Check Out Sharon Johnson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Johnson.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Some of my fondest memories growing up originated in our family kitchen. My sister and I were privileged to have a Creole mother (a nurse), that loved to cook authentic dishes and desserts, (gumbos, etouffees, jambalayas, pralines, meringue pies, soul food, etc.). Our wonderful dad made homemade garlic herb biscuits from scratch when he came home from work daily. The memory of smelling all the amazing aromas of home has remained with me over the years.

Because of experiences like these, our childhood was filled with great food, family and friends constantly gathered around our dinner table.

In addition, my maternal grandmother had been a sous chef at prestigious venues in New Orleans and my paternal aunts owned a hotel and restaurant on Main Street in Biloxi. Good food has always been a huge part of my heritage.

Initially, I didn’t follow that path. When I grew up, I was intrigued by the world of business and went that route instead. Throughout my career, I held a variety of corporate and executive-level positions in multiple industries.

Eventually, I became bored, disconnected, and felt like I was settling. I knew it was time for me to step out and start my own business. I became a business consultant to Fortune 500 and startup companies. I spent years consulting and helping other people scale and build thriving businesses. During that time, I was able to observe firsthand the challenges and victories of developing a company.

Over the years I started other companies of my own, (I also helped my husband launch and build a successful radiology tech company).

Several of my personal businesses flourished, and others faded fast. But fear of failure was never an option. Learning to work through the moments of self-doubt and/or uncertainty was necessary for me to move forward.

In 2019, through divine inspiration, the Lord guided me to start my current company, Shareden Sweet Confections, (a premium macaron and gourmet pastry company). Literally taking me back to my family roots and allowing me to rekindle, develop and express my passion and heritage of delicious food.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Owning and operating any business is a tremendous responsibility. Starting Shareden Sweet Confections in the midst of a pandemic, brought about many obvious and some not so obvious challenges.

Being an entrepreneur is tough, being a minority woman entrepreneur, makes it even tougher. Factor in a lack of resources, a new normal (exacerbated by Covid-19), limited access to funding and it became even more challenging.

However, I was up for the challenge and wrote my business plan, relying on my experience and business acumen to start SSC.

I understood the many facets required to run a business. This meant either wearing a bunch of hats or hiring people with the specific talents needed.

As a former business consultant, I was fortunate to know what it took to plug the holes. I learned to leverage platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and other non-traditional resources to acquire talent to fill the gaps.

The best part of my journey to date has been the growth, knowledge, and experience gained and the incredible business relationships and loyal customer communities we’ve established along the way.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Recognizing I really loved to bake and create unique deserts was significant in developing my vision for the company. I took a deep dive into pastry arts and studied under the tutelage of a world-renowned pastry chef and gleaned from other talented European pastry chefs I had been introduced to. I took what I learned in techniques and started to develop my own vision.

Shareden Sweet Confections (SSC) started as a cottage food bakeshop focused on creating and selling our signature artisan macarons and gourmet desserts largely inspired by our family’s French-Creole heritage. We progressed to a state-licensed artisan baked goods wholesale and retail company, selling direct to customers, and wholesale to bakeries, restaurants, event venues, florists, avant-garde boutiques, and other B2B clients.

We are now masters of the Swiss; Italian and French macaron meringue methods. Our brand is known for our rich and flavorful fillings.

Shareden Sweet Confections Macaron flavors are carefully confectioned using fresh fruits, berries, premium chocolates, preserves, or nuts. We use locally obtained fresh ingredients paired with the finest national and internationally sourced premium products.

As we evolve, we are planning to create a truly disruptive brand. We are definitely not your traditional macaron company by any stretch of the imagination.

Our unique collections are carefully curated. Our Signature Series fall collection contained flavors like Pistachio Honey, Bananas Foster, Praline Pecan (authentic New Orleans recipes), imported Belgian Chocolate, Madagascar Vanilla Bean, and Coconut Cream. Our Classic fruit collection: Blueberry Bliss, Strawberry Cream, Royal Raspberry, and Zesty Lemon will be available at the beginning of March.

We recently launched our Classic Fig collection this past week and are so excited to share variations of this delicious fruit with our customers. Figs are currently trending as a year-round fruit, (like apples).

In our immediate future, we have additional special collections and innovative products, (in April we are going to launch an exciting new confection line). The excitement and momentum are building as we endeavor to take macarons to another level.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
It’s so important to be honest with yourself regarding the reasoning for starting your own business. If it’s just about the money “Don’t do it! Or proceed with extreme caution!

Being an entrepreneur means having a tough skin and more fortitude, self-discipline, sacrifice, and energy than is required to work for others. In addition to the perceived entrepreneurial freedoms, successes, and potential gains – you also own all the responsibilities, decisions, bills, headaches, and challenges.

I’ve read that the road to success is paved with losses, lessons learned, and plenty of mistakes. It will be the passion, blood, sweat, and tears for what you do, that sustains you as you nurture and develop your business.

Personally, I believe I’m right where I’m supposed to be, doing what I’m supposed to do when it’s supposed to be done. Our Pastor recently taught us “We need to trust the process.” In that regard, I have total satisfaction and peace.

Pricing:

• Standard Collections $16.50 per (6 Ct. Box)
• Select Macarons $17.50 per (6 Ct. Box)
• Limited Edition Macarons (varies)
• Wholesale Cases (contact for pricing)
• B2B and Other Venue Inquiries (contact for pricing)

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.sscmacarons.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharedensweetconfections/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SharedenSweetConfections
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/kdbEFpz6OK4