Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Morris.
Hi Nicole, we’d love for you to share how you got started.
My story begins when I was a young girl. I was surrounded by these beautiful, black, strong, funny, loving women. I vividly remember being in awe of my mother, grandmother, and aunties without understanding what “awe” even meant! They were larger than life. And their “love language” was food, especially desserts. Funny thing is, the experience of watching five generations bake and maneuver around kitchens and ovens was so natural I never set out to make baking my life’s mission. It wasn’t a career path! That was just something to do at home.
I attended school, went on to college (Henderson State Reddie and proud of it), and, like many women in my generation, took a job in corporate America.
On paper, I spent 20 years as a Supply Chain/Logistic Transformation Executive. Basically, I was good (very good) at making sure projects flowed seamlessly from point A to point Z. Maybe I learned this from watching the women in my life maneuver through challenges and circumvent obstacles with grace and determination, but I handle the moving parts of any situation with meticulous precision. I’m proud of that. I have always been good with numbers, measuring risk vs. reward, finding solutions, and resolving issues. I used these soft skills and higher education (I earned my MBA and BBA at Henderson) to climb a few ladders in the freight (transportation) industry. I also developed a thick skin, honed leadership skills, made connections, developed contacts, and learned how to navigate business from all angles. When I hit the ceiling I no longer wanted to crash through, I pivoted. My goals changed, my priorities shifted. I wanted something different from life. Family, quality of life, financial independence, and personal growth became my mission.
After carefully considering my options and following a brief stint as a logistics coordinator for a dessert company, I sat down with my husband and business partner, Ron. We agreed: We have the time, resources, drive, business model, and all the necessary ingredients -pun intended- to launch what is now Lucy Pearl’s Sweets. The bakery started at a local farmer’s market! Our desserts were so popular, and we built such a huge following, we outgrew that location! It was time for the next step. I always think, what’s next? That is so necessary. I want more and more business owners to adopt that mentality! Where do we go from here? What will we do differently? How do we reinvent ourselves and still stay on message? I ask myself these questions every single day!
But I digress!
Ron and I drew up a business plan, laid out the “logistics, assembled investors, found a brick-and-mortar location, and launched Lucy Pearl’s Sweets in what is arguably the most popular, burgeoning cultural food and arts center in the fourth-largest city in the country: my beloved H-town!
These days, we bake. All day. Our amazing team, Ron and me. Bake. Create. Host. Cater. Customize designer cakes for any occasion and celebrate local schools and teams. We live for holidays, events, and special occasions because that is where Lucy Pearl’s thrives! We sponsor community events, support local charities, and encourage people to appreciate the joy of baking. We set out to be more than just another bakery. We want to be considered leaders in our community, a place to go where folks feel at home, welcome and loved. We want to be a benchmark for diversity while always showing appreciation for “the culture” that builds us strong! We are determined to be the go-to in Houston, Texas, the country, for desserts that feed the soul and the heart.
I started out in awe of a legacy, and now I do everything in my power to continue that legacy. I could not–COULD NOT––do this without our incredible family’s love, support, and help. They didn’t sign up for this, but man, they never disappoint. And I can pay them in cake, so, win-win!
It wasn’t easy. Still ain’t easy. Some days I second guess if I even want to get out of bed to start baking at 4:00 a.m.! But when you have a passion, a vision, and a meaningful mission, nothing should stop you (not even your own fears). If you want it, work hard, and go get it, even if you have to take it. No one will ever stop what is meant for you.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The typical challenges litter the journey. I am an educated, confident, determined, black woman. And I do not apologize for that. That doesn’t always play well in the C-suite. Most male managers and even some employees didn’t always believe I should be in a position of power. That saying about working twice as hard to get half as far? Yeah, that is not a myth.
Even as a business owner, I am often second-guessed. I don’t usually earn respect until I break down a business plan, balance sheet, or contract, to the granular level. It’s usually at that point you see the look in their eyes. “Oh, she does get it, she really is in charge.” The fact that I still have to prove myself because of my race and gender is annoying, but it is what it is. You roll with the punches, brush the hate off your shoulders, and move on. My team and I have cakes to bake and a business to run. I can’t stop and cater to anyone’s doubt.
