Hello sprinkley friends, my name is Liz Butts and I’m the owner of Sprinkle Pop. My company (i.e. me and one other sprinkle fairy) manufactures artisan sprinkle mixes for baked goods and sweet treats. A little bit about me…I’ve been a cake decorator for over 15 years (half my life). I also worked in the oil and gas industry for a startup company for nearly 10 years. My point is, that I’m kind of an overachiever and a work-a-holic. I live in Houston, Texas with my husband, Sean, and our three perfectly quarky border collies, Maverick, Kinsey and Jelly Bean.
I launched Sprinkle Pop somewhat on a whim in March of 2017 and haven’t looked back. Through hard work, some lucky PR, and determination I grew Sprinkle Pop into a 6 figure company in 1 year. 9 months in, I got to quit my corporate job to live the sweet life full-time. In May of this year, I moved the business out my home (things were getting kind of cray) into a warehouse in the city and hired an employee. Needless to say, it’s been a crazy year, but I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed every second of it and the challenge of growing this business gets me out of bed in the morning and excited to face each day!
How I work
A typical day for me starts with puppy cuddles in bed. Then I get up and get ready for the day. I’m a self-proclaimed makeup addict, but it really doesn’t make sense to get all dolled up to work by yourself most days, so I typically put on some light makeup and put my hair in secure braids. My go too outfit is yoga pants or leggings and a t-shirt. I’m on my feet a lot, so I love my sketchers easy walk sneakers…they are the BEEESSSSTTTT. After I feed my doggies and pack my lunch, I hop in my beloved Yukon and make the 24-40 minute commute to the “office.” I usually listen to a podcast or book on tape on my way in.
My office is my happy place. I have a sprinkle wall, and a sprinkle couch and sprinkles everywhere. When I get in, typically log on to my email and respond to any pertinent messages, wholesale inquiries and what not. Then I print out our shipping labels for orders that need to go out. My employee, Tisha, comes in Mon/Wed/Fri. She brings her kids with her. One is 3 months and 1 is 4 years. They keep things interesting but are so well behaved and provide some much needed comic relief at times. Every day is a little different, but there are several tasks that may or may not need completing: Filling orders, dying sprinkles, mixing up sprinkle mixes, bottling, labeling, cleaning, planning new sprinkle mixes, take photos for the website or social media.
Life Balance
To be honest, life balance is not a luxury that all small business owners get. I’m trying to build a sprinkle empire so Sprinkle Pop pretty much consumes my life. In fact, since I moved Sprinkle Pop out of my house, I find myself incredibly bored on weekends. I’m searching for something to work on but all my sprinkles are in town, so I typically try to create some sort of blog post or marketing material or plan for the week. I find time for friends and leisure when I want or need it, but working on Sprinkle Pop makes me happy so I typically spend as much time as possible doing that. Ok, ok… I do watch A LOT of TV in the evenings…while I work…even while I’m writing this I’m catching up on West World!
So…next time you find yourself in need of sprinkles…you know where to go. sprinklepop.shop
Thanks for hanging with us today, Liz! Be sure to follow Sprinkle Pop on Facebook & Instagram to swoon all over the colorful sweetness! And trust–her sprinkles are so creative that they can make even this amateur caker look profesh!
Do you actually make the sprinkles?