me how far I’ve come and how proud of me he is. He is often coming home from working long hours to help me package large orders or take over baby duty (we have a 6 month old currently!) so that I can work at night. He also helps with my social media and website when I hit my max capacity for the week.
I should also note that I have amazing family and friends who share my business with anyone who will listen. I would be nowhere without their willingness to be my walking, talking business cards!
Pricing:
- Custom Sugar Cookies starting at $45/dozen
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.PantherCityCookieCo.com
- Instagram: @panthercitycookieco
- Facebook: Panther City Cookie Co.
