We recently connected with Amber Goulden and have shared our conversation below.

Amber, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I picked the name Sprinkles & Spoons because I love the alliteration in it, but it also has a hidden meaning.

I have multiple autoimmune diseases, and a lot of people with chronic illnesses (including many of my clients) call themselves “spoonies.”

This is a reference to the spoon theory, which is a metaphor that uses spoons to help people understand how hard it can be to manage daily tasks when you are sick and your energy is limited.

My illness is a big reason I started this business, so I wanted it to be right there in the name!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Sprinkles & Spoons is a home bakery specializing in gluten-free baked goods that taste just as good, if not better than, the “real thing.” I make everything from pop tarts to cinnamon rolls to cupcakes.

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disease that causes harm to the small intestine when you eat gluten, in 2009. The gluten-free products on the market at the time were not very good, so I started learning how to make my own because I didn’t want to go without!

When I moved to San Antonio 2 years ago from Austin, I quickly realized that there were very few places in town that were serving Celiac-safe baked goods that were really authentic, indulgent treats, so I decided to create the kind of business that I wanted to see.

When you’re gluten-free, you miss out on a big piece of celebrations, family gatherings, and even everyday indulgences. My goal is to bring that back into people’s lives.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’ve pivoted my career so many times! I started out in marketing and sales at a tech company and got super burnt out. I was struggling with my health and developed and interest in nutrition, so I went back to school, became a nutritionist, and quickly found out I hated it.

While I didn’t love working one-on-one with clients, I did realize that I just really wanted to work with food. I found a job with a food blog for 5 hours a week, and I worked hard to turn that 5 hours into full time.

I succeeded and stayed in that job for 5 years and really put my blood, sweat, and tears into it. I loved it, but I needed some time off to take care of my health and I was feeling a strong pull to start my own business.

I knew that with the current state of my health I couldn’t possibly stay in my job full time and start my bakery, I had to just jump. That was the scariest career decision I’ve ever had to make, but I had to just follow my gut and I’m so glad I did.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’m still working on this lesson, but I’ve had to learn not to always say yes to every request. Once my business got busier, I was burning out because I was over-extending myself to accommodate last-minute and difficult custom orders. I’ve had to figure out what my true capacity is and set a firm boundary, even if it means letting someone down. If I had continued going the way I was, it would’ve meant closing my business, which would have meant a whole lot of gluten-free people having no access to baked goods here in San Antonio!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://sprinklesandspoons.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sprinklesandspoonsbakery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sprinklesandspoons/

Image Credits
I take all my own photos.