Podcast Summary

Podcast: Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing 🍪
Episode: 233 — Guest: Christina from Boujee Baker Boutique
Date: October 21, 2025
Hosts: Heather and Corrie Miracle
Guest: Christina, Owner of Boujee Baker Boutique & Stormy Acres Cookies

Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

This episode features the podcast’s first remote, in-depth guest interview with Christina, owner of Boujee Baker Boutique (a bakery supply shop and cookie business in Warrenton, Virginia) and Stormy Acres Cookies. The hosts, Heather and Corrie, dive into Christina’s journey from corporate sales rep to full-time baker, owner of a “cookie shed,” and eventually a brick and mortar operation. The discussion centers on the challenges of growing a baking business, diversifying revenue streams, navigating local markets, and the realities of entrepreneurship—all delivered in the podcast’s upbeat, pun-filled style.

Episode Structure & Key Discussion Points

1. Introduction and Christina’s Background

[00:00–07:37]

• Sugar Cookie Marketing Group Turns 5: The Facebook community fueling marketing tips and group energy.
• Christina began with Stormy Acres Cookies five years ago, coinciding with the rise of Sugar Cookie Marketing.
• Transitioned from a full-time corporate job to a full-time baker in June 2020.
• Marriage managed through big changes: “Lots of marriage counseling. No, it’s great though.” — Christina [05:51]
• Invented a "cookie shed" with her husband, converting a worksite trailer for workspace.
• Recognized the impracticality of a cookie-only storefront for profitability; pivoted to launching a supply shop.

Notable Quote:
"I really want to grow. I don’t want to go back to corporate America. Let me start looking into having a store... It’s all small business, which I absolutely love." — Christina [05:51–06:48]

2. Brick & Mortar: The Boujee Baker Boutique Launch

[07:37–14:00]

• Location: In charming Old Town Warrenton, near popular local restaurants; primarily a destination shop for local bakers.
• Space: Divided between a commercial kitchen and retail shop. The original cookie shed is now storage.
• Classes & Events: In-person cookie classes double as opportunities for in-store shopping (“10% off for class attendees” [38:35–38:37]).
• Diverse Revenue Streams:
  • In-store sales
  • Online orders with fast shipping
  • Hosted classes
  • DIY cookie kit boxes
  • Continued custom cookie orders

Notable Quote:
"She can host classes... When you take a class from her... if you would like to buy anything on the wall, I also sell that—a huge portion." — Corrie [08:46]

3. Business Models, Marketing & Growth Habits

[14:00–19:46]

• Choosing Brands to Stock: Attends events like CookieCon to connect with small business vendors willing to wholesale.
• DIY Boxes: High-quality, experience-driven packaging for DIY kits—a differentiator that adds value.
• Multiple Lead Sources:
  • Referrals & return clients
  • Cookie classes
  • Website & online presence
  • Grassroots marketing: “There’s never enough doors to knock on” [14:29].

Notable Quote:
"The big takeaway... is there’s never enough ways to get your name out there. Sometimes bakers are like, ‘Well, I did this one thing, it didn’t really work, so I guess it’s not for me.’" — Heather [14:29]

4. Entrepreneurial Mindset: Rejection, Risk, and Resilience

[19:47–23:53]

• Handling Rejection: Christina credits her sales background for her comfort in hearing “no.”
• Brick & Mortar Lessons:
  • Would not spend as much on remodeling (“I paid contractors to paint it. Didn’t need to do that... I would have waited longer to save more money.” [22:11–23:53])
  • Staffing is the hardest part—good employees are rare and turnover is high.
• Growth Challenge: Contemplates starting brick and mortar even later to save more.

Memorable Insight:
"Opening it, I think, was the easy part... Continuing running it, that’s the hard part. Finding good help is the biggest challenge." — Christina [19:18]

5. Work-Life Balance & Personal Story

[23:53–31:42]

• Production Increase: Large-scale mixers and dedicated workspace allow for “80 lbs of dough at a time”.
• Home Life: Five (big) dogs and two cats; runs a small farm (“Stormy Acres” named after a beloved dog and their property).
• Marriage & Business: Husband supports from a (wise) distance; handles finances but not operations.
• Life Philosophy:
  • Diagnosing husband’s cystic fibrosis inspired “live life to the fullest.”
  • Willingness to leap into risks and adapt.

Notable Quote:
"Joe’s always kind of taught me, like, live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment and just go for what you want." — Christina [30:46]

6. Branding & Diversification: Social/Marketing Strategy

[31:42–39:16]

• Brand Names: Stormy Acres as a legacy; gradually transitioning to “Boujee Bakery Boutique."
• Navigating Two Audiences: Cookie customers & baker-supply customers are very different, leading Christina to consolidate her social media for sanity and efficiency.
• Teaching Classes: Turns more participants into bakers than into recurring customers (“Turns them into bakers?” “For sure.” — Corrie & Christina [37:37–37:42]).

Notable Quote:
"Does teaching cookie classes turn people into bakers or clients? Turns them into bakers... but I’m good with it either way. You’re gonna either order cookies from me or order cutters from me. It’s a win-win!” — Christina [37:37–38:18]

7. Vendor Perspective & E-Commerce

[39:16–43:41]

• Key Brands Stocked: ClearBags, Kaleidocuts, Killer Zebras, The Cookery, The Sugar Art, Genie’s Dream Royal Batch, and more.
• Customer Praise: Super-fast shipping: “It’s like the minute I click order, it’s in the mail.” — Heather [40:54]
• Bestsellers: Americolor gel and the signature DIY boxes.
• Vendy Blendy: Insights on how participating as a vendor in this large group sale event works, including exclusions for some wholesale products.

