Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittni Girk.
Hi Brittni, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I discovered my love for custom cookie decorating while at a local winery for a cookie decorating class. I was primarily there for the wine but much to my surprise, it turned out I had a knack for cookie decorating! I continued to hone my skills and develop my recipes by decorating sugar cookies for friends, family, and holiday events in the months following.
What started as a hobby and a form of relaxation and self-care quickly gained in popularity. During the pandemic, I found myself with a large amount of spare time and this allowed me to become serious about turning my hobby into a small business. Frosted KC LLC officially launched in July 2020.
Following the launch, orders started coming in faster than I could bake and decorate! This growth in my business allowed me to connect with those in my community, connect with other local small businesses but most importantly has connected me with organizations in which I can give back directly to the community that I serve.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As much as I would love to say it has been a smooth road, this business has come with its set of challenges. I continue to work a full-time, corporate job and I am a wife and mother to my four years old daughter, all of which place constraints on the time I am able to devote to my business. There have been lots of early mornings and late nights building this business from the ground up.
When I first started the business, I had a basic business understanding from my time in the corporate world but needed support in understanding my ideal customer, handling bookkeeping, licensing, marketing – really everything!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I believe every day should be celebrated and life is too short to eat average cookies! I specialize in custom sugar cookies hand-decorated with glaze icing. Glaze is a unique icing and is different from the commonly used royal icing as it does not include meringue powder and has a softer bite. This icing is one aspect that sets my cookies apart from other cookiers in the area.
As time has gone on, I have also developed recipes for classic cookies such as chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, lemon and the popular cookie cake which are available via online ordering with as little as 24-hour notice. During the fall/winter months, hot cocoa bombs are also available and make the perfect gift for teachers and coworkers!
Another unique aspect is my small business is that while it is woman-owned, I also have a full-time corporate career along with juggling being a wife and mom. In fact, part of why I started this company is that one day I realized I was living an average life and going through the motions. I realized I wasn’t being present in life and was staying within my comfort zone. Launching this business and having the courage to continually put myself out helps me come alive and truly feel like myself. I have a passion for supporting other women-owned small businesses as I believe there is more than enough room at the top for everyone as high tides raise all ships.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Just launching this business was a HUGE risk for me. I have always thrived on success in my corporate career but this was different. This was ME putting myself out there for everyone to see. My brain was full of the what-ifs. What if my cookies aren’t good enough, what if people don’t like them, what if I fail?! Yes, imposter syndrome came out in full force. But once I had the courage to do it, I found the payoff to be exhilarating.
I continue to feel things are risky the first time I do them. For example, I was invited to do a pop-up at a local, popular clothing boutique. The owner invited me in for a pop-up on a popular retail day. I remember driving to the store early that morning to set up my table and all my cookies thinking I was going to puke. Could I just turn around and go home? What if I don’t sell anything, what if people realize I don’t know what I’m doing, what if….”. And I had to remind myself of why I was doing this. I was doing this to show my daughter that we can do hard things. That your dream is only a dream if you don’t take action. That it is ok to be scared and stay true to yourself. Turned out I not only sold almost everything I brought, but I gained a multitude of new followers too.
By stepping out of my comfort zone and having to find the courage to take risks, I find that the outcoming is empowering and makes me feel alive. I continue to face risk on a regular basis. However, I have a strategy in place today for evaluating the risk, the payoff and the potential loss. Essentially, I will reflect on the risk to ensure it is not me standing in my own way out of fear.
Pricing:
- Custom Decorated Cookies start at $38/dozen
- Classic Cookies – $18/dozen
- Cookie Cakes – $6 individual size/$20 sharing size
- DIY Decorating Kits – $25
- Hot Cocoa Bombs – $6
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: frostedkc.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/frostedkcbakery
- Facebook: facebook.com/frostedkcbakery
