Meet Ashley Brown | Sweets Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve always loved baking and the challenge of making sweet treats look as good as they taste. I grew up baking with my mom, one of my first “real” jobs was working in our small town bakery, and in my adult years baking became an opportunity to encourage others or bring something fun to a party. I realized I really enjoyed bringing a smile to people’s face when I put thought into how to best personalize the goodies whether it was through their favorite flavors, colors, or decorated just right to match the celebration or just in general if someone needed some encouragement. Surprising someone with sweet treats usually brightened their day & brought me a lot of joy too. I also loved scrolling through the internet and saving all kinds of decorated cookie ideas because someday I may need this cute idea for that “one occasion.” Many people had asked if I sell my desserts, and I always told them “No, that’s alot of work…and it would take the fun out of it all.” Well, I obviously changed my mind and summer of 2023 I realized “Why not get paid to do this hobby that I love? Sure, it would take some work but I think I could pull it off.” At this point in my life, I had transitioned from full time career to stay at home mom with 2 littles. The flexibility of a baking gig during nap time & bedtime, while bringing in some income seemed like a no-brainer. This is when the spiral started to happen- originally I thought I would just sell decorated Christmas cookies during the holiday season, but then with the encouragement of several friends I made a “fall set” of decorated sugar cookies just to get my name out there before the holidays. Before I knew it, I was researching, brainstorming, decided on a business name, established a logo, marketing, and doing all the things a small business owner does-all with the help of an amazing circle of friends who were so supportive and helpful along the way!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Baking truly is a work of art! Often times in the dessert world, you get something that looks incredible, but tastes “eh” or it looks “eh” and tastes divine. I find joy in creating cute & detailed sweets that “wow” everyone in looks & taste. I love that I get to personalize sweets for each customer instead of bulk baking and setting it in a display case! I get so excited when an order is finished and seeing how all the details personal to that customer, whether it was a color scheme, specific significant dates, a party theme, or hobbies all came together into an edible work of art. Many people when they think of decorated sugar cookies, they think of the crunchy cookies with hard royal icing on them, but what sets Smash Sweets apart is that I’m a softie girl when it comes to cookies. I’ve found my niche in soft sugar cookies with a light & fluffy buttercream that melts in your mouth. It definitely is a proud moment when people come up to me and start off the conversation with “I’m not usually a sugar cookie person, BUT…” and then proceed with a compliment. In the end, I’m just a normal gal that is brightening your day one sweet at a time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Even though Greenville is very different from where I grew up (rural Iowa) I am growing more and more fond of it the more we adventure out! When family & friends are in town, really the possibilities are endless of making the weekend special, but some of my favorite places to show off would be driving up into the mountains and making stops at Bald Rock, Ceasar’s Head, and The Pretty Place overlooks-the views really are so amazing! If time allows, hiking to see local waterfalls is always really beautiful too. Greenville also has a lovely downtown that is fun for a night out including Falls Park & walking the Swamp Rabbit Trail, dinner & icecream is a no brainer, and enjoying the cute vibes the mainstreet gives.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
100% couldn’t have made it this far along the journey without the amazing community of so many friends & family who have encouraged me, spread along my business name by word of mouth, helped babysit my littles during the busy seasons, & been a faithful customer. With that being said, a few people have gone above & beyond that absolutely deserve credit! The Lord has given me the skill, desire, & opened up the doors to make this whole journey possible in the first place. Thank you to my husband Steven, you have jumped in with alot of my crazy ideas, but this is by far the most ambitious one of all and you have been my support every step of the way doing what you can to make this dream of mine come true. To my dear friends & sisters- Kellie, Kelly, Kat, & Megan: you guys have been my core community in the journey through all the brainstorming, logistical business questions, design critiquing, planning, attending markets, & encouraging. Lastly, I want to thank my business coach, Michelle from Home Sweet Home Baker- your experience in the home bakery world, like-minded goals, & friendship has been so helpful & worth the investment. This past year would have been a whole heap more frustrating without y’all’s support!

Instagram: smash_sweets2023

Facebook: Smash Sweets

Other: Email: smashsweets2023@gmail.com

Image Credits
katelyn.s._.photography