Tamia Coleman-Hawkins

By Abbie Overdorf 

Tamia Coleman-Hawkins is a baker at heart. When she was four, she began baking with her grandma. At the age of eight, after taking an economics class in the 3rd grade, Tamia decided she wanted to open a bakery. Now, at seventeen, Tamia Coleman-Hawkins is the CEO and owner of Mia’s Treats Delight as well as a published author of a children’s book with the help of her mom. She has been recognized for her accomplishments since 2020 and is continuing to build her company, one cookie at a time.  

A late-night trip to the grocery store in 2015 to buy ingredients to bake chocolate cupcakes was the night Tamia Coleman-Hawkins sold her first batch to her mom’s friend and kickstarted what is now Mia’s Treats Delight. As a kid, Tamia was always told by her mom to be her own boss when she grew up, but she didn’t want to wait that long. Her mom, Tamishio Hawkins, has been with her every step of the way. An economics class she took in third grade was also a key component in her decision to start a business. 

“[My mom] was basically like the match, and the economics class I took in third grade was pretty much the spark,” Tamia said in her interview with Zhive. “And me, being a pretty spontaneous person, lit the match and sparked the flame.” 

Since sparking that flame, Tamia has continued to grow her business. In 2019, she and her mom considered writing a children’s book. They brainstormed and wrote some of the story but eventually left it for another day. That day came in 2020 when the COVID pandemic hit. During the lockdown, Tamia and Tamishio started focusing heavily on the book, writing the story and eventually self-publishing it with the help of her mom’s friend, who owns a publishing company. 

Mia Dreams BIGGER is an inspiring children's book based on Tamia’s story. The book leads readers through Mia’s journey of becoming an entrepreneur at eight years old. 

When writing Mia Dreams BIGGER, Tamishio went through many illustrators, wanting to have a specific look for the book. At last, Tamishio found her: Karla Bivens. Even though Karla didn’t have her commission open, she decided to open it up for Tamia and Tamishio after hearing their story. Karla and her daughter, Alani, worked on the illustrations together. 

“It’s really sweet because it’s a mother-daughter duo that wrote the book and then a mother-daughter duo that worked on the illustrations,” Tamia shares. 

With all businesses come challenges. Despite her age, Tamia comments on the fact that being so young has its advantages, “When the companies are looking at a vendor, they come across me and see I’m a Black female and also I’m a teenager on top of that, so they’re like, ‘oh, let's support her.’” Some disadvantages, such as the legal obstacles and not being able to use a commercial kitchen as a minor, even with an adult present, have been a hindrance. Tamia may be the CEO of the company, but her mom signs off on everything to help her move her business along. 

The challenges that Tamia Coleman-Hawkins has faced have pushed her to become a better business owner and have also taught her a few lessons. Her items were inexpensive in the beginning, leading customers to ask why they weren’t higher in price when the quality of the pastry was so high. In her endeavors to grow the company, Tamia has learned to know her worth and to believe in the quality of the product she is selling. Confidence is important, and it was something she learned early on in Mia’s Treats Delight. 

Tamia Coleman-Hawkins has started to talk to younger generations about her journey. She finds it very motivating to see how amazed these children are that she’s doing so much at her age. Being able to talk to children who are of the same race and gender as Tamia and let them know that it’s possible for them to do what she’s doing is very uplifting. 

In her interview with Zhive, Tamia said, “Seeing the inspiration that they get from that, really inspires me too.” 

Tamia is hoping she’ll be able to buy a food truck soon, which will give her the opportunity to travel across the country and bring Mia’s Treats Delight to different states. She would also like to open up physical storefronts. 

When asked what Tamia would tell her younger self, she talks about wanting her to be more open to trying new things. Even if she’s hesitant about not liking it, she would want her to at least try it anyway. As for her future self, Tamia says, “Don’t let anybody blow out that flame.” 

Tamia Coleman-Hawkins wants to leave a legacy behind, whether that’s in the form of her children someday taking over her cookie business or them starting a business of their own. Regardless, she’ll plant the seed in their minds that they don’t have to wait to start something and that it’s never too late, either. If you know what you’re capable of and believe in yourself, then anything is possible. 

To learn more about Tamia Coleman-Hawkins and her cookie business, you can visit her website at https://www.miastreatsdelight.com/. You can also find her on Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok. Be sure to support this teen entrepreneur and her baking journey!