Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Harris.
Hi Kayla, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started completely by accident! I’ve always had a love for cooking but didn’t do a lot of baking.
I lost my job at the height of COVID and honestly, I needed to take some time off due to dealing with the unexpected loss of my mother along with some other tragedies and a whole pandemic.
One day, I got the urge to make some cupcakes for a friend and posted pictures on Facebook.
To my surprise, people wanted to buy the leftovers! A few weeks later I did the same for the 4th of July. Then in August of 2020 one of my oldest childhood friends had a birthday and a sort of housewarming. I made her a cake and at the last minute decided to make it pretty. People loved it! From then on, more people asked me to be a part of their birthdays and then weddings. I never expected it but I obliged and my skills just….came out of nowhere and quickly developed. Thankfully, I just never went back to work.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road but definitely smoother than I would have ever imagined. There have been plenty of late nights, early mornings, disappointments, and frustrating situations but never anything that was able to deter me from going forward with my dreams.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I always tell people I’m known for “Breaking diets…. but make it pretty.” I do catering and private dinners, but the main focus of The Suga Shoppe is celebration cakes. I like to turn your theme into a delicious reality. My customers are always ecstatic with the fact that I can make a beautiful design but it also tastes amazing. I think we’ve all had at least one experience where we went to a party and the cake looks great (or not) but then you bite into it and it’s dry or super sweet or bland. That doesn’t happen over here!
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Stop selling yourself short! Imposter syndrome has been my absolute biggest enemy during this whole process. I’m a sort of a perfectionist when it comes to my craft, so when I look at something and feel it could be better but everyone else around me is in awe of it I feel like a fraud. I’ve begun to overcome that and now appreciate the level of skill that I’ve been able to reach in such a short amount of time. I have to remind myself that I wouldn’t be where I am, especially so quickly, if I didn’t belong here. I am talented and creative and I deserve to be here. I’m coming for everything that the enemy convinced me I shouldn’t have.
Contact Info:
- Email: Thesugashoppeal@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesugashoppeal/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/thesugashoppeal
Image Credits:
Kayla Harris
Chuck Taylor Vision
Ashley VictoriaLens Photography
