Taylor Beard is cashing in on her hobby. A junior public relations major at Florida A&M University, Beard’s hobby — and passion — is baking.
With deserts ranging from red velvet cake pops to chocolate chip walnut cookies, Beard is beginning to make a name for herself and for her business.
“Baking has been a hobby for me for about six years now. I was inspired to turn it into a business the summer after my freshman year. A friend of mine was begging me to make her some cookies and said that she would pay me. I posted a picture on Facebook and ended up getting so many people asking if I was taking orders. I started making enough money to pay my bills,” Beard said.
She said that while being a full-time student, working a regular job, and doing extracurricular activities, running a business has been a learning experience.
“It’s been nice to compare my work from when I first started and seeing how far I’ve already come. With everything I do, I’ve been learning balance. Sometimes I have to take a step back a little from my business, but that’s OK.”
The desserts usually cost $9 a dozen with the exception of holiday specials, but more importantly, Beard enjoys seeing the looks on people’s faces as they try her special treats for the first time.
“It makes me feel good that I can satisfy people enough to the point they become regular customers,” Beard said.
After speaking with one of those clients, it became clear that customer satisfaction played a huge part in the growth of this business.
“I had some Christmas cookies made last year and they were absolutely delicious. They really, really made my Christmas. I couldn’t thank Taylor enough,” said Patti Miller, who was a first-time customer of the Cookie Galore Bakery business at the time.
Another customer said that Beard’s desserts were good enough to want to fight over.
“Everything she makes is great, but her cookies are so good I thought I was going to start crying. They’re really rich in flavor,” said Linsey Britton, a close friend of Beard’s.
While public relations is her top priority, Beard hopes to open a bakery of her own one day.
For now, anyone interested in trying some of those delicious desserts can contact @cookiegalorebakery on Instagram or email cookiegalorebakery@gmail.com