Today we’d like to introduce you to Christa Aylward.
Hi Christa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I never set out to have my own baking company rather baking found me during one of the darkest moments of my life. October 2007, I was working as a pediatric occupational therapist at one of the top pediatric hospitals in the nation when my husband and I had a loss that completely changed our lives. After our loss, I found myself suffering from depression and struggling to get through my day. One day during an occupational therapy treatment session, I was decorating cookies when I realized this activity brought me happiness. That day was the first day I experienced joy since our loss. Since then, I dove headfirst into the whole baking and cake-decorating world.
Fast forward a few years and I was decorating cakes for my sons’ birthdays. People started asking if I made cakes for others. I said, “no”, as I lacked the confidence to bake for other people. In 2016 I decided to enter the Ohio State Fair for cake decorating. That year I placed Best of Show in the Intermediate Class Level. The next year I competed at the Professionals/Advanced Level and placed 3rd in the 2+ tier category. In 2019, I competed again and won 1st place in the Wedding Cake Division and overall Best of Show for the entire competition. That gave me the confidence I needed to start baking for others.
March 2020 COVID hit and like many people, I found myself struggling with adjusting to virtual/homeschooling and keeping up with everyday tasks. I knew I needed to find that joy and spark in my life again. I soon realized that COVID allowed me the time I needed to make my business legal. April 2020, I officially launched Sweets By Christa. Baking has brought so much happiness to my life that my purpose now is to bring joy to others through my bakes.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road to get to where I am today. My biggest struggle and hurdle has been myself. I went to school to become an Occupational Therapist. Baking was only a hobby at that time and I had no formal culinary schooling. I am a self-taught baker/cake artist, and with that brought a lot of self-doubt surrounding my baking and cake decorating. There are so many fabulous bakers and cake decorators out there that it becomes hard not to judge where I am today to where they are. I had to learn that I am on my own journey, forging my own path. Once I started to believe in myself and my skills, that is when I truly began to flourish as a baker and cake artist.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sweets By Christa, LLC?
Sweets By Christa, LLC is an Ohio Cottage Based Business. My specialty is macarons, macaron cakes, cookie cakes, and decorated cakes. I am known for baking creations that not everyone else is baking. I like to keep up with the baking trends but try new things… For example, my macaron cakes and cookie cakes are my top sellers because very few people are creating them. I am also known for using quality ingredients and making a lot of my fillings for macarons and cakes by hand. I firmly believe that good quality food products = better tasting bakes.
Besides providing top-quality bakes to my community, I pride myself in being open and honest with pricing and what I can and cannot do when it comes to baking and decorating.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lessons I have learned is to always remember the “why” with my business and to show gratitude. Whenever I find myself at a crossroads with my business, I think of the reason why I created my business: to spread joy in the community through my bakes. I also have learned to be grateful for the opportunities baking has provided for me. I have been blessed with a talent/skill and I am grateful to be able to share it with others.
Contact Info:
- Email: sweetsbychrista@gmail.com
- Website: www.sweetsbychrista.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetsbychrista/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SweetsByChrista1
Image Credits
Photos by Christa Aylward.
