Weddings, football and the holidays keep this local businesswoman plenty busy as she uses her decorating skills to make sweet treats for her clients.
Tay Mendoza-Gardner had an idea to help pay for her wedding, but her talent for creating unique cookies has since turned into a bustling side business.
For Mendoza-Gardner, the early beginnings of her business Fort Worth Galletas started while she and her husband were planning their wedding. The idea at the time was to make some extra money to help pay bills off a little faster.
“So I started making cookies, since I like to bake, and I can draw and kind of have an artsy side to me. So I decided to give this a shot and see how it went, and ended up not being too shabby at it,” Mendoza-Gardner said.
And her "side hustle" has taken off. She was going to stop and give it all up after she got married but after a year, Tay is still at it getting orders from people for all kinds of special occasions -- Dallas Cowboy watch parties, Texas-themed cookies, birthday and holiday parties, engagements parties, even custom cookies for companies across North Texas.
“I started this little side business just making them for a little friends here and there, and ended up getting more orders, just kind of a little ripple effect,” Mendoza-Gardner said.
But, she admits this side hustle comes with some challenges. She works full time in the oil and gas industry, a job she says she still loves, and is committed to.
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“I like doing it. On top of my full time job though, there’s days where it becomes a lot and the lack of sleep kind of makes me second guess kind of not doing it anymore, but I try to limit my orders for the week so that way I don’t have the lack of sleep and it’s not as bad,” Mendoza-Gardner said.
And she gives advice for those looking to start a little something on the side to make some extra money.
“I would definitely say to research your clientele and make sure that it would be worth it. Once you start buying supplies it becomes kind of like a small addiction," Mendoza-Gardner said. "You’re like oh, I need this, I need that, trying to put it all together, trying to use it here and there. Just make sure that the money that you’re spending for your supplies, you’re actually get your money’s worth out of it because it can add up pretty quick.”
But, she says, so far so good and that side cash isn’t so bad either.
“Just the side cash is good here and there just to pay for little things,” Mendoza-Gardner said.
She says, time management is critical. A side hustle can be very time consuming, especially when you have a full time day job. So she says the key is taking on what you can handle, so you can maintain your quality of work on the side.
