Meet Secunda Anderson | Pie Baker & Culinary Artist

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

Hi Secunda, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started my own baking business because I wanted to share my authentic passion and gift of cooking to ultimately bring joy to others.

I love cooking and I became extremely inspired during the pandemic and wanted to offer “comfort” through food.

It was a very natural response for me to have the desire to sell the most sacred dessert within the African American community for the fist time during the Thanksgiving Holiday. I am very connected to sweet potato pie because its a huge tradition in my family.

I grew up eating it and making it with my mom during the holidays. It brings back allot of wonderful nostalgic family memories to mind. I wanted to give people that “happy moment” that I had with family while enjoying dessert.

I was very inspired because people really needed their spirits lifted. I felt the need to do something! It was during a time when people were impacted by death, not being able to see or hug family or loved ones so getting together with family was very important and celebrating with pie was wonderful and nostalgic to allot of people.

What should our readers know about your business?
I think what sets me apart from the others is my unique experience and background. I am simply a very talented self taught Pie Baker & Culinary artist using my gift talents and abilities. I also believe my character, relentless drive, and enthusiasm also sets me apart from others.

To give you some background about my cooking experience I was hired in 2001 as a personal chef to work with Star Jones, former television personality at ABC The View. It was there I gained confidence and experience cooking – planning daily menus, dinner parties and celebratory gatherings. I also, worked with several private clients cooking and catering parties. Additionally, I volunteered my time at Youth Development Workshop for the Administration for Child Services providing catering free of charge as a way of giving back to the community. I also taught cooking workshops for Cumpanies NYC – a community health cooking school focused on the importance of cooking healthy meals using real ingredients. I’m also very passionate about inspiring people to cook restaurant quality meals in their own homes via social media platforms.

I am most proud that I came up with a simple idea to sell sweet potato pies during the Thanksgiving Holiday 2021 and acted on it! I initially thought it would be a “seasonal business” but the pies sold so well I’m still selling pies to this day and haven’t stopped baking since. I have received rave reviews from customers and they are spreading the word.

It wasn’t easy because I did have some doubts and questions since I never did this before. I wasn’t sure if they would sell well and how was I going to spread the word. Would I have to pay for advertising? How would my customers find me? Thankfully I didn’t have to spend any money on advertising and promoted them entirely on social media.

One of my challenges was learning how to successfully wrap and ship pies nationwide. Some of my customers didn’t live in the New York tri-state area so delivery wasn’t an option. It was a challenge to make sure the pie orders were received in a timely manner and looked beautiful upon arrival. Another challenge was wearing so many hats – shopping, cooking, interacting with customers, discussing prices, taking the pie orders, deliveries etc. I overcame the challenges by asking for help – my significant other would help me with deliveries and also played a big role packing pies properly in vacuumed sealed bags.

I learned that having a business is hard work even if its a passion, its very time consuming and requires allot of sacrifices. I learned that you are selling yourself first. I learned that customer service is everything and making my customers happy is a priority. It requires you to be very dedicated on every level.

I want the world to know that I love what I do and I have a passion for all things food. I enjoy connecting with people thru food and building community. I’m dedicated to producing an amazing product using the best ingredients. I am thrilled to share my story and excited for people to connect with my brand. Making pies has been an intentional decision and born out of love.

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 would take them to my favorite Mexican spot in Queens called Five Burros. My good friend introduced me to the place a few years ago – the food is consistently delicious, fun festive atmosphere and excellent customer service and people watching. We would also check out a place called Morini in Soho Manhattan. They have the best pasta and seafood appetizers seasoned to perfection. Wine list is amazing as well. Its also located in an area that is the epitome of New York City night life and culture. I must say they wouldn’t leave town without a home cooked meal at my house followed by rum sweet potato pie dessert and coffee with whipped cream.

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?
Shoutout to my mom Tempie Anderson who is the source of inspiration of my signature sweet potato pies. My mom has always believed in my abilities and encouraged me to do what I love passion, faith and hard work. Additionally, I’d like to thank Rosanne Placencia-Knepper CEO and founder of Cumpanis NYC. She has been a mentor, resource and a friend. I would like to thank my significant other Terrance Hayes who consistently supports me through life’s journey always reiterating to never give up on my dream and to continue raising the bar.

Instagram: @Simplysecunda https://www.instagram.com/simplysecunda/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001239616158