Today we’d like to introduce you to Kori Barham.
Kori, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Absolutely! As I think about it, my story actually started in 2012. I had just finished my graduate degree at Georgia Southern University and moved to Pooler, GA. As a way to make some extra money prior to finding a job, I would make decorative cookies, cake pops even candles. I wasn’t passionate about it, so it was short-lived once I started my career. Regardless, I always admired the artistry, skill and attention to detail that goes into creating beautiful desserts. Over the years, I followed dessert artists on Instagram and occasionally pin dope cookie and cupcake designs on Pinterest. Fast forward to late 2019, two of my favorite treat artists were offering online classes for the holidays. I took them out of curiosity and respect for the craft. Soon after, one of the line sisters asked if I’d make cookies for her mom’s birthday, which led to a few more orders. Still, it was something fun to do. I never considered making it a business.
Like many, the current pandemic forced me to work from home. Managing a work/life balance became overwhelming, and I needed a creative outlet to maintain my sanity. One of my closest friends was planning her son’s first birthday at the time, so I asked to make cupcake toppers for his party. Unlike the first time, I enjoyed the process; I was actually passionate about it. Once I posted them to my personal social media accounts, the orders started coming in. I prayed about it for a while, then with the love, support and encouragement of my family and friends, The Sugar Rush Lab was born.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Ha, definitely not! I’m a mom of two, working a full-time job; that in itself is stressful. Time management has always been challenging for me, but it’s necessary for success… success as a mom, success in my career, success in my personal life, success in my business. Mastering time management is an ongoing process; I’ve spent quite a few nights working on orders until the sun comes up. I know that’s not sustainable, so I view each new order as an opportunity to figure out how to use my time more efficiently.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Sugar Rush Lab specializes in creating decorative sugar cookies and cupcake toppers. It’s funny because when starting out, I wanted my main focus to be cupcake toppers. To date, I’ve gotten four orders for them… lol. The majority of orders are for sugar cookies, so I’m best known for that.
What I’ve come to realize is that life is short and every day really is the perfect day to acknowledge your loved ones. If it’s in your heart to celebrate, do it! Birthdays, gender reveals, promotions, engagements, beating an illness and my all time favorite, just because. Literally, celebrate whatever you choose to celebrate make your own rules.
I’m most proud of how quickly The Sugar Rush Lab is growing. I’m so thankful for the amount of support I’ve received thus far. I’m appreciative of the orders, the re-posts on social media, the referrals, and the continual encouragement. I don’t have the words to express my gratitude.
What sets me apart from others is my attention to detail. I pride myself on creating beautiful cookies and cupcake toppers. I really take my time in planning out designs as well as executing them. I love trying new techniques, as my goal is to make the current order even better than the last. Again, I want to ensure my customers are happy, especially when given full creative control. Another thing that sets me apart is the taste of my cookies. It’s crazy to say, but they actually taste good. What good is a cookie that you can’t eat? Lastly, I’m always looking for ways to improve and offer more, so I continue to take classes and, of course, utilize YouTube University.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was pretty laid back, quiet, but ambitious. Anything I wanted, I went after it. One thing that I really appreciated growing up was my mom encouraging my siblings and I to try new sports, hobbies, anything we were interested in. Her only rule was that we couldn’t quit… we had to finish the season, lesson, or class. Looking back, having that freedom to explore helped me to break out of the shell and to express myself creatively.
I come from a very tight-knit family. I have an older sister, Kaci and a young brother, Allen; we’ve always had a close bond. They really pushed me to get The Sugar Rush Lab up and running. It’s dope having family in your corner you can trust, bounce ideas off of and ask for help when needed. I’m thankful for my tribe.
Contact Info:
- Email: thesugarrushlab@gmail.com
- Instagram: @thesugarrushlab
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