You give up a lot when you have your eyes focused on a prize, whatever that prize may be. You miss time with family, you lose sleep, and your health might even suffer. Your family may understand, but you have to live with the guilt that you are forcing them to deal with and accept a situation they did not ask to be in. That’s a reality a lot of people don’t acknowledge.
I am grateful for a supportive family, friends, and followers who put up with a whole lot so that Lucy Pearl’s Sweets can be a reality.
We’ve been impressed with Lucy Pearl’s Sweets, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Lucy Pearl’s Sweets is my baby. We are located in Post Houston in the heart of Houston’s downtown.
We started (unofficially) in late 2018. Great story.
I was asked by my Pastor to purchase a cake for a repast (funeral reception). Instead of buying dessert, I pulled out a couple of recipes passed down from mom and introduced the Betty Lou cake (which is a coconut, sour cream, pineapple creation named after my aunt), and a homemade German chocolate cake. They were huge hits! Our fellow church-members, along with friends and family encouraged us to begin selling our cakes on a larger scale.
I created Lucy Pearl’s business model by adapting recipes passed down from my mother, Sherry Lucille, and aunts. These recipes were literally written on the backs of envelopes and cards and had no measurements or directions to follow! I had to figure it out by taste, and memory. I used my five senses chile, and had to adjust by using actual measurements. For example, I had to go through about 100 iterations of the Betty Lou to get it right!
When we were invited to be part of the Post Houston opening, we were confident that our business would be the perfect complement to the amazing restaurants that would line that food market. We bring it home with southern-style desserts. Cakes, pies, cookies, macaroons, cheesecake, lemon bars, cake pops. We bake seasonally as well. There are some cakes and pies you will only see for the summer, or for certain holidays.
Our success is contingent upon so many things. We are in a PRIME spot in Post. Dead center. You cannot walk the market without passing our bakery. We were also allowed to build out with a counter. That is so important to me because growing up, so many “life” conversations happened at a counter in my mom’s kitchen, over a piece of cake or pie. I wanted to keep that connection, that feeling I used to have with my mom at that counter inside Lucy Pearl’s. Each day, we interact with every customer from the moment they arrive at the display case, choose their dessert, talk with them about who we are, share personal stories, and hand them a bag with their favorite dessert. No other location can say that.
We are proud of everything we create but I gotta tell ya, our designer cakes are the crown jewels of our brand. Our customers now know their baker, and they can literally call me directly to say I want a special cake for a celebration, and we can accommodate them! Keto, vegan, special colors, designs. We cater to food allergies, we honor different religions. We want everyone to celebrate with a piece of cake!
We have six signature items: Banana pudding cake, the Atomic, Lemon Poppy, Brooklyn Blackout, Sherry Strawberry (named after my mom), and the Betty Lou. We do so much business selling these creations whole! Our slices are popular but we were surprised at how many orders we get daily for an entire cake, and we love it.
I want customers to know we use REAL ingredients, no preservatives, we are about quality, not quantity, and we are artists and sensitive about our work. We have custom cake decorators and bakers with culinary backgrounds that prepare theme cakes that look AND taste good. More importantly, we listen to what our customers want, right down to special requests.
Ultimately, we want to recreate the nostalgia people feel when they have a cake like “momma used to make.”
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
This industry is poised for growth. There is no doubt in mind. Dessert is comfort, it’s a treat, and it is what people eat to feel good. It is rare to find any diner who does not complement a good meal with their favorite sweets.
We saw the desire for desserts explode during the pandemic. People were home, all day, all night, and feeling scared, and uncertain. So many people were calling for specialty desserts just as a way to cheer themselves up and give their families something to smile about. It was so meaningful to be able to contribute in some way to the lives of people who needed comfort.
So, if history is any guide, I do not see this industry slowing in the near future.
I do anticipate, and Lucy Pearl’s is already ahead of the curve, that dessert will become healthier. More vegan, more keto, diabetic friendly, and so forth. Smaller portions with a big taste and more varieties of desserts (like our cake pops, macaroons, and lemon bars) will become popular trends.
The bottom line, we are ready to adapt to whatever changes the industry will present!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lucypearls.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucypearlssweets/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucyPearlsSweets
