Daughters Of Zion SBA CNPP Grantee Announces Betty Johnson – Lady B Royal Sweets – As The 53rd DOZ CNPP Entrepreneur Of The Week- July 9, 2023 – July 15, 2023
Betty Johnson
Lady B Royal Sweets
Phone number: 901-530-2059
As part of our follow-up to the progress the Daughters of Zion SBA CNPP grantee is making within Memphis, Shelby County, and beyond- we are highlighting the weekly Entrepreneur of the Week Award. Betty Johnson was chosen as an entrepreneur of the week, and when asked why, Dr. Gerald Kiner, Ph.D. declared, “ Betty Johnson is one of a kind. Betty makes some of the most healthy, yet delicious desserts in the country. She is a wizard in the kitchen. She’s the only cook in the world that I’ve heard say “ I guarantee good taste.” I’ve become her client and trust me she has!! To make such a bold statement proves she knows what she’s doing so much so she was a former Home Economics teacher so she’s taught others to be excellent as well. It’s been said that the number 53 represents a balance change in life. Betty Johnson provides an extraordinary balance in her baked goods to accommodate even the health needs of others. This is why she is our 53rd entrepreneur of the week.”
Q: Please state your name, the name of your company and the nature of your business.
A: My name is Betty Johnson and I am the proud owner of Lady B Royal Sweets. Here at Lady B Royal Sweets, we make baked goods, such as cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. We specialize in vegan and diabetic-friendly baked goods.
Q: How did you come up with that beautiful name?
A: It was kind of God-inspired. It’s been so long I’m not even sure what the total inspiration is but it’s like I have never been able to get away from it. I always wanted something short and sweet like “Lillie’s bakery” or something like that. I could never get away from Lady B Royal Sweets, so I just started making up sweets from it like the diabetic cake line and that came out of a conversation with someone at Fresh Market and it fit. The new vegan line is going to be Royal Vegan Baked Goods.
Q: What made you want to start your business?
A: I was teaching home economics for several years and the Lord brought me off the job and I started doing home care. I became a caregiver for my mom and during that time, I had to figure out something to do. I was doing a little baking and I had a friend that gave me some wedding cake plans. I was thinking to myself “What am I going to do with these?” One of them was a couple at the church that got remarried and I was handling another party for them and just as I was about to ask them about their wedding cake she turns around and says, “Well Betty do you do wedding cakes?” I said I do now and it started from there. It was my first wedding and I have been in business now for eight years. I have been baking ever since. I baked as a young girl and I loved decorating but when I got into it this time it’s like they had gone 2.0 on me so I had to do a lot of catching up. But little by little I learned to improve my craft.
Q: What makes you stand out from the competition?
A: Well, I’m one of those who guarantee good taste and I’m creative. If you give me the leeway and give me an idea of what you want to do then I have this gift where it just kind of comes together in my head and things start working together and I do it. I love being challenged on flavors because when you just have vanilla chocolate and strawberry, I’m like can we get a little more creative and I can put together some combinations that will really be great for you if you are willing to take that chance? I like to introduce those things to people. I can guarantee the taste and it might not be the most perfect-looking cake sometimes although I do try to get that but you know as humans we have our issues but taste no one has ever said every crumb wasn’t eaten. The wedding cake is all gone. The regular cake is all gone. That I can guarantee.
Q: How did you find out about Daughters of Zion SBA CNPP?
A: On the job one day, I ran into one of your members, she invites a lot of people and she was working across the hall that day from me at the school and she began to tell me about it and I showed up.
Q: What would you say to other business owners about why they should become a part of the Daughters of Zion SBA Community Navigator Pilot Program?
A: I think it will be not only inspirational but it would help shape your mindset for the long run. Sometimes, like what you were talking about today, what you believe is the center of what you are able to achieve. I mean even in today’s billionaire’s thoughts I got shifted because I was in a place of struggle with some things yesterday and today.
Q: What is the greatest testimony you have witnessed from your business?
A: One of my brides came in and since I don’t just have business I also have ministry we began talking. But I remember when we started with her cake she only had a certain budget but she wanted this cake and she wanted all these flowers coming down the side but she couldn’t afford to have it done and we had to decide to put them in certain places. Well, she had a friend because she knew that was her greatest desire to have so she said I’ll pay for that part and she was blessed by that she was even one of my greatest consultations cause we not only talked about the wedding but her life and she turned around and bought a couple of my books and they began to bless her so then like I say we are still friends today.
Q: How many books have you written?
A: The first one was the True Value of a Woman in God’s Eyes. I then wrote Sister Get a Life – Change Your Mind Change Your Life.
Q: Let me ask you some fun facts about yourself. What is your favorite food? What is the most interesting thing people wouldn’t know about you? Do you have any pets? What is something you love?
A: My favorite food right now is vegan. I love mushrooms and all the different things because I make my meat with mushrooms, walnuts, and bell peppers. I am very quiet but I like to sing and write. I do not have any pets. I love creating. I don’t just bake goods, I used to be a clothes designer. I sewed for several years. God multi-gifted me. It’s just a way that God works in my mind. And once I see it I’m ready to roll. It can be something as simple as II need to reorganize my kitchen or my pantry and it’s like ok God, how can I do that and once I get a vision of it I’m ready to roll and it comes to pass.
To sign up for free DOZ CNPP business coaching and training use the link below:
http://daughtersofzion.org/intake-form/
Or call 901-260-9933
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