We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Gabriel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I always enjoyed art from an early age. I used to love to draw and I found it to be therapeutic. I would spend hours in my room, sitting at my sketching table with my headphone on, getting lost in my drawings. As I got older and went away to college, I didn’t really have time for art, and I feel like I lost a part of myself. When I started decorating cookies, I felt like I found that part of myself again. It brings me so much joy to see customers enjoying my little works of art so much, because at the end of the day that’s what decorated cookies are – little works of art that were created just for that person. The canvas just happens to be edible!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a self-taught cookie artist. I never went to culinary school or took courses on culinary arts. Everything I have learned, I learned from research, online tutorials, and practice. There has been a lot of trial and error, a lot of aggravation, but also a lot of perseverance and grit. My biggest obstacle is the fact that I am a perfectionist in everything I do. When I am working on a cookie order, I want it to be perfect in every little detail. What I have learned is that I am my own worst critic, and a customer will not notice the tiny little imperfections that I do. They will still love an order, even if my letters aren’t the perfect amount of puffy, or my lines aren’t perfectly straight. I have never received anything but positive feedback from my customers, and I think it is because I do care so much about the little things; from the cookies themselves, to the packaging, to my social media and communication skills, I want it all to be perfect and I am always looking to see how I can improve my small business.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am originally from New Jersey and only moved to Arizona 6 years ago. Because of this, we have had many visitors through the years and we have our favorite spots we like to bring them. Sedona is always at the top of the list for the scenery, hiking, and swimming holes. More local, we love to go to downtown Gilbert; we especially love OHSO for their brunch and activities for this kids. From the free arcade games to ping pong and corn hole, there is always something fun to keep the kids entertained while the adults relax with some good drinks. Recently, I have a friend come visit for Christmas and we drove up to Page and went to the Meteor Crater National Landmark, Antelope Canyon, and Horseshoe Bend; all highly recommended!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When it comes to running a small business out of your home, you 100% need the support and understanding of your family. Cookies are not my full time job. I am a full-time special education teacher, and cookies are my side hustle. I spend a lot of nights and weekends on my orders, which takes time away from my family and puts more responsibility on my husband. My family has to deal with my kitchen always being a mess, and the constant smell of cookies in the house that nobody is allowed to eat. When I am not working on custom orders, I am teaching cookie decorating classes. I would not be able to do any of this if I didn’t have the support of my husband and children, and I am so grateful they allow me to peruse this small business of mine!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugar_high_cookies_az/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SugarHighCookiesAZ/

Other: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/SugarHighCookiesAZ?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=43a23d09-54f7-46cc-834f-adee6d969d2e

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.