Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristina Thames. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kristina , appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

It didn’t start with a big plan. I was in culinary school already, juggling a chaotic schedule, flour-covered uniforms and trying to beat the heat in the kitchen each day. But somewhere between cake decorating and burning my fingerprints off on hot sheet pans, I started thinking *what if I didn’t just work in a kitchen for someone but what if I had something of my own?

At first, it was just a thought. I loved baking, sure, but a business? That felt… far away. Then one day, I started scrolling TikTok (like most of us do, am I right?) and came across a cookie content creators live stream and I just stayed and watched for a bit. Nothing too crazy, then the following days more and more content creators who decorate sugar cookies would pop up on my FYP (for you page) because I’ve obviously changed my algorithm, so naturally, I’m locked into the content. I would catch myself watching live streams of people decorating cookies for hours (yes, I said hours).

Then the obsession began. I started to find a good sugar cookie recipe for decorating and the search for a royal icing recipe was all trials along the way. I ordered a few necessity items that I knew I would need to get me started to successfully be able to atleast practice decorating cookies with. A friend of mine at my church at that time wanted to support my possible dream so he bought around 4 dozen cookies from me for Valentine’s day for his birthday to pass out in the church. Now I didn’t charge him much nor were my skills up to any level of amazing but it was to get feedback on my recipe and to get my name out there that I would be having a business venture upcoming soon and to be on the lookout.

From there I practiced on more and more sets of different varieties as I began my collection of cookie cutters (which at this current time is well over a couple hundred now). Once I felt my cookies were worthy enough to offer people (which took an entire year), I offered my first REAL cookie sale for Easter. I created my business page at that time and began to showcase different sets I had been working on for upcoming holidays so I could build my profile up. I ordered business cards and tried to find cute stickers and quality packaging to start with. Not a lot. But enough to *feel* real.

The next few months were chaos. figuring out packaging, delivery logistics, pricing, all of it on the fly, I’ve never done this before, yeah I’m learning this in school currently but once I’m having to apply it, it’s like it goes right out the window I felt. I didn’t sleep much. But every box I handed off made me feel like I was getting a step closer to something real.

So I started treating it more seriously. Step by step, I built it up. I registered the business (hello cottage laws), bought better tools, took better photos, posted more pre sales.

I wasn’t trying to build a business overnight. I was just trying to build consistency. All it took was ONE person to shout me out. Word-of-mouth started to spread. I was being tagged in the “searching for a cookie person” type of posts on social media by friends or past customers. Suddenly, I wasn’t just a pastry student, I was a business owner.

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

Hello, my name is Kristina and I am the one and ONLY gal behind Sugar Kissed Sweets (formally known as Special K’s Kreations). Unlike most people that go into the culinary business my upbringing wasn’t based around food or baking with my mom or grandmother. I didn’t get inspired until I got put into a wholesale grocery store bakery and found myself being the cake decorator without the slightest of clues to what I’m doing, BUT I LOVED IT. Surprisingly if you didn’t know, my entire working background at that point was 12 years in the medical field and needed a change in my life to brighten it up and here we are. Covid hit and I decided to apply to The Culinary Institute of Charleston for Baking & Pastry. I graduated this past May (2024) with not only 1 but 2 Associates degrees (Culinary and Baking & Pastry) and 4 Certificates (Culinary, Advanced Culinary, Baking & Pastry, Cake Decorating) with Honors (Magna Cum Laude)

I currently offer custom decorated sugar cookies that are designed to match any theme, event, or celebration. Each cookie is made from scratch, decorated by hand, and completely tailored to my client, whether it’s for birthdays, baby showers, weddings, holidays, or corporate events. They are as beautiful as they are delicious, and I love being able to turn a simple cookie into something really personal and memorable. It’s more than just baking — it’s about bringing a little extra joy and creativity to life’s sweetest moments. Seeing the reaction on a clients face when handing over their order truly makes my day. I think I make the same gesture every single time because I’m always in “awe” over them being so happy. I absolutely will be growing into offering more things eventually (so be on the lookout and follow along).

What I’m most proud of is finding my passion and “what I want to be when I grow up” in my 30s. Most think you have to have it all figured out right after high school, but I barely knew where I wanted to live at that point. I’m proud that I had the willingness and encouragement to push myself to be a small business owner.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of my most humbling lessons in resilience came from a mistake I made for a first time customer. I misread the due date and thought the cookies were for Saturday, they were actually for Friday afternoon. I got a panicked message from the client asking when they could pick them up… and I hadn’t even started decorating yet. What really panicked me was that my phone hadn’t even *blinged* with the notification so I didn’t see the message until the ACTUAL time the customer was due to arrive. So I thought she was going to appear on my doorstep expecting cookies and I was going to be empty handed.

My heart sank. It was that sinking, stomach-drop feeling where you want to disappear — but I knew I had to fix it. I apologized, asked them what the latest they could have the cookies by, rearranged everything else I had planned that day, and pulled a marathon decorating session. I finished the full set in record time, personally delivered them, and even added a few extra cookies to the box as a thank you for their patience.

The client was incredibly kind and understanding, but I was shaken. That experience taught me to double-check everything, but more than that, it showed me that even when things go wrong, how you respond can still leave a positive impression. I didn’t let the mistake define me, I let it teach me, and I came out stronger and more prepared because of it.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Honestly, I think consistency and connection have been the biggest things that helped build my reputation. From day one, I made it a priority to not just create beautiful cookies, but to make every order feel special and personal. I really listen to what my clients want. Whether it’s a specific theme, color palette, or tiny detail that means something to them and then I put my own creative spin on it.

Word of mouth has been huge for me. I’ve had so many people say, ‘My friend had your cookies at their shower and I had to reach out.’ That kind of organic growth comes from people not only liking the product, but also feeling taken care of, like they’re getting more than just a treat, but an experience.

Also, showing up consistently on social media has helped a lot. I share sneak peeks, decorating videos, and real moments not just the polished final product. That helped people connect with me as a person, not just a business. I think that trust and authenticity are a big part of what makes people want to support you and come back again and again. I will forever cherish my supporters.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mycustombakes.com/sugarkissedsweets
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/special.ks.kreations/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082799290713
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/special-ks-kreations-summerville