Daily Inspiration: Meet Brianna Braun

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brianna Braun.

Hi Brianna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Decorated sugar cookies are something that I have always loved to create; but, it was more of a Christmas time tradition. I would bake and decorate with my mom as a young girl, then it became a tradition to do with one of my best friends as a young adult. We spent several Christmas seasons perfecting a sugar cookie and frosting recipe that we are so proud of! After several years of trying out different decorating techniques and becoming proud of my work, I started posting pictures of my creations on social media and gained attraction of friends and families who would ask me to bake for them here and there.

As a stay-at-home mom during the isolating “covid” days, it was clear to me that I needed an outlet for myself to release some creativity while being home. While life slowed down, it certainly didn’t stop and people were still celebrating milestones in their lives and needed some goodies to share! Remembering my pictures on socials, I started receiving interest in cookies for their events and with that, Sugar Mama Cookie Co. was born. It was the perfect way for me to stay home with my kids, but also put my creativity to use. Being a part of special events in others lives has been an absolute privilege.

In April 2024, I was diagnosed with celiac disease. This is an autoimmune disease that is controlled through a strict gluten free diet. With that, I have converted my whole kitchen to a gluten free space to be able to bake for those who also require a strict gluten free diet. While it was a huge pivot for my business, my customers have been unwavering and for that, I am truly grateful.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My cookie journey has been one that I would have never anticipated. I am a former elementary school teacher so starting a business was all new to me! I have created so many new friendships and have enjoyed decorating so many different themes. As any small business goes, it hasn’t always been easy. Keeping up with the rising costs of ingredients and supplies has been quite a struggle. Maintaining a cost for my customers to be happy with while also making sure my time and supplies are covered has been tricky to manage.

Another struggle was converting my recipe to a gluten free one. Gluten free flour is a different texture than wheat flour and with that, it was bake and check for a while until I got the measurements right. I love my tried and true customers and losing them over a gluten free recipe was going to be heartbreaking, so making sure my recipe was good enough for all to eat was a challenge I needed to accept. To my surprise, many customer enjoy my gluten free recipe more and for me, that is a huge win.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Sugar Mama Cookie Co. is a small in home business that follows the Michigan Cottage Food law. This allows me to bake and sell cookies out of my home, but also limits me to local orders only. I specialize in decorated sugar cookies for events including, but not limited to, bridal and baby showers, birthdays, retirement parties, and holidays. I always get so excited with new themes or when I have a return customer with a new milestone. A bride I did bridal shower cookies for, now needs baby shower cookies. A mama I did baby shower cookies for, now has a one year old–these are the moments I find such joy in!

After my celiac disease diagnosis, it became my mission to provide delicious gluten free treats that are celiac safe, meaning zero gluten in the ingredients but also no cross contamination in my kitchen. This recipe is what I am most proud of–those who aren’t on a gluten free diet are able to enjoy my cookies without noticing a difference in my recipe. Most people have the idea in their mind that if cookies are pretty, they can’t be good. Hearing their reaction to my chewy gluten free cookie will always remind me that what I’m doing is where I am supposed to be.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I absolutely love getting out in my community! While i specialize mostly in personal orders, being a part of markets and events is a huge privilege for me. Contacting me via email is always the best way to reach out to me ([email protected]), but following along and sharing my cookie journey on instagram and facebook is a wonderful way to support my small business. I often share my creations to showcase my work but also will post holiday pre-orders on there to take part in.

Pricing:

• Custom orders ranging from $55-70

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @sugarmama_cookieco
• Facebook: Sugar Mama Cookie Co.