Mignon Francois is a New Orleans native who turned her financial struggle into a booming cupcake business. On May 9, she will publish her first book, Made from Scratch: Finding Success Without a Recipe, through R.H. Boyd Publishing Corp. In the book, Mignon shares her story of climbing out of a life of continuous upset and struggle, which led to building a legacy that would bless her and future generations.
In 2005, Francois and her husband moved to Nashville, from New Orleans, after he was promised a job. When that fell through, Francois and her family, which included six children, began to struggle. Then, inspired by a suggestion from Dave Ramsey’s radio show, Francois got a cupcake recipe from her grandmother and started baking cupcakes to earn extra money.
Soon, she began having daily bake sales in her Germantown neighborhood. To keep track of her savings, Francois established an envelope system in which money for different needs would be divided and saved in envelopes.
“You take care of your necessities first like food, shelter, utilities and transportation, and then use the rest of the money for other things you may need,” she explained in a previous interview with Big Easy Magazine.
In 2008, Francois opened a cupcake shop, The Cupcake Collection, in Nashville, in a house on the verge of foreclosure. The Cupcake Collection prides itself on selling affordable, homemade cupcakes and has grown into a $10 million business. In 2018, Francois opened the New Orleans location of The Cupcake Collection at 2917 Magazine St. with her sister, Alaina Theriot, with a goal of helping her build a future for herself in the business.
Francois has traveled all over the country, telling her inspiring story of pulling herself up from her bootstraps and building a company that her family can be proud of. Throughout her book, Francois doesn’t hold back when describing the struggles and obstacles she had to overcome to build a successful brand.
Made from Scratch: Finding Success Without a Recipe wonderfully tells Mignon’s story in an engaging, exhilarating read that will undoubtedly influence the next generation of entrepreneurs. The book will be a great addition for anyone who wants to build their own business or find success in their life.
Francois takes pride in her New Orleans roots, and this is a book that locals of her hometown will surely enjoy.
“I’ve learned that no matter where else you go, if you’re from New Orleans, you’re always from New Orleans,” she said in a previous interview with Big Easy Magazine. “There’s no greater place to be than from New Orleans. I went to John F. Kennedy High School and I went to church in the lower 9th ward. I grew up on Bullard Ave. New Orleans made me who I am.”
Made from Scratch: Finding Success Without a Recipe is available for pre-order here.
The Cupcake Collection in New Orleans is open Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
