Stranger's Video Helps Grandma Selling Baked Goods Go Viral
Elderly Woman Sells Homemade Pies and Cakes
Inez has been setting up shop outside her local grocery store since November 2018, frequently rising at midnight to start baking. Her specialties include pecan pie, sweet potato pie, pineapple pound cake, and red velvet cake with cream cheese icing.
Recently, Lakelander resident, Mannie (who posts on TikTok as @mannierants), came across Inez selling her cakes in the blistering Florida heat.
In a now-viral video, Mannie zooms in on her small business, consisting of a tray table and footstool draped in white tablecloths and covered in baked goods.
"I love sweet potato pie. I would like to get two," the TikToker tells her.
Mannie starts counting out the money...and doesn't stop...completely emptying his wallet as Inez cries with gratitude.
"I don't know what your challenge is. I wish I had more, I wish I had more. I want this to be bigger for you. I want more people to come and support you, I really do."
- Mannie told Inez
However, Mannie didn't just wish it; the TikToker did something about it, putting a call out on social media.
"I don't know her, neither her situation," the text overlay reads. "But my heart says she needs our support. If you're able to please stop by if you're in Lakeland Fl. It will be greatly appreciated."
Mannie tells Fox13 News that he wasn't looking for fame. He just wanted to help a grandma out and support local.
“That’s the main reason why I made it. Not to go viral for social media purposes. I just wanted local people to support each other because that’s the best rewarding experience."
A TikTok Video Goes Viral
73-year-old Inez Hudson sets up shop outside a local Lakeland grocery store to raise money so she can support herself.
Fox13 News
It worked! Mannie's post took off, garnering more than 800,000 views and nearly 6,000 comments.
"That cry broke my heart. I can't stand to see our elderly forced to worry how to make ends instead of enjoying their latter years😢🙏❤❤"
"We’re coming GRANNY🤗🤗🤗🤗💖💖💖💖🖤🖤"
"Im in Orlando! Momma we will be there soon ❤️"
"She's so grateful 🙏 I'm from tampa im coming 2 support."
People from all over the area, and even beyond, started making the trip to Super Choice Foods to buy Inez's baked goods. And they keep on coming.
Her long-time friends are beyond thrilled for her as they know how tough it's been financially.
"I shared with her, God said, ‘stop worrying.' Trust Him and he's going to make things go to where you're not going to have to stress," said one friend, Jamie Overstreet. "Gradually, more people are coming, and to hear it's going viral, ah! That's so exciting!"
Now the only thing Inez has to worry about is selling out.
While the elderly woman is excited about the uptick in customers, she does admit her newfound fame makes her a bit nervous. Overall, however, she's ecstatic that all of her hard work is paying off.
"It makes me feel happy because I've been doing this for so long and it's something I've always wanted to do."
- Inez Hudson
Supporting Local Business
Inez joins a growing number of seniors who can no longer afford to live off their fixed incomes. According to the Pew Research Center, the older workforce has nearly quadrupled in size since the mid-1980s, equating to roughly 11 million people.
As inflation continues to hammer the country and the cost of housing skyrockets, more and more people who should be enjoying their retirement are forced to continue working.
It's also why supporting local businesses and the "little guy" is so important. Buying local ensures that our money goes to the people who need it most, rather than to huge corporations that value profits over people.
When we choose to buy from small, independent sellers we are directly contributing to the livelihoods of our neighbors and friends. So next time you're deciding where to spend your money, consider businesses like Inez's.
Your support could be the difference between struggle and success.
7 Signs You Are Destined for Greatness
From an early age, I knew I was destined to do– or be– something great.
Little did I know at the time that everyone thinks the same thing. It’s a universal feeling inside of us, a recognition of our potential as human beings to be and do something incredible.
We’ve all been given unique and amazing abilities and talents that can help us realize greatness. However, over time society bludgeons us with discouraging ideas, to the point where we stop believing in ourselves. Well, I’m here to tell you that you have greatness in you.
No matter who you are, if you’re a human being living today you have greatness within you -- you just have to start believing it.
I don’t pretend to be a success expert or a seer of any kind. However, there are certain things that signal someone is destined for greatness, factors I’ve identified over years of studying success principles.
Here are seven signs you’re destined for greatness:
1. You’re resourceful
Do you always seem to figure out a way to make things happen, no matter what you’re faced up against? That’s a sign you’re naturally resourceful, an incredibly useful skill for achieving virtually everything in life.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos considers it one of the most important qualities for success, so if you’ve got this critical skill in common with the world’s wealthiest person, you know you’re destined for greatness.
2. You’re a natural problem-solver
Similar to resourcefulness, if you’re a natural problem-solver, you were practically made to be an entrepreneur. However, beyond that, being a natural problem-solver is a sign you’re destined for greatness no matter what you do.
That’s because problem-solving is critical to virtually everything we do, from overcoming common day-to-day challenges that hinder your productivity to figuring out that next big business idea by identifying problems and thinking of creative solutions in the form of a product or service.
3. Nothing stops you from accomplishing your goals
Are you the kind of person who always finishes what she starts? If you always complete what you set out to do no matter what happens, and never allow yourself to settle or quit on your goals, you possess one of the most valuable qualities a person can have -- and a key to realizing greatness in any endeavor.
4. You’re relentlessly persistent
If you’re the kind of person who gets up every time you get knocked down, and pushes forward through rain or shine, that’s a definite sign you’re destined for greatness.
Persistence is a quality that virtually all wildly successful people display. The level of rejection, failure, and setbacks one inevitably faces has to be weathered in order to achieve greatness. Persistence helps you maintain the energy necessary to get there.
5. You’re not afraid of asking questions
Realizing greatness requires self-development, and self-development requires that you be willing and unafraid to ask questions. It’s as simple as that. If you’re the kind of person who isn’t afraid to raise your hand in a class setting, and you possess the willingness to step outside of your comfort zone, then you very well may be destined for greatness.
6. You never fail
By not failing, I’m referring to not viewing failure as a setback. If you treat failure like a building block, a valuable learning experience that moves you further forward towards your dreams and goals, then you may very well be bound for greatness.
This is easily one of the most important qualities of all, so if this doesn’t naturally describe you, don’t worry, it’s a quality you can develop with time and effort. Just look for the lessons in each so-called “failure” to see what you can take away.
7. You understand that change is in your hands
Many believe that people– and the world at large– can’t be changed, that we’re all somehow stuck blowing in a great big wind called fate and have little to no say about what happens to us. This is not only a damaging belief, it’s fundamentally wrong.
If you understand that change is in your hands, that’s a healthy sign you’re destined for greatness because you understand that you have your hands on the wheel, and naturally look for ways to improve and move forward. You can decide to make a difference not only in your own life, but also in the life of others.