8. Practical Marketing & Seasonal Planning

[44:03–66:21]

• Incremental Growth: Advocates for gradual scaling (e.g., the “cookie shed” concept) over all-or-nothing thinking.
• Perfection vs. “Good Enough”: Realistic about not always running everything perfectly; hybrid solutions often work best [46:57].
• Holiday Prep: Christina’s advice to work backwards from major deadlines; elaborates on “reverse calendarizing” for holiday chaos [59:36–60:39].
• Vendor Market Tips: Simplify product offerings at markets—better to have fewer themes and more size options (streamline choices) [62:29–63:43].

Notable Quotes:

• "Startup costs are always bigger than expected." — Heather [23:53]
• “You’d rather sell out than have a lot of extra to take home. Trust me. I have learned my lesson with that.” — Christina [65:31]

9. Advice, Q&A, and Takeaways

[66:21–82:51]

• Virtual Assistant Tips: Upwork and Reddit as tools for finding specialized help for business tasks (website fixes, admin, VA).
• Packaging Insight: Importance of attractive packaging for DIY kits; visual merchandising draws customer attention [63:15–64:43].
• Networking and Support: Positive experience in the Cookie College group for education, encouragement, and business-specific advice [52:11–54:45].

Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |---------------|-------------|-------| | [05:46] | Christina | "I quit my career to pursue cookies full time, which may or may not cause some marital issues, but we've worked through it since." | | [11:57] | Heather | "I'm all about the cheap white box. But when you want to make that premium packaging, this is…like getting that cereal box where the kids can play with it." | | [14:29] | Heather | “There’s never enough ways to get your name out there….she’s reaching out to wholesalers…really putting yourself out there.” | | [18:32] | Christina | "You’re going to hear no. No is normal." | | [19:18] | Christina | "Opening it, I think was the easy part…continuing running it, that’s the hard part." | | [23:53] | Heather | “Startup costs are always bigger than expected, which I think most brick and mortar stores can say yes.” | | [30:46] | Christina | "He’s always…taught me, live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment and just go for what you want." | | [37:40] | Christina | "Turns them into bakers.” | | [46:57] | Heather | “I’m willing to compromise on the absolute best case scenario for a good enough scenario.” | | [47:52] | Christina | "Things are going to fail. Things aren’t going to work. It's a matter of, okay, that happened, move on....dwelling on it’s not going to change anything. Your actions will." | | [63:31] | Christina | "You’d rather sell out than have a lot of extra to take home. And trust me, I have learned my lesson with that. You do not." |

Timestamped Highlights

• [05:16] — Christina’s transition from corporate to full-time cookies and cookie shed solution.
• [07:33] — Boutique opening in Warrenton, VA.
• [11:36] — DIY packaging walkthrough.
• [13:44] — How classes, supply shop, and cookie business cross-pollinate customer bases.
• [18:32] — “No is normal” mindset: resilience in business.
• [22:11] — Store renovation regrets and brick & mortar lessons.
• [30:46] — Husband’s health inspires risk-taking and "living life to the fullest."
• [37:37] — Cookie classes turn buyers into bakers or loyal customers (either way, a win).
• [39:44] — Christina lists popular brands in the shop.
• [63:43] — Market streamlining: stick to one theme (fall), offer size options.

Fun & Memorable Moments

• Mascara & Twin-twists: Christina’s personal “Twinterest” includes the cult-favorite “Better Than Sex” mascara and the Mofft phone mount! [79:00–81:27]
• Shipping Speed: Running jokes about Christina’s lightning-fast shipping performance.
• Alpaca Manifesting: Christina has five huskies, two cats, chickens, and is plotting to add alpacas to the mix.
• “Cookie Shed” Origin: Movie-style ingenuity—cookie business in an old worksite trailer!
• Live Q&A: Christina fields audience questions on market strategy, business processes, and more.

Final Takeaways

• Incremental Growth Works: Christina's evolution from home baking to a “cookie shed” and then a physical store demonstrates the power of taking manageable, strategic steps.
• Diversification is Survival: Revenue streams from classes, retail, online, custom orders, and supply sales let the business weather slow seasons and build resilience.
• Persistence Pays: Christina’s sales background instilled a rejection-is-normal mindset, empowering her to chase down every opportunity and not get discouraged by setbacks.
• Brand, Package, Promote: Details like vibrant branded packaging and unique class experiences set her products apart and offer upsell opportunities.
• Prep for Q4: Reverse-engineering deadlines (“reverse calendarizing”) is crucial for holiday success and avoiding burnout.
• Community Matters: Participation in groups like Sugar Cookie Marketing and Cookie College provides crucial support, solves unique challenges, and inspires new ideas.

Connect with Christina

• Boujee Baker Boutique Website: bougiebakerboutique.com
• Instagram/Facebook/TikTok: @bougiebakerboutique
• Shop Discount for Sugar Cookie Marketing: Use code SCM2025

For More

• Join the Group: Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook
• Vendy Blendy Details: sugarcookiemarketing.com/vendiblendy
• YouTube: Sugar Cookie Marketing Channel (for visual demo of DIY boxes & twin-twists)

“Things are going to fail. Things aren’t going to work. It's a matter of, okay, that happened, move on. Dwelling on it’s not going to change anything. Your actions will.” — Christina [47:52]