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How a Vocal Instructor Started a Lollipop Business in the Middle of the Pandemic
Leah Allen, an Austinite, learned how to make lollipops from her mom when she was in junior high. Back then, it got her suspended from school. Now, it’s paying her bills during CO-VID.
Mariah Evely (ME): What made you want to start your business?
Leah Allen (LA): My regular day job is as a classical vocal instructor–I have a master’s in vocal performance, and I almost have my doctorate.
When your regular job is a creative job, it just becomes like a job, and you lose that creative outlet feeling. So, I started making lollipops and experimenting with flavors.
That’s kind of how I started. I made them for a friend, and they were like, “you should sell these,” so I opened a little Etsy shop and began to get sales.
ME: Was there anything else that inspired you aside from wanting that creative outlet?
LA: At the time, no. My mom is the one that taught me how to make lollipops when I was in junior high, and I sold them at school. I ended up getting in big trouble…
