Today we’d like to introduce you to Ebonie Carzo. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Ebonie is a dynamic entrepreneur and celebrity cake designer with a love for sunflowers, 90s R&B, and business growth strategies. She’s been an entrepreneur since her early days, selling candy, custom bracelets, and CDs. Over the past eight years, Ebonie has grown her business into a 5-star award-winning luxury wedding cake bakery, with features on Food Network, TLC’s Four Weddings, ASBN network, iHeart Radio, and the Jim Beach radio show. She has also been published in numerous industry magazines.
Her success has led to a speaking career and social presence as a business coach and strategist, where she helps startups and small businesses grow their revenue through financial literacy and sales training. Ebonie is now on a mission to empower new cake designers to build profitable businesses from their home kitchens.
Growing up in a bakery, Ebonie developed a love for baking, but she didn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. She pursued higher education and corporate America. However, after years of working in the corporate world, Ebonie realized that she needed to pursue her passion for baking and entrepreneurship. She gave up her steady income and company benefits to start her entrepreneurial journey, and it paid off.
As the owner of Atlanta’s premier wedding cake bakery, Ebonie is known for her luxurious cake designs and was awarded DeKalb County’s 2022-2023 Small Business of the Year Award for her professional accomplishments and community activism among small businesses in the metro Atlanta region. She has been featured on Food Network, Food Network Canada, TLC, Newsy, Washington Post, Atlanta Style Weddings, and many more. Ebonie is an inspiration to anyone looking to pursue their passion and turn it into a successful business.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey as an entrepreneur has been far from easy. While onlookers may only see the glamorous side of my success, such as the numerous TV appearances and awards like Small Business of the Year for DeKalb County, there are also many challenges that go unseen. These include difficult conversations with dissatisfied clients, dealing with calls and emails from individuals whose accounts have been hacked by cyber scammers who use a similar business name to mine, falsely implicating me in fraudulent activity. In addition, I have had to navigate the difficulties of running a home-based bakery during a pandemic when brick-and-mortar bakeries were closing left and right. More recently, I’ve had to contend with suppliers going out of business and rising supply costs while still striving to maintain my position as a high-end, luxury wedding and custom cake bakery. This has been particularly challenging as people are now faced with tough choices between buying necessities like food or putting gas in their cars rather than indulging in luxury items like custom cakes.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Virginia Marie Cake Boutique?
Although I’ve faced some difficult times, I always find a way to pivot and adapt. For example, due to the pandemic and current economic recession, I decided not to open a retail bakery but instead bought a house where I renovated the basement into a designer luxe cake studio. Now, I conduct all my business there, meet clients, and even host cake decorating classes for children called The Cake Xperiment and cake classes for adults called Cake & Cocktails, where friends can come and let loose while exploring their cake artistry over wine.
At Virginia Maria Cake Boutique, we specialize in crafting fairytale wedding cakes that serve as the centerpiece of your reception. Our cakes are not only delicious but also visually stunning and “picture perfect,” ensuring that they look just as amazing as they taste in all your wedding photos and videos. We are honored to provide our services to wedding clients and take great pride in creating cakes that exceed your expectations.
Here are a few reasons why you should choose Virginia Maria Cake Boutique for your wedding cake needs:
• We are proud to be the #1 Black Owned Bakery in Atlanta
• We have received recognition as DeKalb County’s 2022-2023 Small Business of the Year
• Our cakes have been featured in top wedding magazines like Atlanta Style Weddings and Black Nuptials Magazine
• Our cakes have also been showcased on Food Network, Food Network Canada, TLC, and Washington Post.
How do you define success?
My previous definition of success was limited to reaching a certain level of revenue, such as a six figures salary/revenue. However, my perspective on success changed in 2013 when I left my corporate job and relinquished my company car, travel expenses, salary, commission, healthcare, and other benefits. My first year as an entrepreneur taught me that success is not only about money. Rather, it’s about creating a lifestyle that is both sustainable and fulfilling, one that brings a sense of peace and joy. To me, success means having enough financial stability to avoid the stress of overdrafts and late fees and having access to resources that can provide greater security in life. In essence, success is about more than just making money; it’s about cultivating a life that is truly meaningful and rewarding.
Pricing:
- Wedding Cakes start at $850+
- Custom Celebration Cakes start at $250
- Cake & Cocktails Private Cake Decorating Event-$350
- The Cake Xperiment Kids Cake Decorating -$55
Contact Info:
- Website: www.virginiamarie.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginiamariecakes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/virginiamariecakeboutique/
Image Credits
Paul McPherson Jr Photography MRP Weddings Photo & Cinema VishionsHD Photography
