Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Gerde.
Hi Emily, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Sugar cookies for me began as a tradition, then into a hobby, and eventually into a business. My husband’s family is very German and with that come a lot of traditions! His Grandma Delores was known for her cooking and baking – especially the German dishes (which I am still working on perfecting myself). One of her famous recipes and their beloved traditions, was making and decorating these delicious, soft, sugar cookies. The whole family would get together to bake, decorate, and laugh together – it was one of everyone’s Christmas highlights. When Grandma Delores passed, I was blessed to receive a book of all her wonderful recipes – the sugar cookies included! We loved the tradition so much, that we continued to make her cookies each Christmas and yet again, it became a highlight for our own little family. My two boys are ages 9 and 7 now, but they still love making sugar cookies each Christmas.
As a stay at home mom of 2 boys, I spent most of my days busy running around taking care of them, our two dogs, the house, and much more! One of the things I loved to do was host themed parties – whether it be a holiday party with friends or birthday parties. I’ve always loved the idea of making my kid’s cakes. I went to school for Interior Design and Retail Merchandising and took several years of art, so being creative is in my blood and I have a passion for it. I began to dabble in creating the beautiful cakes and cookies that I had seen on social media and Pinterest. I taught myself techniques through videos, downloaded tutorials, and played with different recipes. Needless to say, I fell in love. However, I was never quite smitten with any of the sugar cookie recipes I had found because I wanted to keep that soft texture – and that’s when Grandma Delores’s cookie recipe came into play. She never used the traditional Royal Icing used for this style of cookies, so I had to tweak that part of her recipe. I began creating fun themed cookies for the parties I hosted as a way to practice – and of course, because it was fun! People began asking me where I got the cookies, complementing on their design, and most of all their unique and delicious soft taste. My family and friends started then to encourage me to do more with these cookies than just at my own parties. I had no idea what that looked like or if I had the time in my busy home life with my two young boys.
Fast forward a couple years, and in 2022 when my boys started going to Preschool I began researching what it would look like to have my own sugar cookie business. I started small, with a couple posts on Facebook. I was surprised with the feedback and business I was getting. From there I created a very basic website and began down the road of owning my own business. As my boys have grown and are now in school full time, I have been able to open up my schedule and take on many more orders. Since then, I’ve upgraded my website, created a business Facebook page, and registered Emazing Cookies by Em with the state. I’ve had orders from baby showers, birthdays, weddings, and even some large corporate orders. I don’t focus too much on advertising, so most of my business comes from word of mouth. It’s kept me consistently busy these last few years and I am continuing to learn more each day. I get to do something I love, meet so many wonderful people, and it also allows me to have the time with my family, so it really is a win win situation!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part I would say yes, it has been a smooth road. Of course it wasn’t perfect and there were a couple little bumps, but that mostly came from my inexperience of owning a business. I operate under the North Dakota Cottage Law, so there was a lot of reading and learning that had to go into making sure I was going about things the right way. It felt overwhelming at times, and I did have a couple moments where I wondered “Is this worth it? Can I even do this?”. There were also challenges in figuring out how to go about selling, how much to charge, what all to offer, etc. I pushed through with the support of my husband, family, and friends and I’m glad I did, because it has definitely been worth some of the long days.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As mentioned before, I went to school for Retail Merchandising, with a minor in both Interior Design and Business. My husband was in Medical School at the time and after he graduated we moved around a bit due to his training. I had worked at both Corporate Offices as well as in stores as a Department Head, but it became increasingly difficult to hold these types of jobs when we were moving every couple years. At this time, I decided to forgo continuing in that direction and go back to working in the restaurant industry as it was easier to navigate with my husband’s schedule. Each place I worked, I was able to work my way up to Assistant Manager and at one location, I helped open up their first restaurant in the area and became their In-Store Trainer for all the new staff. I’ve always enjoyed working with people and I’ve always made customer service a priority in any job that I’ve done. I would say that is one of the things I am most proud of. What sets Emazing Cookies apart from some other sugar cookie companies is the experience that comes with it. I strive to connect with my customer to really see and feel what they are looking for in their cookie collections. You might say “It’s just cookies…” but to me, it’s a centerpiece of the party or event – and that makes it more than just “a cookie”. I create an open dialogue with all my customers, sketch out an idea of their order, and ensure they get to make changes if need be until we get to their perfect collection. I continue to get new customers all the time, but I’m proud to say I have a great deal of return customers. It makes me happy and feel honored to know that I am being asked to be a part of their special occasions.
Pricing:
- $60 per dozen Royal Icing Cookies
- $65 per dozen Buttercream Icing Cookies
- $10 for a special packaged single cookie
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emazingcookiesbyem.com
- Instagram: @loveofemcreations
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loveofemcreations
