Today we’d like to introduce you to Chrystine Cosby.
Chrystine, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was 19 years old, my mother signed my sister and I up for a basic cake decorating class at Michael’s (the arts and crafts store). My sister finished all of the courses and I stopped attending after completing about two courses. My sister went on to open her own bakery in Trinidad shortly after and named it Confections of a Sugarholic. I didn’t continue because I felt like I was decent at it, but not good enough to do it on the level that my sister was doing it. I always had a creative side but figured I could make more money if I channeled my creativity through writing. I attended GSU and majored in Journalism….and after many ups and downs…I finally graduated in 2014 and landed a job shortly after at a local PR agency as a media analyst. I stayed there for a little over three years, until I gave birth to my son.
It wasn’t until his birth that I truly realized I wanted something different. My husband, noticing how unhappy I was at my current job, told me to resign and find something I loved to do. Something that I could do and still be with my kids. A little hesitant, I did it. I quit and didn’t have a plan B, C, or D. To clear my mind, I decided to visit my family in Trinidad for a few weeks. The plan was to go to Trinidad, unwind, come back and figure life out. Figure out what I was going to do. What I didn’t expect to come out of that trip, was the beginning of my new venture. As mentioned before, my sister opened a bakery in Trinidad, so one night I was bored, and I asked her if I could help her with one of her orders. I wanted to see if I still had it. After all, it had been almost ten years since I decorated a cake. To my (and her) surprise, I did a good job! I documented the whole thing on my IG story and got so many messages. I even had one person place an order. Instead of saying “heck no!” (which I wanted to say because I was scared), I agreed to it.
When I got back to the U.S., I decided I was going to make a number cake for my friend’s 25th birthday. Once again, I shocked myself. I had no idea I could do it. Taking a leap of faith, I started a business IG account. There is actually a sentimental reason behind why we decided to name the business Confections of a Sugarholic Atlanta, instead of me creating an entirely new brand. My brother, who passed away in 2013, made my sister her logo and was very involved in her creative process in her early stages. She knew she wanted to revamp her logo/look, but wanted to pay homage to our brother who did her original artwork. I took a stab at it, and we ended up loving it. The logo was refined and new but still held on to the unique elements our brother came up with.
After creating the account, I took a picture of the cake and posted it. However, it wasn’t until my husband posted it to his IG account that things started to get crazy. The response was overwhelming. We both were receiving so many positive messages and even some orders. Would you believe me if I told you, I’ve done a cake every single week since that photo was posted? Well, I did. That was July 2018, and I’m a few months shy of being in my first year of business…and I haven’t had a week off. That is how COS Atlanta began, on faith. I am still in shock that it has come so far.
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?
It has not been a smooth road. Imagine going from making a full salary with benefits to just quitting your job and starting a business with no plan. No preparation, no prior knowledge. I’ve had many nights where I sat on my kitchen floor and just cried. I’ve had to combat feelings of self-doubt and feeling like I wasn’t good enough. As many times as I’ve tried to quit and just get a job, my husband refused! He didn’t care if we had to struggle, he just wanted to see me pursue what I love to do, no matter what it took. It hasn’t, and still isn’t easy, but having someone behind me like that…is the reason why I have yet to give up.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Confections of a Sugarholic is a custom bake shop. I specialize in novelty cakes and desserts. While I do a variety of cakes, I am most known for my number/letter cakes. I think what sets me apart from others is my unique designs. Whenever customers let me have creative control, I go all out.
What were you like growing up?
As a child, I loved all things creative. I loved building things, art, and music. I played the flute for ten years and sang in my school and church choir.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 678-975-0402
- Email: confectionsatlanta@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/confectionsatlanta
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