Today we’d like to introduce you to Maya Greene.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My baking career began after creating a cake for a family member’s birthday. I was about 16 years old, in my junior year of high school. It started after I uploaded a picture of the cake to my Instagram story. I had so many of my classmates requesting that I bring them a piece of the cake to school the next day.
It was too many of them to just bring a piece, so I decided to make another cake to sell for $1 a slice. The next day I sold out of cake by 3rd period. I continued to sell cake slices and cupcakes a couple of days out of the week as my “high school hustle”. That side hustle quickly obtained my interest and I started my business, “The Sweet Boutique”. I had teachers, administrators, and students placing whole cake orders from me. By the time I graduated high school, it became my career pathway of choice.
I originally received baking experience as a child from my grandmother. I worked alongside her in the kitchen up until she passed in 2014. After graduating high school, I decided to attend culinary school at Stratford University to further my education in baking and pastry arts. Culinary school was not exactly what I expected it to be.
I did not learn the fundamentals of cake decorating like I thought I would, however, I did obtain a great deal of information, skills, and connections. Over time, I taught myself how to decorate cakes the way I wanted to and I was very intentional with the jobs I obtained to grow my knowledge in the field. To this day, I am still learning new things to make me better and how to make my business grow.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As all journeys to success are not smooth, there were some obstacles on the road, and still are. My most impactful obstacle was not graduating from culinary school. Due to the university closing before I finished my classes, I was unable to graduate.
I also find running my business while being a student, working a job, and trying to balance being a teenager transitioning into young adulthood very overwhelming. I have no experience in running a business, so I have faced a lot of issues when it comes to trying to please customers, whether it’s trying to charge the “right” amount, or even just being consistent with it.
In general, just having a food business, the price of ingredients with inflation has been a hassle throughout Covid. Also, I struggled with preparation and time management, but as I grow with my business these things are something that I am learning to master.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Sweet Boutique?
The Sweet Boutique is the name of my bakery business. I specialize in custom cakes and cupcakes. I also offer a wide range of other desserts such as cookies, brownies, cheesecake stuffed cones, chocolate-covered treats, and more!
I am most known for my hand-decorated custom cakes that are made from scratch and decorated with my homemade buttercream frosting. Also, trying new things out of the ordinary like our cheesecake stuffed cones or our loaded cupcake milkshakes, which are so delicious by the way!
What I believe sets me apart from others is my desire to provide a cake that looks good and tastes good, and a service that people will remember is just as sweet as the treats they eat. I also make each order with love and specifically with my customers in mind.
The Sweet Boutique has big plans for the upcoming year, 2024. We will be offering exclusive items that you can only catch while they are “in season”. This is an opportunity to catch some of those “out of the ordinary” items I previously raved about.
I am most proud of the growth and progress that I’ve made over the years. The Sweet Boutique is where the sweets are made exclusively with you in mind!
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is being able to spend quality time with my family and friends and just enjoy life, whether it’s holidays, traveling, or just relaxing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bakesy.shop/b/the-sweet-boutique-1
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesweetboutiqu3?igshid=MmVlMjlkMTBhMg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
