Meet Brooke O’Dell | Chief Sprinkle Office

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brooke O’Dell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brooke, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always been a creative and found ways to make money with that gift since I was little. I was selling handmade earrings in bulk by second grade. I worked in the corporate world before having children but felt a longing for more. I left that world and picked up a book to begin the process of learning how to make cakes, not at all knowing what my future would hold. I was able to grow my craft and customer base but again, felt a longing for more. I did not start Sugar Drop. It existed for over 50 years before taking ownership. I was familiar with the store before purchasing it because there were so few places to purchase supplies when I was doing cakes. When I heard it was for sale, I knew that there was a huge potential for not only the brand but for what I felt was a hole in the market as well. I felt that there needed to be a place for children and students of all ages to come and learn. Life is so tough and it is a joy to be able to provide a space that allows one to step away, have fun, learn a new skill, and leave with sugar. I bought a store, but I believe I started the brand.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I feel like I am still waiting to discover what I will be when I grow up. I dream wildly vivid and colorful dreams. I have always liked art and was drawn to cakes because of the art involved and the ability to play with your food to create something magical. Purchasing the store was hard work. We worked with a shoestring budget to do a complete overhaul on the original space within the first 48 hours of ownership. We built almost every piece of furniture and hand-painted every item in our original space. Our original location allowed me to begin to step into my journey as a business owner. I was able to learn so much about operations, difficult days, customers, employees, the list goes on. But, I knew I wanted bigger and better to be able to keep up with all of the dreams in my heart. I started the search for our new location in 2019 but it wasn’t until 2020 that I found the perfect spot, then the world shut down. It was during that shutdown that I knew expanding our operation was exactly what we needed to do. I was able to let my creative concepts fly during that time and they paid off. We started shipping sugar all over the country, keeping all of our staff, and I was able to begin the process of designing and building our new location. From the glitter floors to candy chandeliers, I was able to, once again, step into my creativity and bring my vision to life for a wonderland that allows you to truly feel like a kid in a candy store. I have become friends with most of the other bakery owners in the area, not only so we can support each other and send each other business, but also so that I can be keenly aware of what they offer so that I make sure our brand and products we produce always feel like our own. The world has enough duplicates, so I try to offer unique and creative experiences, flavors, and products always. I support other small businesses with the brands I carry, I support our local community with the philanthropic work we do. It is not easy, but there is great joy in seeing and experiencing guests of all ages step into our doors for the first time and squeal with excitement!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have been in Nashville for over 20 years so a lot has changed during my time. I tend to want to show off old hangout spots whenever we have guests in town. The Pancake Pantry and Brown’s Diner are two of our favorite spots in Hillsboro Village. We also love taking friends to the Satco patio during the summer to eat wings and queso. In Germantown, Monell’s is a must but leave room for a sweet potato cupcake from the Cupcake Collection and time to purchase candles from The Golden Slipper. The rest of the time would probably be spent closer to home in Downtown Franklin. From fresh donuts from Ellies at the Farmers Market on Saturdays to avocado tacos at Mojo’s, to handmade coconut ice cream from Paletes Tucumbo and Pasta Diablo at Zolas, downtown Franklin has so many wonderful spots to visit and support and is where our family also tends to go when we are not working.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
100% my shoutout is to my dear friend Carol. Carol was the first call I made when I heard the shop was for sale. She is so much wiser than I am and is a dear friend and mentor. She called me a few weeks after I told her about the shop and said I should visit the store and we should meet for dinner, that was on a Tuesday. On Wednesday I visited the store and my dream for the store started to unfold. On Thursday we had dinner and the first question she asked was what I would do if the store was mine. After pouring out all the ideas I had dreamed over the previous 48 hours, she said she felt like we were brought together so she could help me with those dreams and we began signing the papers on Saturday to purchase the store. To this day, she is still my biggest cheerleader friend, mentor, and advisor. We have shared a lot of life and sugar and I would not be where I am without my Carol.

Website: sugardrop.com

Instagram: @sugardroptn

Facebook: sugardropTN

Yelp: Sugar Drop

Youtube: sugar drop

Image Credits
Amy Teague