We recently connected with Zandra “Sasha” Gutay and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Zandra “Sasha”, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

From Viral Candy to a Handcrafted Brand: The Sweet Rise of Sasha’s Sweet Treats

In the fall of 2021, millions of people around the world were glued to their screens watching Netflix’s Squid Game a suspenseful Korean series that became a global phenomenon almost overnight. But while most viewers were captivated by the drama, for Sasha, a creative soul with an entrepreneurial spark, it was a piece of candy that caught her attention.

“I remember seeing all these influencers trying the dalgona candy challenge,” Sasha shares. “They were making this honeycomb candy with little shapes pressed into it, trying not to break it. It was all over TikTok and Instagram, and I thought it looks tricky but fun. I want to try making it too.”

Up until then, Sasha hadn’t planned on starting a business. She didn’t grow up eating dalgona. In fact, she had never made it before. But the viral challenge sparked something in her. She watched videos, studied the technique, and started testing recipes in her home kitchen in Gaithersburg, Maryland. After several failed attempts, sticky fingers, and burnt sugar, she finally got it right. Not only did it taste delicious, but it looked just like the ones from the show with a crisp, golden finish and playful shapes in the center.

Out of curiosity, she decided to list her homemade dalgona candy on Etsy, thinking maybe a few fans of the show would want to try it. What happened next completely surprised her.

“I didn’t expect much. I thought maybe a few people would order just for fun. But within days, I had more orders than I ever imagined. People were reaching out saying they were using the candies for parties, game nights, and even gifts. That’s when I realized I had something special.”

The Birth of Sasha’s Sweet Treats

What began as a viral experiment quickly blossomed into something deeper. Sasha saw how much joy her handmade treats were bringing to people. It wasn’t just about following a trend it was about creating experiences that made people smile.

That’s when Sasha’s Sweet Treats was officially born.

Determined to build something meaningful, Sasha began expanding her offerings. She drew inspiration from her Filipino roots and her love for handmade, artisanal sweets. Soon, her Etsy shop featured a wider variety of confections: soft and chewy yema candy made with sweet milk, crinkles in playful flavors like matcha and ube, and creamy pastillas that melt in your mouth. Each treat was lovingly handcrafted, using quality ingredients and thoughtful presentation.

“My goal has always been to make sweets that are not just tasty, but memorable,” Sasha explains. “I want people to open a box from Sasha’s Sweet Treats and feel excitement, joy, and care in every detail.”

As the brand grew, so did Sasha’s creativity. She began offering custom sugar cookies, decorated with vibrant icing and tailored to events like birthdays, baby showers, and weddings. And in the near future, she plans to launch delicate French macarons with a Filipino twist—bringing global flair and local inspiration together in one beautiful bite.

A Small Business with Big Heart

Today, Sasha’s Sweet Treats is more than just a small shop it’s a celebration of imagination, culture, and joy. Based in Maryland, Sasha continues to handcraft every order with love, serving customers not only in her local DMV area (maybe in the future across the country too).

Her business values are clear: creativity, quality, inclusivity, and heart. Whether you’re a cultural foodie looking for unique treats, a parent shopping for birthday party favors, or someone searching for the perfect edible gift, Sasha’s Sweet Treats has something delightful waiting for you.

“I never imagined that something I tried on a whim would turn into a full-blown business,” she says with a smile. “But I followed what felt fun, listened to what people loved, and kept building from there.”

Sasha’s story is a perfect example of how passion, play, and a little bit of internet magic can turn into a dream worth chasing. From a viral challenge to a beloved brand, Sasha’s Sweet Treats continues to grow one handcrafted candy at a time.

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?

About You & Your Business: Meet the Heart Behind Sasha’s Sweet Treats

My name is Zandra aka Sasha, and I’m the proud founder and creator of Sasha’s Sweet Treats a small, woman-owned business based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, specializing in handcrafted sweets inspired by culture, creativity, and joy. What started as a playful experiment in my kitchen quickly turned into a brand that now brings happiness to customers across the U.S., one delicious treat at a time.

I didn’t grow up in the confectionery world or go to culinary school. In fact, my journey into sweets began in one of the most unexpected ways through a viral Netflix series.

When Squid Game became a worldwide hit, I, like many others, got swept up in the craze. But it wasn’t just the storyline that stuck with me it was the dalgona candy challenge that caught my imagination. Seeing influencers and creators online attempting to make this golden honeycomb candy at home sparked something in me. I thought, Why not try it too?

I gave it a shot. My first few batches didn’t turn out great, but I kept refining the process. Once I got it just right, I decided to list my homemade dalgona candies on Etsy not expecting much, just curious to see if others might want to try it too.

To my surprise, the orders started rolling in.

Suddenly, I was shipping dozens of these whimsical candies to customers across the country. People were buying them for game nights, birthday parties, and gifts. That was the moment I realized this could be something more than a trend. That was the moment Sasha’s Sweet Treats was born.

