Mom of the Month: Despina Giampilis, Owner of La Madame Biscuit.
We’re always excited to shine a spotlight on creative, passionate parents who are making an impact in our community. This month, we’re proud to feature Despina Giampilis, the inspiring founder of La Madame Biscuit Despina’s story is rooted in love, resilience, and intention.
Tell us a little about yourself and your family.
My name is Despina Giampilis. Born and raised in Montreal Canada, married my NY hubby and ended up in Bethlehem PA in 2014. We have 3 children ages 11, 8 & 6. Fun fact about me is that I am a self taught baker and do not know how to bake anything but cookies.
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What inspired you to start your business?
5 years ago on a snowy evening my son wanted chocolate chip cookies. We were snowed in, so I was not able to run and get good old pillsbury dough ready cookie dough. My son suggested we make them from scratch, so we did. They were the worst cookies ever made. My little guy was so upset he insisted we perfect the best chocolate chip cookie. For months after, we were tweaking recipes till we finally mastered one. That’s when La Madame Biscuit was created.
What does a typical day look like for you as a mom and business owner?
Our days are hectic! I typically wake up at 5am to head to the gym. As soon as I return, I shower, make kids school lunches, prepare breakfast and get them ready for their day. My husband takes them to school while I try to straighten up the house before heading to work. I arrive at work everyday at 9am and leave at 3pm, to go home in time to cook dinner, do homework and get kids ready for their evening activities. On Saturdays, we usually have travel ball. If we don’t need to leave at 5am, I sometimes run to the shop at 6am to make sure everything is ready for the day. Once I return home, I make our usual Saturday morning breakfast before we head to the fields. My husband and I divide and conquer most of the time, as all 3 kids sports schedules typically overlap. Sundays are dedicated to family time hence the reason our shop is closed.
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What’s been the most rewarding part of running your business?
The most rewarding part of running my business is seeing how much our customer enjoy our cookies. Also, seeing how excited my kids get when they tell all their friends their mom is “THE COOKIE LADY”.
What challenges have you faced balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship?
Going from running an in-home business to finally opening a brick and mortar was challenging. Having built my business from home for 5 years helped me as far as entrepreneurship goes. The brick and mortar store helped promote my business more to the Lehigh Valley area and help me grow. My biggest challenge was balancing home life with work life and still prioritizing my family. Time management was the hardest part. Coming home to cook dinner, do homework, wash laundry, clean the house and run to different fields was the most challenging. My husband has been a huge help during these changes. We both realized that we needed to be more self sufficient most days.
Doing laundry at 6am has become a part of my daily routine. I found myself working from home in the evenings. I have now limited that time to be sure I can accomplish everything else on my list. All to say, I love these changes and struggles and would not change anything about them.
What advice would you give to other moms thinking about starting a business?
If you can start an in home business before opening a shop, do it! My husband always told me “Nothing good comes easy”, be patient with yourself and others. This was the best advice for me.
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How do you and your family like to spend time together when you're not working?
We usually go to visit our family members who live in NY and Canada. On longer weekends we drive to visit my side in Canada and on shorter weekends we go to NY.
Follow Despina’s journey and learn more about her business:
💼 La Madame Biscuit
📍 Location: SouthSide Bethlehem PA. The address is 716e 4th street Bethlehem Pa 18015.
We are a small family run business who bakes everything from scratch in small batches to be able to create the most decadent dough. We have expanded our business online and ship USA wide to give everyone the opportunity to taste our gourmet cookies. We also work with corporate accounts to help facilitate gifting for large corporations. Events are something we have started catering to. We create cookie tables for those wanting elevate their dessert table to something unique as well as catering trays for your yearly birthday parties and celebrations.
🌐 Website: Www.lamadamebiscuit.com
📧 Contact: You can contact us directly from our website, Instagram, Facebook or call us at the our shop.
📸 Instagram: @la_madame_biscuit_
Despina, thank you for the love and creativity you pour into La Madame Biscuit!
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