We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Latice Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Latice thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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.

I honestly believe this was God given gift. I can remember at the age of 12/13 cooking dinner with my step dad. As he was instructing me how to prepare dinner I told him we needed “something sweet to go with it”. The next day he brought me cake mix and canned icing. I do believe right then and there my love for baking began.

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

Once I started baking with my step dad. I just did a few desserts here and there. My senior year of high school my mom feel really ill. The doctor instructed us to prepare for the worst. I was 17 years old at the time. Through the grace of God and much prayer. She pulled through. For her 50th birthday I was like I’m going to bake my mom the biggest cake ever. lol. I started taking cake decorating classes to pull this off. Her party came and the cake was a hit. I started getting cake orders after cake orders. I quickly realized that I could turn this into a real business. I was working in dental at the time, so the name Sweet Tooth just felt like me. In 2011 my business was officially birth. 9 years later I got the phone call that would change my life. I was selected as one of the 10 bakers that would compete on Food Network Canada Great Chocolate Showdown (season 2). They got over 2700 applicants and I was one of the 10 that they selected. That’s a blessing in itself. Never dreamed that I would walk away the winner. However I almost let this amazing opportunity get away. I was a single mom and dental was my primary source of income. I told my job I needed 8 weeks off and they told me I had to make a choice because they wouldn’t hold my position that long. I prayed about it and I went to Canada. Trusting God and the gift He’s blessed me with has opened so many doors. I’m just a girl from Mississippi that loves to feed my family “something sweet”. Lol. Now I find pure joy in seeing others smile when they see what I’ve created just for them. Being apart of the communities anniversaries, weddings, graduations, birthdays, baby showers, company catering event’s is something I love and take very serious.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What helps me build and keep my reputation is the advice my grandmother gave me. I told my grandmother I wanted to start my own baking business. She told me “don’t feed anyone something you wouldn’t eat”. That one sentence stays with me. When I’m questioning if a product is good enough to send out the door I immediately throw it out. If I have to question it then it’s not good. START OVER. Always give them your best. I never know who will end up eating my dessert/pastries/cake at these events.

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

I can remember being in Canada and filming the very first episode of Great Chocolate Showdown. I already felt like the underdog being in the room with 9 of these greatest bakers. Being on camera, the clock is ticking (oh the clock is so real) judges are walking around looking and not talking. You have so much pressure on you in those 2 or 3 hours. I just couldn’t take it. My cakes were failing I just wanted to walk off set and give up. However I took a deep breath and realized I was there fighting for my livelihood because I didn’t have a job to go back to. I needed to tighten up and come up with a plan B. That attitude keep me in the competition until the end.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sweettoothcc.com
• Instagram: Sweettoothcc
• Facebook: Sweet Tooth Custom Cakes
• Youtube: Sweettoothcc
• Other: My TikTok handle is Sweet Tooth Customs Cakes.