Rising Stars: Meet Leanne Coon

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Leanne Coon.

Hi Leanne, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I had never had trouble finding a job, but this time, it was different. It was like God was trying to change my path and I just had to surrender the change. It was scary, and when someone suggested that I post pictures of my cupcakes in hopes of selling them, I thought it was the most ridiculous idea I had ever heard. However, I prayed about this and decided it was worth a shot. I posted a few pictures on my social media, and literally overnight, Cupcakes by Leanne was born.

I eventually landed an amazing job as a university director, but I couldn’t give up cupcakes because they fed a part of my creative soul. I didn’t know I had been neglecting them up to that point. I also loved the people and enjoyed being a small part of all the special life moments.

For 3 1/2 years, I did both, university director during the day and cupcake creator by night. It was exhausting but also very fulfilling. In 2021, we decided to make the move to Prescott, AZ. With the help of my husband, whom we affectionately call Mr. Cupcakes, a cupcake studio was envisioned and built as an attachment to our house. I was able to retire from education and become a full-time cupcake queen.

Cupcakes by Leanne has now been going strong for almost seven years. The cupcake studio is a constant source of joy to me and others as I create beautiful desserts, teach cake and cupcake decorating classes, and host other female small business owners to share their skills.

I tell my students that the moral of the story is  that you never know why you are learning a new skill or having to go through a challenging time, but God never wastes our efforts, and if we are willing to surrender to the lessons to be learned along the way, it is us who will receive the biggest blessings of all.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think it is ever easy to start a small business. There were about a million little things that I never even thought of when getting started. Creating a beautiful product was the easy part, but mastering the social media, marketing, and sales was a bit harder.

COVID also threw a wrench into business in 2020. I was grateful that because I am a home cottage licensed business, I could continue to work, but I had to wrestle with the ethical dilemma of providing large orders when I knew large events were unsafe. On the other hand, it was a challenge to keep the business going when so many were not ordering as they had been before.

Probably the biggest challenge was moving to a whole new state and starting over from scratch. Once again, I relied on social media to spread the word, and sure enough, it worked.

However, social media brings challenges of its own. I can spend several hours a day maintaining all of my platforms, creating posts, answering messages, sending quotes, and taking orders. And it never stops; people have access to me 24 hours a day and often think that because I am a home business, I should answer their messages at all hours of the day and night.

Which leads to the challenge of creating boundaries. I am a serious people pleaser, so it has always been difficult for me to say no, but I have to learn that there is only so much I can do and still maintain my home, marriage, relationships, and sanity. I have created business hours and try to stick with them to ensure a healthy work and home balance. I am definitely not perfect at this, as my husband would attest to, but awareness is half the battle.

In the end, the challenges always produce growth and new learning and I try to learn something new every day.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
Cupcakes by Leanne specializes in floral and succulent cupcakes and cakes. Through the years, I have added many things to the menu, such as brownies, lemon bars, sugar cookies, cobbler cups, etc. Custom designs are also offered. As long as the desired design can be created with buttercream, I am always willing to try something new.

The Cupcake Bouquet is a special product that sets us apart from other bakeries. These beautifully delicious creations are perfect for gift-giving for any and all occasions. The sister product is the Cupcake Centerpiece, which is a creative way to bring dessert and a centerpiece together in one. These are especially popular for weddings, anniversary parties, charity events, and pretty much any party.

I am also especially proud of the class offerings I provide. Flower and succulent cupcake classes occur just about every month, with holiday designs and other fun designs, such as dogs and safari animals, added as time permits. I have also added at least one cake class a month for those who want to tackle a new skill.

I think at the last count, I had 13 classes that could be taken without repeating. New this year will also be on-line class offerings. I love teaching classes because they feed my educator soul while providing fun activities for others to enjoy!

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I guess the obvious answer would be 5-star Google reviews or tons of sales resulting in huge amounts of revenue.

I like those, but more important to me is when customers return over and over to place orders for different life events or attend multiple classes. Referrals to friends and family tell me that my work is loved and appreciated. Shout outs on social media mean that others are excited about their orders or experience.

I do love it when someone says, “I’ve been following you on Facebook and couldn’t wait to have a reason to order from you.”

But, best of all, success can be measured by the look on someone’s face when they pick up their orders! I will never tire of the huge smiles, claps, or even tears that show they are pleased with their order.

I know, without a doubt, that I am blessed to love what I do, and when I can bless others by creating beautiful desserts for their special events, that is a success for me!!

Contact Info:

• Website: CupcakesbyLeanne.com
• Instagram: @cupcakesbyleanne17
• Facebook: Cupcakes by Leanne
• TikTok: @CupcakesbyLeanne17