Relationships over riches
“It’s easier to fit a camel through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the gates of heaven.”
We’ve all heard that phrase before. It’s a reflection into the hunger for greed and how it will always take you onto a path of self-destruction. When I created my business it stemmed from a deep passion for art and a fond memory of early childhood years baking with my grandmother. It was always personal. It was always rooted in meaning.
To be honest, most of my initial years in business I had no idea what I actually wanted. I was doing something fun and creative and I loved encouraging others to take up a new hobby. I loved meeting new people and having the opportunity to share their special life moments together. I remember doing a bridal shower cookie class…where the group was making cookies to freeze for their wedding day. It was such a beautiful concept filled with meaning and togetherness. Imagine having cookies at your wedding that were all made by someone special to you. Each one carrying quirks that signify the individual who made them. How sentimental is that?!
When I opened my studio in January a vision slowly formed. I felt at a strange point in history where togetherness felt like the golden needle hiding in the haystack-elusive and almost impossible to find. When we got to sit down with customers (or stand!) we had so many opportunities to hear about personal lives, laugh, own our mistakes and grow together in unique ways. We watched dads and their kids build and get creative together in moments they’ll likely never forget. We watched moms get celebrated over mothers day. We played bingo and brought joy for no other reason than to share in the brief moments of “togetherness.” You are all far more than just “customers” but “stakeholders” into who we are becoming.
So what makes me rich? It isn’t a dollar sign. It’s not what we make, it’s HOW we make it. I can never put a value to these sacred moments because they are priceless. I don’t want to be remembered some day as just a cookie decorating studio...but as a place where our cookies were simply the vessel to connection. Where community and expression were given the freedom, security and space to grow. We carry something that can’t be duplicated because authenticity and soul are, and always will be, unique. And let me just say….we are PROUD to be the very first of our kind in Southeastern Wisconsin.
