Samantha Menke is a La Porte Slicer, born and raised for 21 years.
Menke loves her community and continues to grow within La Porte. At the moment, Menke serves as a childcare worker. In the fall, she hopes to return to Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso to take online business courses because she has started her own small business during the pandemic.
As if turning your dreams into a business doesn’t already have its challenges, Menke started a business during one of the most tumultuous times of our lives. It’s called Little Bo’s Sweets and it all sprouted from her home.
“2020 started out pretty slow. We were just hanging out because of quarantine so I started baking a lot more because I didn't have anything else to really do,” said Menke. “So, I thought that I should just make business cards and see what it'd be like. Just within a year I feel like I've gotten so much better skills-wise and so much bigger. I have a lot more orders, especially now that the pandemic is seeming to cool down a little bit.”
Though her business is new, Menke has always loved baking. It’s a passion that stems from memories with her family.
“I guess you could say I've been doing it forever now. I started in the kitchen with my grandma,” Menke said. “It started with just Christmas cookies and I have always been a floater in the kitchen. It has been in the back of my mind to be a baker since I was little. In kindergarten, we had a career day and they asked us what we want to be when we grow up; I made a little apron that said ‘Chef Sammy.’ I have kind of come full circle.”
Sweet treats are not the only things that drive Menke’s desire to become a baker. It’s the reaction from her customers that keeps her coming back to the kitchen.
“I love the crazy smiles on people's faces when they taste what I make for them. It makes me feel warm inside,” Menke said.
While Menke’s business is primarily made-to-order, she frequents the local markets in La Porte to spread the word about Little Bo’s Sweets and to give others an idea of her creations.
“My grandma likes to help out at the markets,” Menke said. “Any time I get to spend with my family is really important to me.”
Menke leads a pretty busy life. If she isn’t working as a childcare provider or spending time with her family, she could be kayaking or shopping with friends. Since starting her business, she has had to find pockets of time throughout her packed schedule to bake.
To add to the creativity of her business, Menke tries to implement different themes to excite customers.
“I come up with a different menu every week. I usually make a basic cupcake, and then I also have a cupcake of the week,” Menke said. “I have other items like cookies, lemon breads, and stuff like that, so I bake all throughout the week. I have certain days for prepping; I'll do icing one day, actual cupcakes themselves the next day, and the day after that I'll do the stuff that I don't want to go stale before the market. I store everything in airtight containers because I want everything to be fresh for the customer.”
Making her customers happy is what Menke thrives to do. Baking delicious goods if, of course, her goal, but instilling a sense of positivity in those who buy her products is far more rewarding.
“I really am all about positivity. Like I said, I like to put smiles on people's faces,” Menke said. “When people come out to look at my stuff, they see the bright colors in my bakes that are fun. I want to make sure to spread kindness, so I try to give a little bit of positivity and kindness to people, especially when they come and visit my booth at the market. It's just happy vibes.”
Menke’s positive attitude exudes beyond her bakery booth. She also gives positive advice to all those out there who have ever had a dream.
“Just go for it! Do what you want to do and don't let anybody tell you otherwise,” Menke said. “There's a lot of people that will have input about what you do, but you need to do what you like to do.”
Menke remarks on the fact that she has taken a break from college courses to pursue her small business and notes that everyone’s journey is different.
“I never would have thought I could be in this position,” Menke said. “I feel like I was always trapped with the idea that you have to go to college and be very uniform. While I plan to go back, it isn’t the only path. So I've definitely told myself, just go for it. Do what you want to do, whatever you have your heart set on doing.”
Menke and Little Bo’s Sweets can regularly be found at La Porte Farmers’ Markets, but patrons can message Menke directly on Facebook to place an order at www.facebook.com/littlebos.sweets/.