05/29/2026
Dear Me,
You did it.
Not in the “made it big overnight” kind of way. Not in the polished, perfectly planned, flawlessly executed kind of way either. You did it in the tired-mom-at-midnight-cleaning-buttercream-off-the-counter kind of way. In the “I don’t know if this will work, but I’m going to try anyway” kind of way.
Mae’s Sweet Retreat was never just about cookies, cinnamon rolls, brownies, or cakes. It became proof that you were capable of building something from scratch with your own two hands while still being a present mom, partner, friend, and person underneath it all.
You started scared.
Scared nobody would buy.
Scared people would judge your prices.
Scared your cakes weren’t good enough.
Scared your posts sounded awkward.
Scared you were “too much” for believing in something this hard.
And yet — you kept showing up anyway.
You learned how to market yourself when it felt uncomfortable. You learned how to take criticism without letting it crush you. You learned how to pivot when things didn’t sell, how to recover from overbaking, underpricing, burnout, slow seasons, and self-doubt. You learned that success isn’t always measured in sold-out tables or dollar amounts — sometimes it’s measured in the little boy watching his mama chase a dream from the kitchen counter.
You built relationships bigger than business.
Olde Towne became family. Customers became friends. Other small businesses became community instead of competition. People started tagging your name in comment sections before you even had the chance to advertise yourself. Do you understand how special that is?
You created a business people feel.
Not because everything is perfect — but because YOU are in it. Every handwritten sign, every heartfelt Facebook post, every “thank y’all so much,” every late-night prep session, every nervous first attempt at a cake… people see the heart behind it. That’s what they fell in love with.
And somewhere along the way, you stopped being “just a stay-at-home mom trying something.”
You became the woman people call when they need the birthday cake. The teacher appreciation treats. The comfort dessert. The celebration centerpiece. The “hey, do you think you could make this?” person.
You became dependable. Trusted. Rooted in your community.
And the beautiful part?
You’re still growing.
You still have room to improve. Still things to learn. Still goals to hit. But you no longer have to question whether you’re capable of building something meaningful — because you already have.
There will still be hard days. Slow sales. Exhaustion. Comparison. Moments where you wonder if you should scale back or give up. But remember this version of yourself — the one who kept going even before there was proof it would work.
That girl deserves a thank you.
So thank you.
For betting on yourself.
For staying soft in a hard world.
For building community instead of clout.
For making people feel welcome around your table.
For teaching Bentley what resilience, love, and hard work look like in real time.
For continuing to show up imperfectly instead of waiting to become perfect first.
Mae’s Sweet Retreat is more than a business.
It’s a reflection of your heart.
And honestly?
That’s the sweetest thing you’ve made yet.
Love,
Me🩷
