Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Burns.
Hi Katie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstories.
Big Picture Creations. I made my first professional cake pop in October 2020, but my baking days go much farther back than that. I always loved baking growing up. On the weekends, my mom and I would pick out a new recipe and bake it one day during the weekend. When I got old enough to join 4-H, I was always enrolled in a cooking project and advanced to compete and win (with my fudge recipe) at the Illinois State Fair. Fast-forward to my adult years, I was looking for a hobby that I could also make money at. I made cake pops for my boyfriend’s nephew’s birthday party, and then someone at that party booked me for their wedding, and the rest is history. As for the name Big Picture Creations, well, Big Picture is a nickname given to me by my boyfriend’s brother and his friends the night I met my boyfriend. We all met at a wedding, and they interrogated me about my life and told my boyfriend that I was a “Big Picture” woman and the nickname just stuck. Big Picture Creations officially became a business in February of 2021 after I was approved to get my LLC and several other licenses with Missouri and STL counties. We specialize in cake pops and charcuterie boards and make cupcakes, cookies, and cookie cakes.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a pretty decent ride! Like with starting any business, there are struggles. The biggest thing is managing my time and the sacrifices I have to make. I have a full-time 40-hour-a-week job working for an advertising agency. I work 8 hours a day from home, and after work from 5:30-10, I work on my weekly orders. I also make deliveries during the weekend, so building a schedule for the week around my work, social, and business can sometimes take time and effort. In the beginning, I started getting orders from friends and family, but slowly the word spread; slowly but surely, I began to build a reputation and social media presence that helped build my client roster.
We’ve been impressed with Big Picture Creations, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Big Picture Creations is a home-based business specializing in cake pops and charcuterie boards. I also make cupcakes, cookies, and cookie cakes. I love challenging myself with new designs and themes, especially with cake pops. I have made many fun things like cows, lattes, margaritas, dinosaurs, sharks, and so many more out of cake, pop dough, and chocolate. Also, I have done 3 different events where I catered grazing tables and charcuterie boards for 200 people. Overall, I am most proud of how far I have come. I originally set a goal of getting 5 paid orders for 2022. I accomplished that goal in less than one month. Big Picture Creations has grown and accomplished things in my wildest dreams!
What do you think about luck?
My birthday is on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th), so I have always thought that was a pretty lucky way to start. One of my favorite quotes is, “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” – Thomas Jefferson.
This says the more you work, the more mistakes you make, the more you learn, and the better you will be. I have applied that quote through many scenarios, from sports livestock judging in college to my career and business.
Pricing:
- Cake Pops Pricing. Simple $2.00, Custom $2.50, Characters $3.00+
- Charcuterie Boards: Medium 10×14 Serves 8-10 $70, Large 16″ Round Serves 12-15 $100, XL 12×24′ Serves 16-20 $125
- Grazing Table pricing starts at $9 per person
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @bigpicture.creations
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100078509509301&ref=page_internal&paipv=0&eav=AfYlhrh18b-L5DbwjxeCUNTRpSDsvs5KlIDbsq7Mqloo3xnffZZynuig1hLbEDoZnjk
