We were lucky to catch up with Cara Linn. I recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cara Linn, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

We only use organic cane sugar and unbleached flour in our bakery products. Most bakeries use refined sugar and flour, which are stripped of all of their natural vitamins and minerals. This leads to sugar crashes and feeling terrible! We LOVE sweets and will never stop indulging in them, but ours’ are better-for-you. Our customers taste and feel the difference!

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’m a small-town Texas girl who always had big dreams of owning a bakery. I went to culinary school after high school and later landed an internship in New York City, where I lived and worked for almost 5 years. I fell in love with the city and all the amazing chefs and artists there. I worked my way through different bakeries and restaurants making and plating desserts, until I started my own business in Brooklyn focusing on custom cakes. I honestly never thought I would leave the city!

But I did. I moved back to Texas in 2009 to start a family and stayed home for almost 10 years to raise my 3 kids; one of them with special needs. I sort of laid down my dreams and ambitions and spent a lot of years struggling with chronic illness and depression. I adored my kids and loved that I got to be the one raising them, but I felt like my spirit was sick and my dreams were dead! It wasn’t until I went through an unexpected, devastating divorce, that everything changed. My heart was broken, but I knew I would need to start working again, so I began looking at the possibility of opening up shop again. I made one phone call to get an idea what commercial spaces leased for in my city. That led me to a lady who just so happened to be selling her bakery for the exact amount of my divorce settlement. I paid her cash, came in and changed the menu, rebranded and 4 years later, we now have 2 locations.

I’m a big believer in pursuing your dreams, even through obstacles and heartbreak. When the time is right, they will happen if you never give up hope!

I’ve always been health-conscious and over the years, especially in my field, took notice of how white sugar made me feel. That on top of dealing with chronic illness–which is also a huge issue in our country today–is the main reason I spend more on my ingredients to provide sweets that are better for you! I’m passionate about that and it’s extremely important to me that my customers know they can trust we aren’t using anything artificial. We also have a line of gluten-free, vegan and keto options for those with dietary restrictions.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Thinking small!
I grew up in a small town with middle-class parents. I never missed a meal but nothing was handed to me. We never took vacations like my friends or ate out. My mother always looked at the tag before deciding to buy something. You never just bought something because you loved it. Even if my parents had some money, I felt like they didn’t. I love my parents and those small-town people, but I realized if I wanted to do something great and see my dreams happen, I had to break out of that mold and mindset. Small-thinking, depending on your upbringing, is usually woven in everything you do and every decision you make. Moving to NYC was a huge part of that for me, because I took on a new mindset. I saw how big the world really is, and mindset really does determine your future! I let go of trying to control everything and let my dreams sort of take the lead. Every day in business is taking risks and thinking big and it doesn’t always make sense. I never make decisions based on how much money is in my bank account. I would not be where I am if I did.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

There have been several scary moments, especially in our industry and with multiple employees! The bakery business is not something you do to get rich. Profit margins are so thin and the amount of time and work it takes to accomplish making cookies and macarons is ridiculous! It can also be unpredictable because sweets are a luxury. It is definitely passion that drives us. Opening my second location has been my biggest risk yet. My expenses tripled but my income hasn’t even doubled yet, so making payroll has been scary a few times. Honestly, when I feel scared or overwhelmed, I sit in my office to center myself and pray. I go back to why I’m doing what I’m doing and I surrender my control, my will and simply ask God for help. Every time, something works out and the money shows up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sweetbycaralinn.com
• Instagram: @sweetbycaralinn
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetbycaralinn

Image Credits

Stephanie Thompson, Laura Flores of Clearly Captured