Meet Aleeah Smith

We recently connected with Aleeah Smith and have shared our conversation below.

Aleeah, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
My generosity comes from having a pure heart and always being a genuine giver. Some people use generosity just to announce what they did to be praised, not from a pure heart. I genuinely love to see others win and whatever I can do to help or support, I do just that in confidentiality. It is one thing to be in the position to win for yourself but it is a blessing to be in that position and make it a priority to help others. I pray to be in the position to support others in their winning season before ever thinking of myself. My love language has always been Acts of Service and it truly warms my heart to help because I am not one to ask I am one to do, mainly for other people. Everyone can’t be the giver and the receiver. God moves through people, strive to always be a blessing and you’ll forever prosper and be blessed.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Meet Aleeah Smith, a wife, mom of four, and first-generation franchise owner. At just 26 years old, she is the youngest Black woman to own, not just one but two franchises of The Peach Cobbler Factory. Aleeah acquired her first restaurant franchise in 2022 and her establishments are located in Dalton, Georgia, and her second restaurant will be opening in Fall 2023 in Fayetteville, Georgia.

The Peach Cobbler Factory is a popular dessert destination located mostly on the east coast and in the South. It is known for its 12 flavors of premium cobblers, 12 flavors of banana pudding, and its delicious varieties of cinnamon rolls, cookies, and milkshakes. A variety of new delicious dessert products will also be releasing soon.
Aleeah has had a passion for entrepreneurship since she was 14 years old. Growing up on the south side of Lansing, Michigan, she once ran a dessert catering business for local events. She ran that business until she was 25 years old with clients both in Michigan and Georgia. Along the way, she decided to get married and have children, but yet continued with her entrepreneurial endeavors. She even briefly studied Business Management at Michigan State University.

When the opportunity presented itself to become a franchise owner of The Peach Cobbler Factory in 2022, Aleeah did not hesitate. Even more, she was already financially prepared to self-fund her own restaurants. This involved having to fund the build-outs, pay for the franchise fees, and also pay for the needed equipment and inventory. Her first store has seen a 79% increase in sales within her first 30 days of ownership.

Both of Aleeah’s restaurants offer late-night delivery via Uber Eats, GrubHub, and DoorDash. In addition, her restaurants offer gourmet catering for both corporate and home events such as graduations and parties.

For more details about Aleeah and her business endeavors, follow her on Instagram at @AleeahLeeah

For press inquiries or media interview requests, contact [email protected]

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. No matter what you do, even if you stumble in your path. Always reroute yourself to get back on track. Stick to your plan.

2. Don’t be to hard on yourself, you will always be your biggest critic. Get out of your own way and be great.

3. Don’t let the hard battles hinder you, it is a test. The strong always survive the rain. The sun has to come out. Always speak positively over your life and your journey. You are destined for greatness.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The number one obstacle that I have faced during this journey is being denied. Not because I didn’t qualify on paper, but because I didn’t qualify in person. Being in multiple marginalized groups as a young black woman has definitely made some of my processes challenging in franchising. I have grown to not worry and work hard even denied and told no keep going until you achieve. I have been denied loans, grants, equipment financing, and even commercial properties by brokers. Even though everything on paper checked out, once I was presented in person many deals fell through. I never gave up, I kept pushing. I now own two locations, all self funded, they only thing that is delaying Fayetteville, GA locations opening is my equipment to operate the business. Another thing I will have to work harder to self fund. I am true believer that everything will workout and to not worry. I am thankful for everyone who has supported me this far and continues to support me. I am so excited for the Fayetteville, GA location to open this fall, as we will overcome all challenges. One of my supporters @cloverandbirch words has stuck with me to this day and anytime I even think to doubt myself on my journey I remember her statement , “her barriers to entry were greater than most making it a really big deal and something to be celebrated!” I appreciate having so many people supporting me on this amazing journey. The wins outweigh the worries.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Professional Pictures Ai’sha Miah-Gordon House of Content ATL Instagram: @houseofcontentatl Graphic Design Kayline Pace Kayline’s Marketing Group Instagram @Kaylinesmg Peach Cobbler Factory Graphics Product Graphics Peach Cobbler Factory Hayden Branding

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