We were lucky to catch up with Chef Bri recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chef, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear a story from back when you were an intern or apprentice. What’s a memorable story you can share with us?

When I first finished culinary school, it was a really confusing time. I had started my externship and was moved around to 4 different bakeries. The first had a scheduling conflict, the second has communication issues, the third shut down on my 2nd day, and the 4th was a terrible fit. This was all within a 2 week span, but it had given me a good sense of what kind of desserts I wanted to bake. Eventually, I ended up at my 5th, and final, externship location. This was a classic Italian bakery, and it also turned into my first full time baking job. However, when I was just 1 week short of graduating, my school went bankrupt. They didn’t tell me or any other students, I found out from a family member calling me that my school was on the news. At this point, I didn’t know if I was getting my diploma, if I was allowed to continue my extrernship, or what to do next. Luckily, when I explained what happened to my boss, he quickly offered me a full time job. At this time, I was also working overtime as a waitress. A few weeks later, I had something strange happen while I was at my bakery job. My entire body started showing symptoms of a stroke and I didn’t know what was going on. I originally thought I was having an allergic reaction. Turns out, it was Bells Palsy. It completely paused my life. I was constantly in go mode up until this happened. Back and forth from one job to the next, getting about 4 hours of sleep each night, clearly not eating correctly or drinking enough water. But at the time, I didn’t know any better. To this day, any time I overwork myself, my body goes into shock and Bells Palsy makes a return. This time period taught me SO much. I learned I didn’t want to work in a corporate bakery, in a factory, or a major wholesale distribution. I learned I wanted to be a part of a mom and pop shop and bake from scratch. I learned that I wanted to be able to run my own bakery one day. I learned the importance of time management. I learned what happens when you overwork yourself and don’t listen to your body. You so quickly get lost in the day to day life that you truly forget to take the time to breath. The most important lesson I learned, is to put yourself above any job, because you can’t pour from an empty cup. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I did receive my diploma in the mail. Turns out I had enough credits to graduate.

Chef, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I own and operate The Purple Sprinkle LLC, a licensed and insured home based bakery. I specialize in custom cakes and sweet treats for any occasion. I began baking as a child with my mom. Every year, we hosted cookie party the week before Christmas and baked hundreds of cookies with our friends and family. I wrote my first recipe when I was only about 6 years old, but it didn’t turn out very good lol. My current recipes are a mixture of family recipes, ones I’ve come across over the years, and my own original ones I’ve created myself. My main goal is to provide desserts that both look AND taste good! All of my desserts are made from scratch, I don’t use box mixes or canned frostings. There’s nothing wrong with eating them! It’s just not up to my personal standards. I put love into everything I make and I truly love when my clients can tell. My cake flavors are broken into 3 options which are classic, gourmet, or signature. I have a full menu online and I’m currently offering Chefs Choice cake tastings once a month, or scheduled in person consultations!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first began my business, I was operating under a different business name. This was from 2016-2021. A little over a year ago, someone reached out to me because they owned a bakery in Ohio with a similar name. However, he trademarked his name. Because of this, I was forced to completely rebrand to avoid being sued. At this same time, we were relocating to Georgia from our home state, New Jersey. It was a very stressful time with a lot of decisions to be made. I was also given a time limit to change names, so I had to think quickly. I never even considered changing at this point, I loved my old name. However, after a lot of thought and consideration, I finally decided on The Purple Sprinkle. My nickname was Purple at the last few bakeries I had worked at, because I only wear a purple chef coat and my hair is purple. I didn’t want to use my name, because I felt like it was easily forgotten. I wanted a name that could stay in your mind. And so, The Purple Sprinkle was born! However, about a year later, I decided the logo I created was just no longer giving what I needed it to. I felt like it was rushed and not enough thought went into it. So in January of this year (2023) I decided to rebrand. I kept my name, but I changed my color scheme and logo and rebranded my website. I’m so proud of the new look, and I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from my clients. So I hope you and anyone else that takes a look at my site, can see how much time, consideration, and love went into my brand. My business is a piece of my heart.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think you are your brand. I’m learning that you can’t just hide behind your business name, you need to be yourself. I personally, am a supportive type of person. I think you should do whatever makes you happy, and be your true self, and I like to believe that comes across to my clients and peers. I also truly believe that it’s crucial to support other small businesses, but also to support business owners, even in the same industry as you. While you’re most likely never going to buy something from them that you make yourself, you should still network with them. Learn from each other, teach each other, support each other. We’re all doing very similar things, but also we all have our own spin on it. As long as no one is stealing ideas, undercutting your prices, or doing anything disrespectful, it’s important to stand by each other! After all, it can be stressful at times. A business is like a baby, and it takes a village just the same.