Tell us a little of the history of the company.
Short Street Cakes began in 2006, after my son was born,
when I started baking wedding cakes for friends in my home kitchen in Montford.
Three years later, I went through the Mountain Bizworks Foundations class,
which enabled me to get funding to open the Cake Shop on Haywood Road in West
Asheville. We now employ 11 individuals and have been thankful to experience sales
growth each year we have been open!
What are you most proud of about the company?
As a former social worker, I feel extremely proud of the
work we have been able to accomplish in the community, hosting fundraisers and
supporting events that support the needs of the community. Short Street Cakes
operates from a “Triple Bottom Line” philosophy and we work in alignment
with our mission statement: “to add meaning to life’s celebrations by providing
beautiful, delicious, all-natural, scratch-made cakes, and in so doing,
generate a sustainable livelihood for our employees, educate the community
about traditional foodways, and support the local food and agriculture
economy.”
Best advice you’ve gotten for leading a small business
My father, who is also an entrepreneur, gave me this advice
when I started my business: “You don’t have to be the best at what you do, you
just have to do what you say you are going to do, every time, and everything
else will fall into place.” I’ve found this advice to be invaluable, and has
guided me through difficult times.
Your favorite thing in your “office.”
My office is in a corner of the Cake Shop, where I get to
look out on all the beautiful cakes, happy customers, neighbors, passersby, and
the beautiful faces of our family of bakers. So I guess my favorite
“thing” in my office is the view.
What’s next on the horizon?
I’m happy to report that we are bursting at the seams and
are working on a plan to expand the Cake Shop in its current location.
The Asheville Chamber’s tagline is “Connect. Engage. Impact.
Thrive.” Pick one of these words and tell us what it means to you as a small business in Asheville.
I’m drawn to that word “Thrive.” It reminds me that, eight
years ago, baking and creating a business became a lifeline for me and my
family. My hope is that Short Street Cakes will be a venue for helping other
people, employees, fellow bakers and entrepreneurs, to actualize their dreams
and reach their potentials, and that Asheville will redouble its efforts to
support every person’s dream of lifting themselves out of poverty and into
giving back to the community.
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