Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriela Prall.
Gabriela, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started baking cookies back in 2016 in McAllen, TX. As a stay-at-home mom, I tried so many different things before cookies; I wanted to find something I could do to earn a little extra money for my family, I tried making and selling hair bows, handmade dresses, even furniture and wall pictures using wood pallets, little crafts here and there, etc., but those ideas were a no-go every single time.
One day, my husband asked me to bake and decorate some birthday cookies for one of his friends; at first, I thought it was a joke since I wasn’t much of a baker, but he truly believed I could make some since I’ve always been pretty crafty.
So, I went on the internet to look for recipes YouTube tutorials, and I started asking questions to friends and family about how could I make these cookies happen.
After I made my first set of cookies everyone seemed to be impressed by them. I was even impressed myself, but in all honesty, I go back and look at pictures of my first cookies and I’m so embarrassed.
After proudly posting those first cookies on Facebook, my friends started asking if I could make themed cookies for them and sell them. So I did!
My advertising was Facebook, Instagram, and good old “word to mouth”. As the cookie demand kept growing, I started investing on equipment, and tools that helped me start my little business.
We moved to Conroe back in February 2020; we love this area and the friends we have made here.
So far, I do not have the amount of customers I had back in McAllen; I feel like the cookie business is a though one sometimes, with so many different bakers and prices around the area.
But that doesn’t discourage me from doing what I love. There’s always something about your specific work and attention to detail that will attract the right people to your business.
Last year, I had the opportunity to be at a vendor’s market at the local brewery B52, and I got the opportunity to promote my business a little more.
As my only “employee” and a mother of 3, I have learned to take only the orders I can handle so I can continue to do what I love without having to experience burnout or missing out on family time; after all, they are the reason I started this.
I thank God for allowing me to find the special “skill” I was searching for.
Cookie baking and decorating has brought joy to my life, but it has also bring self-worth, maturity, structure, and accountability, and I’m thankful for that.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth ride, carpal tunnel and back pain, new eyesight prescriptions, and lack of sleep are a few of the things we homebakers put ourselves through. From wanting to take on as many orders as possible or not wanting to say no to your precious customers, cookie decorating is hard work, especially during the holidays! A single cookie can take a long time to make depending on the details it requires and that leaves you stranded on that chair for hours when you have dozens and dozens of cookies to make. I also struggled so much balancing my working time, with my “mom” time but I’ve learned to manage better through the years.
Having to raise your cookie prices is a struggle as well because of the continuous rise of prices; it discourages a lot of your customers from wanting to place an order for custom cookies.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make custom sugar cookies with royal icing. My cookies are made from scratch in my home kitchen. Butter/vanilla are the cookies of preference for many of my clients. They all are individually packaged and sealed in cello bags to maintain their freshness. I have done many different cookie themes, from birthdays, cartoon characters, bridal showers to bands and TV shows. I like to give everything a try. Every time someone places an order with a new theme I haven’t done, I take it as a challenge to come up with a set that will satisfy my customer.
What’s next?
I plan to make cookies as long as the demand continues… I would like to be part of more vendor market events in the community this coming year; the local Nutcracker market here in Montgomery County is one of the venues I aspire to be part of!
Pricing:
- Basic cookies start at $48 per dozen. Price will increase depending on the details the set requires.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/justhandmadewithlove?igshid=YzAwZjE1ZTI0Zg==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057256886798&mibextid=LQQJ4d
