Meet Sonya Hall | Owner & Chief Baking Operator

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

Hi Sonya, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thoughts behind starting my own business seem to have started when I wrote in my high school yearbook that one of my life goals was to be president of a company (never thought it would be my own company). Fast forward to the future, I come from a southern family where everyone loves to cook. I enjoy putting my heart and soul into everything that comes out of my kitchen, I began taking desserts to work for birthdays and other potluck events, I and coworkers began asking me if I sold my desserts because they were so good. My friends loved my desserts so much that they called me Little Betty (short for Betty Crocker), and as they say, the rest was history.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
By day I am a Sr. Benefits Specialist. My career in Benefits began with me working for a large insurance provider, and eventually moving to Corporate Benefits. My beginning in insurance makes me a beast when making sure that my company’s insurance vendors are taking care of our employees. This career path just came naturally to me, and has allowed me to grow and transition constantly into new positions.

One thing that I have learned along the way is to treat customers well. I take time to listen to my customers, even if they are upset, I don’t take it personally, sometimes people just need to be heard. When the answer has to be no, I always try to have a positive suggestion to counterbalance bad news. Outstanding customer service is one of the keys to having a successful business. I take the customer service skills from my day job straight over to SRH Baking company, I reply to all inquiries within 24 hours.

What I want the world to know about my brand is that I use the principles from the Bible called the Lovelies. Phillipians 4:8 “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable….. I handle this business with truth an honesty, I not only talk the talk about being fair with my customers I also walk the walk. Everything that is purchased from SRH Baking Co. is lovely both in packaging and it the quality and taste.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend were coming to St. Louis, the first thing we would need to do would be to get some Fried Rice and crab rangoons from my favorite Chinese restaurant (a must when you come to St. Louis). We would also need to get some of the famous square pizza with the provel cheese, a trip to the Country Girl pie house for a fill em’ up burger, or a fried pork chop sandwich.

Here are some other great spots:
1. University City Loop – lots of shopping and great food spots
2. The St. Louis Zoo
3. Grafton Illinois – great fried fish spots and a ride on the great river road
4. Kirkwood and Ferguson Farmers Market

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to dedicate my shoutout to my Late Aunt Fannie. She was a phenomenal cook and caterer and our entire family raved over her delicious meals. Her caramel cakes could literally drop you to your knees with one bite. We spent hours talking about food, she was looking forward to tasting my sweet potato cheesecake, but she passed before we could get together.

She always taught me to not only make sure that the food tastes good, but to also make sure that it looks good because we eat with our eyes first. I have never forgotten these lessons and I work very hard to ensure that my desserts are not only tasty, but that they also have a beautiful presentation.

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Facebook: SRH Baking Company

Other: email – Srhbakingco@gmail.com