TAMPA, Fla. — While it’s hard to find good things that came out of the pandemic, one Tampa woman really made the most of it and discovered a hidden talent that she turned into a thriving business, Margie’s Sweet Delights.

Margie Andrews admits that baking wasn’t even her thing prior to the pandemic, but during the shutdown she started making her family all of their favorite sweet treats and discovered that she’s actually very good at it. Now, you’ll find her in her kitchen early in the morning, late at night, seven days a week.

“I don't like pushing it too much either, because I work 9-5:30 everyday, and the kids, and the activities, and sometimes when I get a lot of orders, but I love it. I don't mind waking up at 5 o'clock in the morning to start, and have all my orders ready, but sometimes it's a lot,” said Margie.

Margie, who doesn’t even like eating sweets, and has a background as a finance director, said she never thought she’d have her own baking business, but her husband encouraged her to quit her job and start the business. Margie said while she wasn’t sold on the idea at first, she has always been an entrepreneur of sorts. She even found a way to help her mom with money when she was a little girl in Colombia where she grew up.

“My mom was a single mom at the time, so at the age of 10 I started doing raffles and stuff, so when he told me to quit, I was like ayy no!”

Margie found a way to compromise, though. She started a new job working from home, which gave her time to be with her family and start Margie’s Sweet Delights.

Over the next year, Margie says her business grew and grew. At first, it was just friends and family placing orders, and then the word got out on social media of how delicious her sweets and treats are.

“I started with maybe 200 followers, all friends and family, and now I have over 1000 followers on Instagram.  I keep myself busy every single week. I don't know where the orders come from, but I'll have sometimes 15 orders,” said Margie.

With all of those orders coming in, Margie said she’s already thinking about ways to expand the business.