What I Offer
Today, Sasha’s Sweet Treats has expanded far beyond dalgona candy. I now create and sell a variety of handcrafted confections, including:

🍬 Yema – a traditional Filipino milk candy, soft, sweet, and made in fun flavors like ube, matcha, coconut, and roasted nuts.
🍪 Crinkles – soft, chewy, and flavor-packed cookies in ube, chocolate, and more.
🥛 Pastillas – creamy milk-based sweets with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
🍯 Dalgona Candy – the viral honeycomb candy that started it all, still a bestseller.
🍭 Custom Sugar Cookies – decorated by hand, perfect for events and gifting.
🧁 Coming Soon: Macarons – elegant, delicate, and infused with global flavors.

Each product is made to order in small batches with care, quality ingredients, and a whole lot of love. I handcraft every treat myself, making sure each order is special, fun, and full of personality.

What Sets Me Apart
In a world full of mass-produced sweets, I offer something personal.

What sets Sasha’s Sweet Treats apart is the story behind each product. I don’t just make candy I create joyful moments. Every treat is rooted in creativity and cultural appreciation, whether it’s a childhood-inspired yema or a TikTok-trending dalgona. I love combining tradition with modern-day fun, offering customers sweets that feel nostalgic, thoughtful, and totally unique.

I’m also proud to serve a wide variety of customers from parents surprising their kids with lunchbox treats, to foodies seeking small-batch confections, to shoppers looking for memorable edible gifts for birthdays, baby showers, and celebrations of all kinds.

Inclusivity is a big part of my brand. My sweets are inspired by global flavors, but made for everyone no matter where you come from. It’s about sharing culture, joy, and creativity in every bite.

What I’m Most Proud Of
What I’m most proud of is starting from scratch literally. No investors. No big kitchen. Just an idea, a little sugar, and a whole lot of passion.

I’ve grown this business from one viral product into a full brand, reaching customers all over the U.S. I’ve stayed true to myself, to my values, and to the quality I believe in.

And the best part? Every time someone messages me to say my candy made their party more fun, or that their kids loved their surprise sweets, it reminds me why I do this.

What I Want You to Know
Sasha’s Sweet Treats isn’t just a busines it’s an extension of who I am. It’s creative. It’s joyful. It’s made with heart. Whether you’re here for a unique gift, a sweet treat for yourself, or just love discovering handmade small-batch confections. I welcome you with open arms and a full candy box.

Thank you for supporting small businesses, for celebrating creativity, and for being part of this journey.

Let’s make life a little sweeter, one treat at a time.

— Sasha

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

Capturing Life Through the Lens: ZandraVisuals by SashaBut that’s just one side of Sasha’s creative world.

Behind the scenes and often behind the camera is her second business: ZandraVisuals, a photography and videography brand dedicated to capturing love, life, and beauty in motion. From weddings and baby showers and more, Sasha brings her same attention to detail and passion for storytelling into every frame.

“I’ve always loved capturing moments that matter,” she explains. “Whether I’m documenting a first birthday or filming a brand story for a fellow entrepreneur, I approach each project with the same care I use when crafting sweets.”

What makes her work at ZandraVisuals stand out is her eye for real emotion, cultural celebration, and warm, cinematic visuals. Her clients love her not just for the quality of her work, but for the calm, joyful presence she brings to every shoot.

One Heart, Two Hustles
Running two creative businesses isn’t easy but Sasha makes it look effortless.

Her days are spent baking, packaging, filming, editing, and dreaming up new ways to bring happiness to people’s lives whether it’s through a box of ube crinkles or a wedding highlight reel.

“I think what ties both Sasha’s Sweet Treats and ZandraVisuals together is the joy I want to share with others,” she reflects. “One business feeds your sweet tooth. The other feeds your memory. And I love being able to do both.”

With a growing online following, happy customers across the country, and an ever-expanding product and service list, Sasha is just getting started. Whether you’re here for a custom treat or a custom shoot one thing is clear: her work is made with heart.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

When it comes to learning, I’ve always believed that resourcefulness and curiosity can take you far especially in the world of small business.

I didn’t go to culinary school or film school. Instead, I leaned into the tools I had access to, especially during the pandemic. I first learned how to make dalgona candy and other confections through YouTube watching creators around the world share their methods, then practicing over and over in my own kitchen until I got it right. That’s how Sasha’s Sweet Treats began.

For videography, I took a more structured approach. During the lockdown, I enrolled in online courses to study the technical side of video from shooting and lighting to editing workflows. It became a passion, and later, a business. For photography, I went back to YouTube where I learned composition, lighting tricks, camera settings, and post-processing techniques.

So while I wasn’t formally trained, I’ve built both of my businesses Sasha’s Sweet Treats and ZandraVisuals through self-education, real-world experience, and a drive to constantly improve. I’m proud of that. It proves that with enough dedication and passion, you really can teach yourself anything.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sashassweettreats.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sashasweettreat/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sashassweettreat
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sashagutay
• Other: https://zandravisuals.myportfolio.com/