We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kayla Eickmann a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kayla , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)? Looking back at internships and apprenticeships can be interesting, because there is so much variety in people’s experiences – and often those experiences inform our own leadership style.
I had several internships before evening starting culinary school. When I was a senior in high school, I seeked out places to do internships with no pay because I wanted the experience. Nothing really happened during those, but when I got to my internship in culinary school, there were some struggles. I never gave up and it’s the start of how I got to where I am today. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else, because I love what I do. One thing that I remember is having my first unhappy customer with a cake. The cake wasn’t at all what she wanted, but I did what was on the order from. I wasn’t the one that took the order, so I was going off of what someone else put done. I thought it turned out cute; it was for a 60th birthday, and on the order from it said they wanted things that he liked to do such as painting, fishing and bowling. When the customer came to pick up the cake, she about cried. She didn’t like it at all, so to make it right we ended up remaking the cake and the cake that she ended up with was completely different! I just didn’t understand how that was miscommunicated, but it was, and I had to take the heat for it, I beat myself up for it for a long time. But I was told that “we are going to have those customers that we can’t make happy, or those customers that will complain to get something free, etc.” Since then, I still have a hard time with feedback, especially when it comes to refunds and such. A lot of people complain just to get their money back and there are people that just don’t like how it looks. I keep telling myself, I can’t make everyone happy and that’s okay.
Kayla , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Kayla Eickmann, and I am the owner of Sparkles Bakery. Back then, when I was in high school, I wanted to become something completely different. I wanted to be a forensic scientist. Once I learned I did not like the smell of blood and dissecting I changed my mind very quickly. I was deterred from what I wanted “to be when I grew up” Until my junior year of high school. I was watching Challenge of food network, and for people that don’t know the show it’s a cake competition show. Whoever makes the best cake wins ($10,000). I got so wrapped up into that show because I was just fascinated with it. It was truly art, and I have always wanted to become an artist but never thought it would come of anything. But this was a whole new ball game to art.
So that is what started it all. I began baking and bringing everything to my journalism class, as they were my test tasters, I had started a little business I called KayKay’s Cupcakes. I just started with cupcakes and moved up from there. Soon after that I was being featured in the school newspaper. And I just grew from there. It wasn’t easy whatsoever. I had many ups and downs, and being a perfectionist can definitely be a flaw but a strength.
After high school I went to Johnson and Wales University in Denver and got my AS degree in Baking and Pastry Arts. Then soon after college I renamed my “small baking business” from KayKay’s Cupcakes to Sparkles Bakery. I really didn’t want to be called the cupcake lady anymore! I was becoming a pastry chef and in my eyes that was a more professional title.
I worked full time after school at several different places, from retail to hospitality, and while I was going that I was building up clientele for Sparkles. Years past and at the beginning of 2022 I went full time with Sparkles Bakery. I couldn’t be happier with the decision even though it is not easy.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Sparkles Bakery was definitely a side hustle for a long time, but I didn’t always want it to be. I worked for years building up clientele. I felt like I was never going to get enough business to go full time with it, until I was in an opportunity to go full time. The last “job” I had before going on my own was at a small bakery. Now it’s not a storefront, she actually redid her basement into a commercial kitchen. I worked for her for 2 years and she didn’t want cakes part of her business so we made an agreement that I would take that side of the business and pay her rent for using the kitchen. I probably wouldn’t have jumped to go on my own if I didn’t have this opportunity. I am very grateful to have found her and her business.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective way I grew my clientele was through social media and word of mouth. Like I said it took a long time to feel comfortable enough to go full time. I use Instagram and Facebook the most. I would try to post everyday so that I can engage in the audience and hope that I come up in someone’s feed.
Contact Info:
- Website: sparklesbakery.info
- Instagram: @sparklesbakeryco
- Facebook: facebook.com/sparklesbakery.info
Image Credits
All pictures are taken by me, other than my professional picture and that is taken by Teresa Scaggiari Photography