Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Hutchings.
Hi Sarah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As a native Austin-ite, I naturally gravitated back to Austin after graduating from college. I met my husband Jeff and we have now been married for 18 years and have two daughters Hannah (15) and Morgan (13). In November 2018, my professional career with a National Non-profit organization of 16 years came to a screeching halt when my position was eliminated due to organizational restructuring. I was shocked and after closing the door on all my responsibilities and saying goodbye to many, many dear friends, co-workers and volunteers, it was time to reflect on what was next. The only problem was I wasn’t sure what was next or where to start in that journey of figuring that out. I allowed myself to slow down and just catch up on life, family time and that ongoing list of things to do around the house. While it was a nice break from the stress and long hours of working full-time, I knew there was something else for me! I have always loved baking so I decided to go in the complete opposite direction and work at a local bakery in Round Rock. I absolutely loved it and learned so much, but I found myself after about seven months feeling like this wasn’t what was next for me in my journey and it was time to move on and continue the self-discovery. Then we all know what happened in early 2020! Then in May 2020 as with the rest of world, I wanted to do something special for my daughters and their friends who were “graduating” from middle and elementary school. I have always been interested in learning how to decorate sugar cookies with royal icing so I watched a ton of YouTube videos and bought a few things off of Amazon and made my first set of decorated sugar cookies to celebrate completing 5th and 8th grade. They turned out okay, but as a perfectionist, I was very unsure about my skills and really wasn’t thinking I could turn this interest into a business. Then in September 2020, I took another stab at making a few sets of cookies for a friend’s birthday and another friend’s new baby and was hooked! With the push from my daughters, I knew I had to master this art and turn this into a business.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road hasn’t been super rocky, but certainly some hiccups! It’s challenging when you have been doing something for 16 years to completely flip your course and take on something brand new. Initially, it was a struggle to learn the trade and feel confident in what I was making to consider taking orders. Once I started taking orders, it was like the flood gates opened and it was full speed ahead! One area I still experience struggles with since I am only a little over a year into my business is carving out time to really set up my business for success and remember, I am not just making and selling cookies I am running a business too!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I create custom sugar cookies decorated with royal icing that are great for any occasion! They are like small pieces of art in edible form! What I love most about decorating sugar cookies is how creative and personalized you can get with each set. Most customers order around two dozen cookies so that allows for a lot of creativity in the designs. I never really considered myself an artist, but I have always been crafty. This new venture has allowed me to really tap into the artist inside me! I love creating cookies that are present at occasions where people are celebrating. It truly warms my heart to be a part of that.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
At this time in my life as a now small business owner, I honestly define success as doing good quality work and making customers happy! It’s also important to me that my daughters see drive, passion and hard work in their mom so I want them to see my success and know they can pursue what they love and what brings them joy.
Pricing:
- Custom cookie orders start at $40 per dozen for a basic design. Most sets typically run more around $45 a dz due to design details requested.
Contact Info:
- Email: sarahssprinklescookies@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahssprinkles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahssprinklescookies
- Other: https://linktr.ee/SarahsSprinkles
