Daily Inspiration: Meet Tiera Briggs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiera Briggs

Tiera, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve enjoyed baking since I was a teenager. I found my mother’s home economics recipes from when she was in high school. The sugar cookie recipe was the super popular but baking wasn’t anything that I ever planned on doing as a career. I graduated and went to school in the medical field & became a paramedic.
I worked as a paramedic and raised my two children where I was active in the schools and donated baked goods to bake sales and various fundraisers.
One of those fundraisers is what led me to consider baking in what was honestly initially going to be a “side hustle” but it grew.
I made 80 cake pops that were Halloween themed for a fundraiser in late October. They were meant to last Saturday and Sunday but they sold out on Saturday in under 3 hours. So I stayed up late, made 110 more. We raised the suggested donation price from $1 to $2 and sold 108 of them.
I was struggling financially, as paramedics have historically not been paid very well, and I decided that if people loved my baked goods so much, then I should start selling them. So I started practicing and sold items to friends and family members as I honed my skills. I started getting more orders through word of mouth. Eventually I felt I had outgrown my home kitchen so I started looking for a retail space. I found one in 2019, but we could not agree on lease terms so that fell apart and I’m so glad it did. I do not believe I would have survived covid as a brand new startup.
Since I was still a paramedic Covid kept me extremely busy. I found a location in 2022, and signed a lease and used my own overtime money to fund the buildout. I also did my own buildout, since I’m a registered contractor in my city. A friend helped by doing the electrical and I paid a commercial plumber. The rest of the work; framing, drywall, flooring etc I did after work or on my off days.
Then July 2023 I opened my doors.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not! Lol.
The buildout was waaaay over budget due to the cost of materials skyrocketing during covid. 2x4s were $12-$15 when they used to be $2-$4!
Many people think you can do whatever you want in business, but there is A LOT of red tape and confusion. I did sooooo much research before deciding to open a storefront and I hadn’t even scratched the surface.
The setup I had envisioned had to be scrapped. The money I planned to save by purchasing used equipment didn’t work because the government changed the type of Refrigerant allowed to be used in the refrigerators making used equipment essentially obsolete. So I had to buy new equipment.
Startup capital is very hard to come by for small startups. Many want you to already be established and be profitable.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At Sweet Siren Bakery, we focus on delivering high-quality, hand made baked desserts. Everything we offer is made in-house from scratch, using real ingredients—this includes not just the baked goods themselves but also the toppings and fillings. For example, we make our own raspberry compote, lemon curd, and even the peanut butter cups for our cupcakes.

One thing that sets us apart is our fully edible designs, especially for cakes. While many bakeries use paper toppers or fabric ribbons, we focus on creating handmade, edible decorations so our customers can enjoy their desserts without having to disassemble them first. That said, we’re always happy to accommodate preferences for non-edible elements if requested. Ultimately, our goal is to create works of art that are also delicious!

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Best; The sense of community. The people here are very supportive of small businesses. They are friendly and encouraging.
Least; it feels difficult to get help from city government.

Pricing:

• Brownies start at $3.50 for large 4″x4″ 6+ oz brownies.
• Cupcakes start at $3.50 for classic flavors and $4.00 for specialty flavors.
• Cookies start at $3 for XL drop cookies
• Tuesdays we have $2 Tuesday. Classic cupcakes are $2 and specialty cupcakes are $2.50
• Custom Cakes vary in price and depend on size, fillings, and complexity of the design chosen. Call or go to website for a quote.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://SweetSirenBakery.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetsiren_216/profilecard/?igsh=bnUwbWR2dGN1b2gz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SweetSiren216