Maddie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always enjoyed baking and being in the kitchen, whipping up something fun, new, and delicious. Even as a young girl, you could find me in the kitchen making something for my family to enjoy or using my Easy Bake Oven to pretend that I worked in a bakery. Baking is just an expression of my creativity and love as well as an extension of who I am.
It was only a hobby though until after I had my son in late 2016. Being a stay-at-home-mom was my ultimate calling and I have truly loved this season of life as a mom. Although, after surviving the newborn stage and inching toward toddlerhood at the time, I started to feel my creativity wanting an outlet. I needed something for myself again after becoming a mom. One day at the park with my son, I met a local mom baker who really inspired me to open my own home bakery. After talking with her and feeling so passionate about the idea of offering my baked goods as a business, Sweets by Maddie was created within a few days and it’s been an amazing experience since opening it.
I originally started out offering decorated sugar cookies to my mom friends but quickly it took off and within just a few short months, I was booking 2-3 weeks out at a time. Recently, I was named Nextdoor’s 2019 Neighborhood Favorite Bakery in Little Elm and Frisco, TX. In addition to custom decorated cookies, I also offer cookie cakes, custom decorating cookie kits, as well as several flavors of decorated cookies. Most of my advertising is word of mouth. I’m always looking to evolve and expand my skill set in the kitchen, so I’m constantly experimenting with new things.
I owe so much of my accomplishments and success to all of my amazing customers, friends and family, other bakers, and the community in which I live. I’m so deeply grateful and proud of where Sweets by Maddie has gone and where it continues to grow.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
While I’ve had so much amazing success and recognition within just the first year of opening Sweets by Maddie, it is not easy to juggle being a home baker and a stay-at-home-mom to a toddler. Some days I feel like I’m Superwoman and some days I’m just barely making it to my son’s bedtime, only to finish the three dozen cookies due that week after he goes to bed.
I do most of my baking, decorating and packaging when my son sleeps, and I feel so blessed to have a great sleeper, but that means I have to practice good boundaries and self-care. Sometimes that means taking less orders one month or building in mini cookie breaks so I don’t get burned out. Another struggle I encounter is how challenging it is to be a one-woman show. From the baking and decorating to the packaging and labeling, as well as to the photography and social media engagement, and the answering of emails and invoicing, it’s a lot of hats to wear, just like when you’re a mom. So I constantly feel like I’m wearing all different hats throughout the day. While it can be fun for me because it’s so varied and flexible, it can also be difficult to manage as well.
But, New York Times bestselling authors, Marc and Angel Chernoff said something that really resonated with me. “There’s a big difference between empty fatigue and gratifying exhaustion. Life is short. Invest in meaningful activities that move you.” Gratifying exhaustion is exactly how I feel when I think about where I am as a mom and home baker. I wouldn’t change it because they both bring me so much joy, happiness, and a lot of caffeine!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Sweets by Maddie is a home bakery that primarily offers custom decorated cookies, custom cookie cakes and decorating cookie kits. Most of my business is custom orders and holiday pre-orders. When the weather is nice outside, I also like to offer self-serve cookie porch pop-ups where people can stop by and purchase individual cookies–as little or as much as they want.
I’m most proud of the organic following and support that Sweets by Maddie has within the community. I’m so incredibly grateful for the continued trust that my customers have in me to create a small part for their special occasions and memories. Happiness is contagious and making my customers happy with baked goods and positive vibes brings me so much joy.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was typically doing something outdoors and it was usually with my sister, who is also one of my best friends in life. We did everything together, and still do, when we can. When I was growing up, I loved doing any kind of art-making, swimming, and getting together with my cousins for the holidays. I moved around a lot as a kid because of my dad’s career so I got to live in different states and travel a lot. It was always challenging to make new friends but moving around also provided me with a lot of new experiences and perspectives.
Pricing:
- Custom decorated cookies range from $36.00-$48.00 per dozen
- Cookie Cakes are $45.00
- I require a minimum of one dozen cookies for custom orders
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sweetsbymaddie.
com - Email: maddie@sweetsbymaddie.
com
Image Credit:
Professional photos by Lucy Glover and cookie photos by Maddie Edgerton.
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