We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shreya Talwar. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shreya below.

Alright, Shreya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Starting So Sweet Dessert Emporium when I was just 11 years old was probably the boldest risk I’ve ever taken, mostly because I didn’t even realize it was a risk at the time. I didn’t have a concept of marketing, margins, or brand building. I had just barely begun to know how to talk to others and get out of my shell, let alone being able to converse on the phone with customers. I just knew I loved to bake, and I loved the idea of making people happy through what I created.

Looking back now, launching a business at that age with zero formal training and no idea what the “real world” of business looked like meant I had to figure everything out from scratch. I learned how to manage orders, deal with difficult customers, and price products through trial and error. There were moments I messed up, overpromised, or felt overwhelmed, but every mistake became a lesson.

The real risk wasn’t financial at such a young age — it was putting myself out there. Sharing something so personal, like your baking, and asking people to buy it, is scary. Even scarier was talking to adults who often barely registered that I was just a child over text or email. But it taught me early on how to take initiative, stay accountable, and adapt quickly.

That first leap laid the foundation for everything I’ve done since. It showed me that passion can fuel action, even if you have no idea where it might lead. Starting So Sweet at 11 gave me the confidence to keep creating, building, and taking risks because I now know that starting before you feel ready is sometimes the best decision you can make.

Shreya, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hey! I’m Shreya Talwar — a student, entrepreneur, and someone who’s been creating things since before I even understood what “business” meant. I started my first venture, So Sweet Dessert Emporium, when I was 11 years old. It began as a way to share my love for baking, but quickly turned into something more — a real business where I learned how to handle orders, talk to customers, and navigate problems I’d never even imagined at that age.

A few years later, I co-founded Simply Gifted, a customizable gift basket brand designed to make gifting more meaningful, personal, and culturally inclusive. We specialize in creating baskets that feel thoughtful and unique, whether it’s for a birthday, a cultural celebration, or just a small “thinking of you” moment. Customers can either build their own through a quiz-based experience or choose from themed collections. Our goal is to make gifting feel less like a chore and more like an experience that reflects the actual relationship between the giver and receiver.

What makes both of these brands unique is that they’re rooted in personal connection. I’ve never been interested in just selling a product — I want to create something that makes people feel something. Whether it’s the nostalgia of a homemade dessert or the joy of receiving a basket with your favorite snacks and colors, everything I do is built around that emotional spark.

I’m most proud of the fact that I started both businesses from scratch — no huge budget, no team of experts, just ideas, consistency, and a whole lot of figuring it out as I went. Through both brands, I’ve fundraised for causes I care about, connected with customers across different communities, and built something real while still being a full-time high school student.

If there’s one thing I’d want people to know about me or my work, it’s that everything I build comes from a place of care and intention. I believe the smallest things can make the biggest impact. And that’s what I try to create: not just products, but moments that matter.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn while running So Sweet Dessert Emporium was that saying yes to every request and undercharging doesn’t make you “nicer” — it just means you’re undervaluing yourself.

When I first started, I didn’t think people would want to pay much for a dessert made by an 11-year-old, so I priced everything super low. I’d include custom decorations, special packaging, and even last-minute changes without ever raising the cost. I thought I was just being flexible and trying to make people happy, but I was doing way more than I was being paid for.

The realization hit when I got a part-time job at a local business and noticed I was making more per hour working for someone else, with way less effort, than I was running my own business. That comparison completely changed how I saw what my time and skills were worth. Just because I was young didn’t mean my work had less value.

After that, I started rethinking how I priced things and communicated boundaries. I didn’t need to overwork to prove myself—I just needed to charge fairly for the value I was already bringing.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When I first started So Sweet Dessert Emporium, I didn’t have a strategy. I didn’t even think of it as “building an audience” — I just posted what I was doing: prepping orders, boxing up desserts, and little behind-the-scenes moments. It was all very raw, but that’s what made it work. People liked seeing the process. I think, especially because I started so young, there was a curiosity factor, and that turned into support.

With Simply Gifted, I became more intentional. Early on, I realized that people weren’t just interested in the final product—they cared about the story. So we started sharing the inspiration behind each basket, what makes it customizable, and what moments it was created for. The more I leaned into the personal side of the brand—showing not just what we sell but why—the more our audience grew.

My advice? Don’t overthink it at the start. You don’t need a color palette or 10,000 followers to be “legit.” What matters most is showing people something real. Post consistently, talk to your followers like they’re actual people, and share what makes your product or service different. You’re not just selling something — you’re building trust. And that always starts with honesty and consistency.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.simplygiftedshop.com
• Instagram: @sosweetdessertemporium @simplygiftedshop @s_talwar07 @fleurdeframephotography @northdallascf
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreya-talwar-19a8362a0

Image Credits

Texas A&M University

DayValho Photography