We were lucky to catch up with Moriana Ratliff recently and have shared our conversation below.
Moriana, appreciate you joining us today. So, one thing many business owners consider is donating a percentage of sales or profits to an organization or cause. We’d love to hear your thoughts and the story behind how and why you chose the cause or organization you donate to.
Sugar Plug donates a percentage of our sales to teaching elementary and middle schoolers baking and pastry. We teach them the fundamentals of business such as team work, leadership, financial literacy, reading, writing, and mathematics. Through the support of our customers we are able to donate time and resources to helping children expand their horizons on career opportunities as well as enhancing essential skills like cooking and baking for themselves.
Moriana, 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?
I am Moriana Ratliff, CEO of Sugar Plug LLC. I began my journey as an entrepreneur shortly after I graduated from Johnson & Wales University in North Miami with my Bachelors degree in Sports/Entertainment/Event Management under the school of hospitality. I always had dreams of fighting for the underdog, helping myself and others to develop into their greatest selves. I just happened to be a great baker! That’s the gift that helps me to bring people together. I established my brand in Washington DC where I gained a very supportive clientele. It was only a matter of time before I returned to Miami to expand. Here, I became a full time pastry chef, honing in on my craft when the world stopped during the pandemic of 2020. This allowed me to offer my customers scratch based favorites like cookies and pound cakes but also have the experience of tiramisu, cheesecakes, crostatas, and high quality French pastries. I am most proud of the fact that I am able to create relationships with my clients where they know they can depend on me to satisfy their cravings and treat themselves to indulging in their favorite snacks. I strive to make the process as enjoyable as possible through and through. I value outstanding customer service and quality product. With the support of our customers we are able to pour back into the community. This summer we worked with inner city elementary and middle schoolers during summer camp. I taught baking and pastry and as well as leadership and business building fundamentals. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences thus far!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn and am still unlearning running a business by myself! It truly takes a village. For the first 5 years I had help here and there baking, operating the farmers markets, etc., but for the most part I often wore several, if not, all the hats at one time. It took a lot of discipline and consistency to get this point. However I still have a long way to go. People have been watching my journey over the years and are inspired to join in assist helping me reach the heights I intend to. I have gained new business partners, mentors, and even possible investor opportunities. By opening myself up to allow and trust others to help contribute to the vision, I am growing into the business owner I always knew I could be. I am learning to delegate, write proposals, and develop into a seasoned professional. It feels amazing to have support
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
My story is one of perseverance. I would say my greatest test of that came when I moved back to Miami in 2020 to expand with intentions on going back to DC after 6 months. I arrived on New Years Day and like the rest of us, I had no idea that a global pandemic was on the horizon. During that time, my market places in Washington, DC completely shut down and I no longer had my markets to go back to and sell my products. The farmers market had became a successful source of revenue for my business. The closures seemed devastating. I had to take a job working in a warehouse in Miami while trying to build my business online and start shipping nationwide. I was grateful to still be able to continue working when so many were laid off. At the height of the summer of 2020 my car was a victim to a drive by shooting in the inner city. A case of wrong place wrong time. I lost my car, but my life was graciously spared. I found myself with no market place, no business, no car, and no place to live (I obviously had to move). I didn’t let that deter me. If anything it showed me that it’s not my time to go and I’m here to do something great. And that’s just what I did ! I picked up two jobs in order to save for a new car. I started working as a pastry chef because it made sense for my craft and I could learn at the same time of making money. I created the Sugar Plug Tour so that I could travel and bring my brand to the people since they couldn’t come to me. I worked heavily on creating content and marketing during a time where so many of us were limited to staying indoors. I will never forget the storm that planted seeds for the sun to shine and bloom!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SugarPlug.com
- Instagram: @sugarplug
- Twitter: @thesugarplug
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/sugar-plug-washington
Image Credits
N/a taken by self.