Today we’d like to introduce you to Candace Pierce.
Hi Candace, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My cake journey began in October of 2020 when my son was turning two that I wanted to price my first custom cake for his birthday party, and with it being my first time I didn’t realize the cost of ordering a custom cake. Unfortunately, at the time I couldn’t afford it. The months that followed is when I began my interest in baking so that I could bake my children’s birthday cakes like my grandmother used to do for us. From there I turned to YouTube channels and Instagram to study and learn from some very talented cake decorators as well as tested and tweaked so many recipes until I got the hang of it. There was a lot of trial and error, a lot of failed recipes, cakes that fell apart, and a lot of self-doubting if baking was even in the cards. At the time I was still a full-time Physical Therapist Assistant, so at times it was a lot to juggle. In April of 2021 is when I created my Instagram page Sugared, merely for documentation purposes and for what Instagram used to be for, just a photo collection of all my cakes. I wanted to have a space where I could show off my hard work and look back on. Eventually, from there and my full-time job people started wanting to place orders with me and from there it’s taken off. Today I have traded scrubs for aprons and have made Sugared my full-time job.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In the beginning, it was really hard for me to juggle a full-time job that was an hour away from home, being a mom to two toddlers, a fiancé and have a side baking business. It was very stressful, and eventually I had to make the decision to quit my PTA job and refocus what my priorities were going to be. Along the way, I struggled with finding that work-life balance because I wanted to maintain being a therapist as that was my first passion. Since switching to PRN I’ve been able to give more of my time and attention to my baking business and grow it from the ground up. To this day almost two years later, I can honestly say I am still learning and growing and constantly absorbing techniques from the many that I look up to!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in custom cakes and confections. I offer custom birthday, anniversary, wedding cakes, etc. Other desserts I offer are cupcakes, cake pops, cakecicles, dessert shooters, chocolate-covered strawberries/pretzels/Oreos, and more! What I’m most proud of is my ability to take your inspirations and ideas and bring them to life to make your event just a little more sweet!
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Time management and organization. As a mom of two who attends daycare, I have a certain window of time that I have to prioritize what all I can achieve in a day, and each day is different. So lists are definitely my friend. Each Monday, I map out the current day as well as plan for the whole week when my bake days are going to be, as well as decorating days, etc. This helps me have a smooth less stressful week.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ordersugared?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ordersugared?mibextid=LQQJ4d
