Q & A with DeLisa Leonard, Owner of DTD’s Sweetz

From sweet treats to lavish cakes, DeLisa Leonard is on a mission to be Louisiana’s Queen of All Things Sugary. Check out her Q & A and get to know the founder and blessed hands of DTD’s Sweetz!

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself? Who is DeLisa and what makes her unique?

A: I consider myself to be a creative. I’m a product of Violet, LA and New Orleans, LA, the best of both worlds, which makes me a country and city girl! I’m a tomboy who models, does hair, survived losing everything in Katrina, and rebuilding in Monroe. For the past 5 years, I’ve poured my heart into creating sweet treats as the owner of DTD’s Sweetz, LLC in Shreveport, LA. I think all this makes me pretty unique and such a Louisiana girl. 

Q: What made you want to go into business for yourself?

A: My husband gave me the confidence to start my own business. To be honest, he saw the vision way before I did. I was a stay at home mom and wanted to go get a job, but my husband chose to invest in me and the talent he saw in me.

Q: What’s your overall vision for your business?

A: I want to become the place that people HAVE to come to when entering Shreveport, LA and one day the place that people HAVE to come to when entering Louisiana. I want to build and invest in other entrepreneurs through my business by showing them what some people didn’t want to show or help me with.

Q: Are you self-taught or did you have schooling in professional cake baking and decorating? 

A: I’m self-taught and now I even teach others. I think I’m actually falling in love with teaching! 

Q: What was your first business venture and how did it pan out?

A: My first business was DTD’s; it started as an accessories and DIY kind of thing. It was fun! Then, one day I made a candy apple and became the sweets lady. 

Q: Do you have any other talents or business avenues that you explore? Are you self taught on those or did you have schooling? 

A: I’m very artsy! I can draw/paint, do hair and makeup, model, and dance. I took art to manage my temper while in school and it worked wonders. I received my cosmetology license in 2013. I’m an internationally published plus-size model thanks to VonRay. I used to dance and I’ve even done a play, but I didn’t have training/schooling in those areas. 

Q: Have you always seen yourself as an entrepreneur or did you initially want to pursue something else? 

A: No, I didn’t. I actually wanted to go work for/with my dad in construction. I attended Grambling State University for Architectural Engineering, but that wasn’t my path. I still want to finish and build my own shop one day.

Q: Do you have a particular motto that you live by or base your business around?

A: Proverbs 18:16, “A man’s gift will maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” This has helped remove so much stress, doubt, and worry. 

Q: What’s your secret to juggling your roles as wife, mother, and business owner?

A: PRIORITIZING and time management! Sunday is family day. We also make sure we give our children undivided attention and show them healthy relationships. I make sure to schedule my orders around my family and not the other way around.

Q: Where do you see yourself and your brand in 5 years?

A: If GOD sees fit, in five years I plan on already having my storefront. I see me with more teaching opportunities and maybe even a new addition to our family.