We had the good fortune of connecting with Hanna Still and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hanna, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I did not initially start baking and decorating cakes with the idea of starting my own business in mind. It was something I sort of fell into after those I was close to started throwing out the idea of me selling them! It was daunting, to say the least, but I watched my mother own numerous small businesses growing up and knew that it was something I would enjoy!

It was a lot of planning and sitting down, trying to decide what I wanted to offer and how I wanted to market myself. I knew I never wanted to put any limits on my business, but also knew I wanted to stick to the style of decorating I enjoyed!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think something I am very proud of is creating a business and work for myself where I do get to be creative. I’ve always been a creative person, and I always had the mindset that to be an artist, you struggled, and there was really no way to support yourself and make a living while being creative and following that career path.

I feel like that’s something that I’ve seen change over the years, and I love it. It’s amazing that we have tools now that allow people to support themselves and own their own businesses and start these ventures where they can make a living doing what they love.

A lot of lessons have been learned since starting Sweetie Pie’s almost two years ago. Some of them were hard, and some of them were more realizations of where I was and where I wanted to be. My art style has definitely evolved and come into its own, and that’s really neat to see. I’ve had a handful of people recognize my work on the internet, and it’s wild to know that the cakes I make stand on their own, and my art is distinct in that way. I’m very proud of that because I remember worrying about how I wanted to present the business, and to see that my style naturally evolved is amazing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First things first—food. I dont think a week would possibly be long enough to show someone all of my favorite places to eat in town, but I would try my hardest. I’m a die-hard Rodeo Goat fan, but honestly, any restaurant on West 7th is fantastic and amazing. Rodeo Goat, The Great Outdoors, I’d probably end up at The Flying Fish at some point as well because I grew up around that area and love it dearly.

I’d love to go visit The Modern, I feel like there is nothing as inspiring as quiet time looking at art. Cakes are quite different than anything they have on display there, but the sentiment is the same. I feel like the creative process is something very personal, and I could spend hours walking around connecting with those who created the art on display there without ever having met them.

To hang out? I tend to be a bit of a homebody since COVID hit, but I do love going to antique malls and thrift stores. I would go visit Montgomery Street Antique Mall every single day if I could. That, along with walking around downtown. I’m a big fan of the AMC there, as it was the movie theater I always went to as a child, and movies are always just a bit better when you watch them there.

Other than that, just getting in the car and seeing where you end up is one of my favorite things to do. I don’t get to Dallas as much as I’d like, but just driving, pulling over, and seeing what small restaurant you find to try or store you end up walking into is one of my favorite things to do.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to thank both of my parents for showing me and teaching me that anything is possible with enough hard work and dedication. A big thank you is owed to my family in general for ordering cakes, sharing my posts, and always being there to listen to my ideas and give me that push forward when I need it. Along with that, every single one of my followers and customers who order, review, send me kind messages, share, and continue to support—without them, I would not be here.

A million and one thank yous to them!

Website: sweetiepiescakesandbakery.com

Instagram: @sweetiepiescakesandbakery

Facebook: facebook.com/sweetiepiescakesandbakery

Other: TikTok: @sweetiepiescakes

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.