Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Yida Catala. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Yida, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

About 17 years ago I was going through a life change (divorce) and I wanted to do something for myself, so I took up cake decorating classes for a year. I started doing cakes as a side business while I was teaching in an elementary school. About 10 years later, I didn’t want to do cakes any longer and I wanted to do something with flowers because I LOVE flowers.

One night while sleeping, I had a dream. Yes, I really had a dream! I dreamt about putting flowers together in a bouquet, but making them edible. So I woke up in the middle of the night with these wild thoughts as they came to me. I remember my husband waking up and saying “what’s going on?”. I said: “Omg, I thought of something and I need to write it down”. Needless to say, I just started thinking of how to make floral bouquets with cupcakes. I did go back to sleep and the next morning I got to work. I made, what I thought was the most beautiful bouquet ever, with cupcakes. I was so proud of my work. When my husband came home from work, I showed him what I did and he couldn’t make out what it was. I explained it to him and he thought it was a pretty good idea. Boy, I look at that picture now and wonder “what was I thinking? That thing is horrible!”. But I kept practicing and watched many videos and come up with a better way. A few months passed, and I started my business in North Carolina.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a very dedicated person to my craft. Every day I learn something new and I always look for ways to become a better artist. I provide a product that serves as a “gift”. Yes, anyone can make cupcakes, but my style is to “gift” a beautiful arrangement of cupcakes that look like flowers, whether it is in a Cupcake Box, or arranged in a Bouquet.

Sometimes people don’t know what to gift someone that is not chocolate, flowers, or a simple cake. My work of art solves that problem. I have provided floral cupcakes/bouquets for all kinds of celebrations (anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, weddings, funerals, graduations).

I am the most proud that I came up with this idea on my own. Even though there are a few other floral artists around the world, I am proud that I was able to make my “dream” a reality.

I want my potential clients/followers/fans to know that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE doing these edible floral arrangements. I hope that one day my side business grows so that I can quit teaching, and just do this. In the future, I would also love to be able to start teaching others how to do these beautiful flowers. I put my heart into every bouquet I do. This is not mass production work. Each bouquet is given love and attention, so that it measures up to be the perfect gift for the occasion.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

My pivotal moment in life came when my husband and I moved from North Carolina, where I had already begun operating as a business, to Florida, where I had to start from scratch. While I was able to bring the experience of getting started in North Carolina with me, I also found myself in a new situation in life. I accepted a position as a middle school Spanish teacher to help us get established in Florida. So now my “dream” business became my secondary occupation, as teaching is a full-time job.

I have learned to plan my time and use my resources wisely so that I can still offer a high-quality product at a fair price, using social media to promote my creations and build a loyal local following. My husband has joined me, to the degree possibly, by serving as a baker when necessary, using my recipes.

Through planning and marketing, I have been able to find success as a small-business owner despite working full-time as a teacher. I welcome with excitement the challenges that will face me as I pivot again to dedicate more time and energy to the occupation I love so much as a cupcake artist!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media can be very tricky. I started following other cake artists and observed what they were doing, so I started doing the same. One thing that you MUST do is post every single day. At times, it does become difficult to do this, especially since I have a full-time job. However, one thing I found useful was that when I do have a few minutes here and there, I schedule my posts for a few days in advance. That way, if I’m super busy one day, there is still a post going up. I also make sure I use an app that cross-posts my daily posts. That helps me post at the same time on Facebook and Instagram, which are the two platforms I use, without having to post twice.

I try to stay visible on social media. If you are not posting daily, people forget who you are, even if they like your content. I also try to make some posts engaging, where I have my followers answer a question or vote on a poll.

One thing that has helped me gain more local followers, is posting on the social media marketplaces. When I advertise my cupcakes and bouquets, I always attach the link to my page, that leads to more followers.

However, for me, the #1 way I have built my audience, is by Word-of-Mouth.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: SugarPetalsbyYi
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/SugarPetalsbyYi/
• Other: Email: [email protected]