Q: What was the inspiration behind starting your business?
A: I went to art school (at Pittsburg State University.) I got my bachelor’s in fine arts, with an emphasis in commercial art. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I didn’t really want to be a starving artist. Halfway through, I had to come up with a business idea for a class. My mom was into cake decorating and she had asked me to help her a couple times. I liked it and it kind of went from there. I started making cakes and people really liked them. I figured I could use my talents and what I had learned and make cakes and make a little bit of money.
Q: What has been the response from the community?
A The community has been really supportive. I also got master’s degree from Pittsburg State, so I’ve got a lot of clients from PSU and I’ve got to network a lot through the university.
Q: What are some of your specialties?
A: We are really getting into making specialty 3-D cakes like you’d see on the TV shows. We also do a lot of wedding cakes. We like to do modern and contemporary cakes. We do a lot of birthday cakes. It just depends on the week and it varies with the season. We actually have five or six specials going on right now for Valentine’s Day. Cupcakes and cake bites are really popular for that.
Q: How did you craft and hone your cake-making skills?
A: I just learned as I went. You just kind of have to dive into things like this and learn as you go. I never had an actual class on sugar art, but I’ve had ceramics and I’ve taken jewelry and painting classes. I really try to incorporate all of those skills into what I’m doing now.
Q: What does the future hold for Sweet Designs Cakery?
A: We’d really like to start another location and have that location focus more on wedding cakes. Then we’d still have this location for birthday cakes and other things like that.
Q: What do you like most about owning your own business?
A: It’s flexible and always changing. If I don’t like something or it’s not working, since it’s mine, I can change it.
Extra point: Sweet Designs Cakery was recently featured in ShowMe The Ozarks Magazine after winning a cake-off competition sponsored by the magazine.
