We recently connected with Kristine Petty and have shared our conversation below.

Kristine, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The idea of Sweet Slices actually arose from a somewhat funny story. On my 21st birthday I ordered a two tiered custom Hello Kitty themed cake, which was my dream cake at the time, from a popular local bakery in my town. I arrived to pick up the cake with my best friend and we briefly made eye contact as they showed me the cake and packaged it up. As soon as we left the bakery she laughed and said, “you don’t like it, do you?” I didn’t and was devastated that I had paid so much money for a cake that did not meet my expectations. The fondant Hello Kitty topper did not resemble the character, the other sugar pieces looked rushed, and worst of all the taste of the cake was not very good.

I believe that everyone is entitled to delicious cakes and desserts for every occasion that they will love, without having to sacrifice quality and affordability. Recognizing the lack of businesses with the same mission in my community, I made a vow to become a home baker and provide this service at Sweet Slices.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Kristine and I’m the owner, baker, and cake artist at Sweet Slices, LLC. I am a self-taught baker, mother to my amazing 5 year old son, newly engaged, and a Business Analyst at an IT company.

My journey into the baking industry actually started as a child. My father was an avid baker and was always in the kitchen baking cakes, pies, and testing out different dessert recipes. I can still remember pushing my step stool into the kitchen to reach the countertop and help him mix all the ingredients of his latest recipe. During these memories, he instilled the skills and zeal for baking and cake decorating that I still carry with me today.

I like to believe that Sweet Slices was officially established in 2014 when I created my first custom cake. It was a two tiered Maryland flag patterned cake to celebrate my graduation from the University of Maryland. My passion for the craft further developed when family and friends began requesting orders for their own custom cakes. As they helped to spread the word of my creations to their friends and acquaintances, my dream for making edible art was recognized. And in 2019, I acquired my business license.

Being half Filipino, food is a significant aspect in our culture and in celebrations to convey love and to bring people together. I have proudly incorporated the same values when creating Sweet Slices. All of my cakes are made from scratch, using only the finest ingredients, and are baked and created by order with your special occasion in mind. As my speciality is custom cakes, cupcakes, and desserts, if you can imagine it, I can create it!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I truly believe that word of mouth is so powerful. I owe a great deal of gratitude to my family and my friends for helping me to acquire the clientele that I have today. It has been their verbal marketing and praise of my work from the start that drove my first clients, and continues to lead new clients to my business.

Over the years, I have built relationships with my clients who have entrusted me to create custom cakes for their milestone occasions, and they have also been a significant source of referrals. Throughout the journey of building my small business, I have received so much support from family, friends, and loyal clients and I genuinely appreciate it.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Acquiring any new skill requires resiliency. While my bachelor’s degree is in Environmental Health, I made the decision to transition to the IT industry, while teaching myself the artistry of baking and cake decorating. Simultaneously, I acquired my business license and navigated through learning the fundamentals of operating my own business.

As a self-taught baker, you will run into setbacks and encounter methods that you have not yet had experience with. In spite of these challenges, my love for the art of cake decorating drives my eagerness to learn new techniques, as well as to stay abreast with evolving cake trends. Each day is a new day to hone your existing skills and expand your expertise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sweetslicescakes.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetslicesllc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/s.slices/