Suzanne is one of my childhood friends, and we grew up performing together! I have always been impressed with her type-a/driven personality. Recently, she took a leap of faith and quit her day job to open a bakery with her besties. Their creations are SO gorgeous… and I love that she’s following her passion.
Tell us a little about yourself and your career
I’m Suzanne, a Colorado native and Arkansas transplant. I’ve been married to my firefighter husband for 7 years this month, and we have two amazing children, Cooper, age 5, and Lily, age 2. I graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences with a degree in Cardiopulmonary Care, and worked at Arkansas Children’s Hospital for 6 years in both clinical respiratory therapy and in research/quality improvement. Over the summer of 2016, my two best friends and I decided to bring our different strengths together and start a home-based bakery named Three Best Bakery. In October of 2017, I decided to stay home with my kids and focus on the bakery full time. I’m so incredibly lucky to be able to be with my kids every day, and decorate beautiful cookies every night (and nap-time!).
How does your community of women you surround yourself with support you?
Three Best Bakery was born from my community of women – we are three moms, three wives, and three best friends. I met my co-owners when we were in college, and I always joke with them that they still love me in spite of our time together in our sorority. I am incredible lucky to have these women to do life with, who understand me and support me not only in our business, but also in motherhood and every day life. I also have an incredible church family that is so loving and welcoming and full of women from all different walks of life. I definitely don’t have it all figured out so it is important to me to surround myself with women that can help me put all of the puzzle pieces together.
One of my favorite quotes: “This is the secret to friendships that last a lifetime: loving someone – really loving them – and not being afraid to let them know.” – Deidra Riggs
How does the work you do with your bakery fulfill you?
For me, baking is the perfect way to satisfy both the professional, ordered part of my brain as well as my creativity. I won’t lie, it was very scary to make the leap from a workplace professional to staying home full time. It really challenged my own ideas of what it means to be successful. I’m learning that I don’t need to climb a traditional career ladder to feel accomplished. Creating beautiful desserts to meet the vision of our customers is amazing – but being with my kids as they learn and grow definitely takes the cake.
What do you wish you could go back and tell your younger self re: your career ambitions?
You don’t have to have it all figured out. It is a great idea to have goals and a general idea of what you want your life to look like – but when things change, and they will, it’s not a FAILURE. It’s an opportunity to grow and thrive in a new area and learn something about yourself that you didn’t know existed.
What is your career-related mantra?
Don’t quit your daydream. That one thing you always think about doing one day, someday, don’t lose sight of it. You may not be in a place today that you can drop everything and run headlong in to a new journey, but you might be soon so be ready to grab that opportunity when it comes!
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