We recently connected with Tatyana Prieto and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Tatyana, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
I absolutely love being a business owner! I currently own my bakery, Sweet Treats By Tatyana, as well as my 360 Videobooth business, Studio 26 Productions, AND I am in the works of remodeling a paleta cart to add that to our rentals as well!
For as long as I can remember, my parents were entrepreneurs, I grew up with wonderful examples of how to be my own boss.
There of course have been times where I have wondered what it would be like to have a regular 9-5 job, but theres nothing like being my own boss. For example, the first time I got a negative review, I was about 20 years old and still easily offended. I wanted to stop making cakes after she told me I would never be able to make a living from cakes. It brought my self esteem down for many months until I kept practicing and practicing and now, here I am today, making cakes for all types of events mainly from WORD OF MOUTH advertisement. I even have my first partnership with a local restaurant for my desserts!
I do work for Southwest Airlines as my “normal job” but on average only work a few days a month to keep my benefits. Other than that, my cakes, photobooth, and soon to be paleta cart are my primary sources of income.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I grew up in a family of business owners, my grandparent, my parents, and most of my aunts/uncles were business owners so I had great examples growing up. When I was younger my dad used to ask my sisters and I to bake cakes for him just for fun when he wanted something sweet. Over time I grew to love baking and when he passed away, almost 6 years ago, I used baking as a way to cope. I was baking so often I was giving away my desserts and people constantly told me I should sell them. A few months after my dad passed away, I had a dream of opening my own bakery and I took that as a sign from my dad that I should do it professionally. Here I am today, with a thriving cake business.
I offer cakes for all types of occasions, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, or just because! I also offer a wide variety of dessert options for those who dont want cake.
I think what sets me apart from other bakers in my area is that my cakes are NEVER frozen and I always use fresh ingredients. I make most of my cakes the night before an event to guarantee optimum freshness.
I am most proud of the fact that My cakes have really taken off and this has allowed me to also have a video booth business and even a partnership with a local restaurant to provide their desserts!
I would love for everyone to know that I dont just do wedding cakes and birthday cakes, I also love to bake other desserts as well! I do it all!
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Texas is such a great state to start a home based bakery in! Texas allows for people to bake out of their homes with little to no upfront cost. All I did was purchase some basic needs in the beginning. Things like decorative equipment, ingredients, and packaging can basically get anyone started. Some people take culinary classes, but I did not, I am completely self taught. As you get more skilled and experienced you can use the money you are making to invest more in your self. Over the course of almost 6 years in business, I have created a fully equipped home based bakery.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Honestly, Social media is the hardest part of being a business owner. I post pretty inconsistently which I am sure hinders my ability to gain more followers. I have almost 2k on my facebook page- this is where I do most of my advertising. I typically share on both my business and my personal page to try and reach more followers. Also the right hashtags will definitely help! always make sure you tag your location so that way anyone going to search that location will also see your work tied to it!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweettreatsbytatyana/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SweetTreatsByTatyana
- Other: @SweetTreatsByTatyana on all social media platforms