Every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday without fail, Inez Hudson can be found stationed outside Super Choice Foods supermarket in Lakeland, Florida.
The 73-year-old woman sells homemade pies and cakes to support herself as her fixed income isn't enough to cover her living expenses.
She has her good days and bad days. That is, until now. Because thanks to the kindness of a stranger and the power of social media she just became a viral sensation. And now? Her baked goods are selling like hotcakes.
Elderly Woman Sells Homemade Pies and Cakes
@mannierants Store address: 610 W Memorial Blvd, Lakeland, #ourElders 💙 FL 33815 #Localsupport #fy #pielady #sweetelder #payitforward
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.
What’s Holding You Back?
I’ve always wondered what the world would be like if everyone spent less time focusing on other people’s lives and more time focused on their own goals.
Life is just different when you focus on yourself instead of others. Actually, it’s better. Instead of worrying about things you can’t control, you are a second away from changing anything at any given moment. It’s liberating and exciting.
The best part is when you find something you are passionate about. A combination of passion, control, and focus is what leads to success in any endeavor. In conjunction, you will naturally be inclined to work hard. The consistent hard work you do will change who you are as a person.
And once that happens, you’ll never be the same again. It’s not even tempting to worry about what other people are saying and doing. The opinions of others stop mattering, and you begin meeting your needs for fulfillment and joy through your labor.
In time, hard work becomes the vehicle that sets you free. Each one of us is equipped to live life on our own terms, make choices that empower us, and work each day toward fulfilling our dreams.
Unfortunately, most people don’t. For some, it’s the fear of failure, so strongly ingrained that they never even try. The ones that do start usually give up as soon as things get challenging.
In all likelihood, there’s an area of your life that you aren’t happy with. Have you ever wondered what would your life be like if your sole focus shifted toward improving this area?
The only thing separating you from where you are and where you want to be is consistent and intentional hard work. That should be liberating. You should feel ready to start now.
If you aren’t, ask yourself: what’s holding you back?
Why haven’t you started yet? What’s standing in your way from getting started?
The world we live in does not give you permission to lack a strategy for achieving your goals. If you’re able to read this blog post, you have access to strategies. The path you start with won’t be the one you finish on anyway, so pick one and get started.
What if you have a strategy and still can’t do it? That’s called self-sabotage.
Self-sabotage means there is a part of you resisting the change you supposedly desire. It’s up to you to get deep and figure out what that thing is, and then change it. Ask yourself the questions that scare you. The faster you get real with yourself and figure out what’s holding you back, the faster you will achieve your goal.
Is it intimidating to think about the work it would take for you to have the job you’ve always wanted?
Are you afraid of what your spouse might think if you finally lose the weight?
What if you fail this time too? What will people think? Is that too painful to even starT?
Something inside of you is resisting change. Whether it’s a 1% hang up, or 99% is arbitrary. Achievement is driven by nature and requires your full commitment. I don’t know your goals, your situation, or what’s stopping you, but I can tell you with certainty that what’s plaguing you is within your control.
It will never be your fault that you haven’t gotten the results you’re looking for up to this point, but it will always be your responsibility to do what it takes to make it right.