Life & Work with Donna Palmer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Palmer. 

Hi Donna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I always had an interest in candy and chocolate and even made my own bridal shower and wedding favors, I enjoyed the creativity and continued doing party favors for friends and family. I was a medical analyst at the time but when I had my children, I stopped working full time and created the first part-time job share position for that company. Still, I wasn’t fulfilled. I wanted something that would offer me more flexibility and the opportunity to be with my children. I found a cute little storefront in the center of Branford, Connecticut, and decided to leave my job share position and open up a candy shop. I was 29 years old with two babies, one on each hip. I had no experience in the candy retail business, no start-up cash, and just the funds in my back pocket. My specialty was creating chocolate-dipped items, my most popular being my chocolate drizzled popcorn. At the time, there were several video store chains out, including one local called Tommy K’s Video. I thought the popcorn would go wonderful with renting videos so I called the store manager to discuss it. Much to my surprise, they called me in for a meeting to discuss my wholesaling. I didn’t know anything about wholesaling, marketing, or profit margins so I started researching and reading. I bought a briefcase to look professional, put on a blazer, and went into the meeting feeling like Will Smith in the Pursuit of happiness. I was extremely nervous but excited at the same time. The video chain accepted the offer and soon Mrs. Palmers popcorn was being sold in 17 stores throughout the state of CT. It was a great form of advertisement for me especially since Facebook, Instagram, and several other social media platforms didn’t exist. A year later I took a leap and moved the shop down the street to Main Street. I remained there for 17 years until I decided to eliminate the storefront, it was an extremely difficult decision but our son was going off to college in California, overhead was getting higher, as were expenses and I simply wanted more flexibility to travel so working part-time in the candy business behind the scenes would suit that. So, I thought… I remained licensed and rented kitchen space allowing me to work without a brick and mortar. Several customers had thought I closed so I turned to social media platforms to keep them engaged and updated on what I was making, orders that I had fulfilled, local fairs that I would be at, etc. The business was picking up quite a bit and then the pandemic hit. I needed to find a way to keep the business afloat. I worked too long and too hard to let it go so I began by thinking out of the box and offering no contact deliveries. Several people were out of touch with their loved ones and this was a way to let them know that they were thinking about them. My basket business had tripled, in addition, I was shipping items all over the country. Today, with hard work, determination, long hours, and lots of passion and purpose, I’m grateful and blessed to say the business is doing better than it ever did during the 17 years I had a storefront. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, absolutely not in fact I think there were more difficult times than there were smooth ones. I was definitely a very seasonal business; holidays were extremely busy but there were definitely slower times. I decided to go for my real estate license at night and became a licensed real estate agent to have supplemental income during the off-season. By this time my children were older and involved in all different types of sports and activities, I was the PTO president and involved in several school activities. I was wearing several hats and juggling a lot. At the same time, my mom was extremely ill and in the hospital. I was running from the candy shop to my kids’ schools, to real estate closings, and to the hospital I had a lot on my plate. Looking back, however, I wouldn’t change a thing, (other than my mom being sick) the struggles pushed me to keep going, made me work harder, I kept the faith and I know God was right by my side. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have an extremely active online social media presence and I love connecting with my customers who I truly consider friends. I specialize in chocolate-dipped specialty items for all occasions, all of my work is custom and made to order, there is no inventory. We match color themes and work with our customers to fit their budget and their needs. My gourmet sweet baskets are all custom and made for all occasions. In addition, my gourmet apples are available in a large size as well as mini, perfect for party favors. Our signature chocolate-dipped Oreos, chocolate-dipped pretzels, chocolate-covered grahams, custom cake pops, and Mrs. Palmer’s popcorn are extremely popular items that are often requested for several occasions and holidays. Recently I was asked to speak at a local state university and the last couple of years we have been in the top five an even won best desserts on the Connecticut shoreline. I am extremely grateful and honored. We pride ourselves on going above and beyond. Convenience for our customers is also really important, which is why we deliver locally and ship nationwide. 

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Take a shot, go for it, even if it doesn’t turn out the way you hoped it would, at least you tried, and most likely you will learn and grow from it. Most importantly whatever you decide to do, do it with passion and purpose focus on your own business, and don’t be steered so much by money, instead focus on what you can do to help others, it makes a difference. Think out of the box and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. 

Contact Info:

• Email: Sweetcreationsllc203@gmail.com
• Website: www.sweetcreationsllc.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sweetcreationsllc?utm_medium=copy_link
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/sweetcreationsllc/?locale=en_GB&_rdr

Image Credits:
Donna Palmer