St. Anthony couple fulfills lifelong wish to own a business with this tasty side gig | East Idaho

Two Georgia transplants recently created their own Becca’s Sweet Treats business. It’s an outlet for the married couple, who also work at two separate jobs from their St. Anthony home.

Becca and Chase Hillis recently created their sweet shop where they sell cookies, fudge, Rice Crispy treats, Nutella cupcakes, banana bread and apple pie.

The couple recently set up a booth during the Fourth of July celebrations at Porter Park in Rexburg where they experienced brisk business. Pans overflowing with treats were quickly gobbled up by visitors.

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The couple found out about the event one day prior to the Porter Park celebrations.

“I didn’t have very much time to prepare,” Becca said. “I was up until 1 a.m. (that) morning and woke up at 6 in the morning to finalize some stuff.”

In addition to events such as the Fourth of July celebration, the couple also promotes their sweets via Facebook and Instagram, which has been remarkably successful for them.

“I make the treat, post pictures, and people say ‘We want those,’” Becca said.

One of her more popular treats includes “Brookies” made from brownies, chocolate chip cookies and Oreos.

“It’s the combination of three delicious treats in one,” Becca said. “It’s a top seller. It’s my own take on it.”

While Brookies are popular, it’s the couple’s cake pops that are a real crowd pleaser.

“I bake a cake, crumble it up into homemade frosting, freeze them and then dip them in chocolate,” she said.

The couple got the idea for the business in May after friends continually commented on how delicious Becca’s treats were. Two weeks later, the Hillises went into business and have been baking up a storm ever since.

Becca started the business with her chocolate chip cookies that were popular with friends. She once gave a friend the recipe, but after the woman made the cookies, she wasn’t happy with the result.

“She said, ‘I can’t make them as good as yours. I don’t know what you do, but I can’t make them as good as you do,’” Becca said.

When she’s not baking, Becca also works as a customer representative for a Georgia trucking service. She did similar work while living in Georgia and, thanks to the internet, was able to continue doing so in East Idaho. Becca works from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. working with those providing freight for the trucking company.

Becca’s boss doesn’t mind that she’s also created her own business.

“She doesn’t as long as it doesn’t impede with her time,” Becca said.

Becca says that her Sweet Treats business gives her a break from her customer service job and vice versa.

“When I get stressed at my other job, I bake,” she said. “I like to keep it interesting.”

The same goes for her husband, Chase, who, when not helping with the couple’s business, works online for a computer company. Just like his wife, it was a company he worked with in Georgia and can continue to do so in St. Anthony thanks to computers.

Chase helps his wife by frosting their food with chocolate and later packaging it.

“It’s been fun. It’s ‘happy wife; happy life,’” he said.

While the couple works strictly from home, they don’t feel lonely or isolated by doing so.

“We have two dogs, a cat and chickens. They keep us busy,” Becca said. “We have a garden. We love to go fishing and hiking and stuff like that. We’re not trapped in the house.”

The couple met while in high school and became fast friends. After high school graduation, Becca served a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission to the Oregon Spanish-Speaking Mission.

To help her learn Spanish, the church first sent Becca to the Mexico City Missionary Training Center. From there, they transferred her to Oregon.

“I loved it. I loved the people and the culture,” she said.

While there, Oregonians frequently commented on Becca’s southern twang.

“They loved my accent,” Becca said. “I said, ‘I don’t have an accent. You have an accent.’”

After her mission, Becca attended Brigham Young University-Idaho where she earned an associate’s degree in science. She later returned to Georgia to attend college to study dietetics.

“Now I’m selling sweets. Do what you love,” she said.

After returning to Georgia, Becca renewed her friendship with Chase, who had converted to the church.

“We were best friends before we started dating. That helps,” she said.

Becca said it wasn’t difficult being a member of the LDS church in the Bible Belt.

“It’s different because there’s definitely not as many Mormons there, obviously,” she said. “It’s also nice because there is so much diversity. They’re a lot more accepting of stuff.”

While Becca didn’t mind living in Georgia, she greatly enjoyed living in the Upper Valley — so much so that after she and Chase married, they moved west.

“I knew the area and thought it was pretty,” Becca said. “We love the outdoors, hunting, fishing and camping.”

The region also provided an opportunity to start up the couple’s business. Becca encourages anyone thinking of starting their own business to start something that they greatly enjoy. Don’t start a company just because it sounds good, but instead create one where you like making the product.

“Only do a business if you love what you’re doing. I’ve thought about starting different business and doing crafty stuff, but it’s nothing that I knew I would stick with,” she said.

Becca has always wanted to have her own business, and Becca’s Sweet Treats is fulfilling a lifetime dream. It’s her first venture into entrepreneurship, Becca said.

“I don’t like being told what to do. I like to be my own boss,” she said

For the time being, Becca doesn’t plan to turn Becca’s Sweet Treats into a full-time job, as she likes going from one job to another.

“I bet burnt out easily. I need a diversion. When I get stressed at my other job, I bake,” she said. “I took that love of cooking and turned it into a business.”

The pair agrees that a couple that creates their own business stands a good chance of having a successful union.

“The couple that goes into business stays together,” they said.

For more information on Becca’s Sweet Treats, visit www.facebook.com/Beccas-Sweet-Treats or call 912-346-4804.