Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobbie Johnson
Hi Bobbie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Bobbie Johnson and I am the proud mother to two beautiful girls and a native to Fayetteville, NC. My father is a U.S. Army veteran retired after 22 years of service and my mother is a loving housewife and dedicated military spouse. I am a proud graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, a Historically Black College & University (HBCU) in Greensboro, NC. Upon graduating, I pursued my MBA with a specialization in Computer & Information Security.
In October 2023, after much planning and brainstorming I launched Sweet Carolina Delights LLC with my daughter Alana. Sweet Carolina Delights is a mobile business that specializes in hand spinning cotton candy at public and private events with other delightful concession items to come for our sweet customers.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have definitely been bumps in the road along our entrepreneurial journey. The biggest hurdle has been learning how to establish our business and delegating tasks to the appropriate professionals. Initially, I took on every single role. I mean I was the event coordinator, content creator, bookkeeper, inventory person, researcher, and cotton candy clean up lady all in one. I have learned the importance of building a community of professionals to provide assistance in their area of expertise. This lightens my load and affords me the opportunity to be knowledgeable in all areas.
As a kid, I helped my dad run a HO Slot Car Racing business and my mom with the shoe store she ran with her friend. In both cases, I was blessed to be in the middle of thriving businesses and picked up an entrepreneurial spirit. The thought of starting a business was scary, but it’s important to me that my daughters have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, know early on how to navigate the ups and downs of a business, and feel empowered to chase their own dreams and desires.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sweet Carolina Delights LLC?
Preparing for a big birthday party or community celebration can be exciting and stressful for the host. Sweet Carolina Delights provides a stress-free experience for the party host and guests…we bring the cotton candy magic to the party!
We stand out by offering a range of flavors, flavor combinations, and even adult cocktail inspired flavors for adult events. We offer cotton candy party favors, such as containers, push-up pops, cotton candy cakes, and cotton candy glitter clouds that make beverages shimmer and sparkle. A fan favorite is our Pickle-Rito, which is a whole dill pickle wrapped in cotton candy with the option of a topping or two or none at all. We’re working on incorporating delightful flavors of popcorn and adding a spin to traditional lemonade, so stay tuned.
I am most proud of participating in Dessert Wars in Raleigh, NC in April 2024, which is the largest dessert festival in America. We showcased different cotton candy flavors and Pick-Rito samples and came in 7th place in the People’s Choice category with a non-traditional dessert.
Another highlight has been working with a well-known store in Raleigh, NC called Kandy Apples by K. The owner, Mrs. Kimberly Battle has welcomed our cotton candy cakes, containers, and push-up pops, giving us the chance to reach customers outside of Fayetteville. We appreciate this opportunity and look forward to
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The quality that has been most important to our success is being hungry to learn and provide a magical cotton candy experience to our customers.
To prepare for this entrepreneurial journey I tapped into free resources within my community and the state of North Carolina. I have taken classes and acquired business counseling through the Fayetteville Technical Community College Small Business Center, the North Carolina Small Business Center Network, the Fayetteville-Cumberland Regional Entrepreneur & Business HUB, Duke University School of Law Start-up Ventures Clinic, and the NC Department of Revenue online classes. These resources have positioned Sweet Carolina Delights to be successful beyond measures and we are beyond grateful.
Another quality that has placed us in a position to thrive is understanding the importance of the customer experience. Taking on a college internship at Walt Disney World for a semester taught me the importance of putting customers first and leaving a magical/memorable impression. This is a skill that never gets old and is the focus of Sweet Carolina Delights. We strive to give our customers memorable experiences, from creating catchy names for our cotton candy flavors to bringing light up cotton candy cones to events.
We also stay true to those good ol family values taught by the ones we love most and let God guide us along our entrepreneurial journey.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetcarolinadelights/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetcarolinadelights
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sweetcarolinadelights?_t=8iw4qzlUyvD&_r=1
