By Janay Boyd | Reporter
For Leah Keith, the journey to running her own cookie business, Sugars by Leah, was as organic as it was unexpected. What started as a hobby of decorating cakes soon evolved into a full-time business, built on a passion for creativity and a love for being part of life’s special moments.
“I used to make decorated cakes in high school,” Keith said. “Someone randomly asked me to make cookies for a Christmas gathering, and I was like ‘OK, maybe I can just do this for fun and make some income off of it,’ and then I started doing it more and more, and I was getting orders a lot.”
As demand grew, Keith gradually transitioned from working full-time at a bank to part-time before fully committing to her cookie business. For Keith, cookie decorating is more than just a job — it’s a way to connect with people through their milestones.
“I love being a part of people’s events,” she said. “[For] some clients, I’ve been doing their cookies since they had their baby showers for their children, and now I’m doing it for their six- and seven-year-olds’ birthdays.”
Being her own boss has been one of the most rewarding aspects of running Sugars by Leah, Keith said. But like any business, challenges exist — particularly ensuring customers are happy with the final product.
Beyond making custom cookies, Keith also enjoys sharing her craft through cookie decorating workshops. She hosted classes in January and February and has another planned for April 12 at McLennan Community College from 10 a.m. to noon for $69.
“Anybody can sign up,” Keith said. “It doesn’t have to be just students of MCC. They just come to learn the most basic skills of doing cookies. I try to incorporate at least one or two designs that are a little more challenging, but it’s been really cool to let people just have fun with cookies.”
Creativity is at the heart of her work, and Keith thrives when given artistic freedom.
“I love when people give me a little bit of direction,” Keith said. “I just love being able to create designs that come to my mind. I don’t draw them out beforehand — I just drop them down as I’m actually making the cookies. I love to be able to just do whatever comes to my mind that I think will look pretty.”
According to CourseHorse, a platform that offers various classes and activities, decorating cookies exercises creativity, which can reduce stress and improve mental health. By learning this unique form of art, individuals gain a skill that not many are well-versed in.
“My girlfriend lives in Waco, so I think it would be a fun activity for us to do together,” said Abilene resident Drake Warner. “I help my mom bake sometimes, so I’m not a stranger to cookies. It’s pretty fun, and I think it would be even more fun if [my girlfriend and I] did it together.”
While decorating cookies can offer a relaxing and enjoyable experience for many, running a one-woman business like Sugars by Leah has its own set of stresses. On busy days, when she’s working from early morning until night, Keith finds joy and empowerment in doing it all herself.
“I feel very empowered to have this as long as I’ve had it now,” she said.
As Women’s History Month shines a light on female entrepreneurs, Keith encourages other women to jump into business ownership.
“If you have enough income in your bank account and you can take that leap of faith… you should just take a leap of faith because that’s what I did,” she said. “It’s been nothing short of a blessing, so I think if you want to do what drives you, you should just do it.”
