Today we’d like to introduce you to Destiny Bond.
Hi Destiny, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I have always been a “go all out and over the top” planner when it comes to birthdays and special events for my family and loved ones. I was always the one to call on for ideas or help organize special days or surprises by other family members and friends. For my first born Aubree’s 2nd Birthday in February of 2017, I ordered a 2-tier Hello Kitty cake for a birthday party I was hosting at my new home in Las Vegas. It was my first time ordering a customized cake. At that time I wasn’t too familiar with all the specifics and details to request for cakes as far as frostings, fondants, etc. I just sent a picture of what I wanted it to look like and the flavors I wanted. The cake arrived and it was pretty and simple. Not exactly as requested but close enough. I was satisfied because my daughter loved it, and it matched the theme that I requested.
I was pleased up until we cut into the cake and began handing out slices, and my family and the children all seemed to be dissatisfied. The amount of yucks and gross comments I got was very unsatisfying. Especially because I was the perfectionist in the family for events, so I felt like it was a bad representation of me even though I myself didn’t make the cake. I realized the cake was covered in a THICK layer of fondant that was very unappetizing.
From there, I thought “ok, I paid all this money to get something beautiful but that no one liked.” That wasn’t really ok. I thought, “I could’ve done this.” But it was nothing more than a thought at the time.
Growing up I always baked little boxed treats like brownies and cakes that came out pretty good. No special decorations or anything. Just simply baked and frosted. So I never thought once that baking and creating special themed treats and desserts would be a talent of mine.
Fast forwarding from my first born’s 2nd birthday party. It is now August of 2018. I have 2 children and one on the way. My 3-year-old daughter Aubree, my soon to be 1 son Aiden, and my unborn daughter Autumn at the time.
My little team was expanding, and I was not making enough money working a regular job to be able to comfortably support the over-the-top events I always loved to give my children. But I would always find a way to make a way. My son’s 1st birthday was coming up that August of 2018, and because I was also expecting, I gave myself a budget and didn’t want to go over that budget. So I decided “I’m going to make my son a 2-Tier Birthday Cake myself”. I then turned my thought into a reality and began watching a lot of tutorials to see how to make and properly frost and decorate his Batman birthday cake. I was also determined to make sure my cake not only looked good but tasted just as good. I made the cake. I spent the entire party trying to perfect the top tier because it was not as I had pictured it. Something kept going wrong and I had to improvise to get the top tier on. My family, however, thought it was great and gave me sooo many compliments. From that moment on I decide, “I did pretty ok! I’m going to do this!” I thought, “I’m expecting baby 3, and how cool would it be to make all of my children’s cakes. Not only would it save so much money every year but cakes and goodies are always the life of the party!!!” I decided to make a few social media accounts and post and promote. I ordered a few business cards and put together some menus, and began advertising. I would watch YouTube tutorials all the time, make treats and have giveaways and things to get more attention. I began to realize I was REALLY GOOD! I started off as LV CAKESS for my business name because I was in Las Vegas at the time. The amount of orders that I began to receive from, not just locals, but people all over the world was breathtaking. Being in Las Vegas helped a lot also. Vegas is the place to go for all events year-round. Birthdays, Weddings, Anniversaries, Christmas, even kid birthdays, EVERYTHING! The more I promoted the more orders I began to get. The more feedback I began to get. The more I learned and grew and flourished.
I was making enough to stop working a full time job and support my family just off of running my own business from home. It was AMAZING. The feedback that I was getting from my customers was just ASTONISHING! It felt so good to be able to put so many smiles on people’s faces and play such a big part in people’s special events. It felt so good to make sooo many people happy on such important days in their lives. Giving them something that they would never forget. I loved it. I LOVE IT. All while I could also work from my own home on my own time, being able to spend so much time with my little ones and financially support us at the same time. Only working a job on the side for extra income if I wanted to. It was the life. I decided that I would continue to pursue this thing that had now become a passion of mine. And I did.
In 2021 I temporarily moved back to Chicago, where I’m from, changing my business name to OHH MY GOODIES. It was not a long-term stay. I spent one year in Chicago taking a few orders here and there but not promoting and advertising as much because I would soon be moving away.
I just recently moved my family and business to Houston, TX August of 2022. Where I am now BACK IN BUSINESS and EXPANDING, taking orders for cakes, treats, and party planning / decorating! I am excited and look forward to bringing Joy and Happiness to all of my Texas people!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been far from a smooth road for me. In July of 2019, my 6-month-old daughter passed away in her sleep while my other 2 children were home to witness. It was the hardest most detrimental time of my life. To go from 3 children to 2 instantly. How could someone so beautiful, sweet, and innocent be taken like that. To have to mend my babies broken hearts, while trying to mend my own. Because of them, I didn’t have much time to sit back and be broken, although most days I didn’t even know how I was surviving. It took me a while before I began to make treats again. My family and friends that were in my circle at the time helped inspire me to not fully give up on my business. They encouraged me and pushed me and did not accept me giving up. Having to work full time and not having the option to stay home and spend as much time with my children as I wanted was also a big push for me. Because now more than ever, I knew how valuable and important every second that I could have with my children was. So I eventually started again. Even crying through some of my cakes. I did it.
In February of 2021, my older brother D was shot and killed in Las Vegas. Now, my brother was my best friend. He was more like a twin. We have never spent a month apart from one another, not even in our adult lives. He moved to Las Vegas and started a family. Shortly after, I was right behind him, actually living in his home for some time until I found my own. When I moved out of his home, I didn’t go too far away. My brother and I were almost attached at the hip. He never missed one special day or moment in mine or my children’s lives, and neither have I in his. Our 1st daughters are only 4 months apart and grew up more like sisters rather than cousins. When there were days that weren’t filled, I always looked forward to going to sit at his house to eat and watch tv or go sit by the pool and have him throw something on the grill.. just as he did mine, always coming over expecting me to have something cooked for him, haha. We were all we really had in Las Vegas. He was like a second dad to my children and they adored him.
He was shot multiple times and killed trying to stop a fight that had nothing to do with him, running to the rescue of someone else. He was just that type of person. He was the core to my family, the backbone, and so much has changed since he’s been gone, it’s unimaginable. The event that he was attending, I had just stopped by hours prior to him being killed, to drop off a cake to a customer that I had there. I was exhausted and didn’t go in. I didn’t see him that night.
This is something that I am still healing from. Something that’s still very much so surreal to me. Another battle that I have to deal with every single day. But I am trying and I am pushing myself. And thankfully, I have my partner in my corner (who has also sadly lost her brother to gun violence) pushing me every single day as well to keep going, making sure I continue to strive for the best and not let my everyday battles stop me or bring me down but instead always lift me up.
My brother was extremely proud of me and what I was doing, so what’s helping me move forward is knowing that the last thing that he would’ve wanted would be to see me broken and quitting. He was so hurt for me when I lost my child, and I KNOW that he knows what his death is doing to me, and he doesn’t want that for me. He was my BIGGEST supporter in my business from my family. Ever since I made my first cake, there wasn’t 1 event that went by that he didn’t book me for cakes and treats. He paid for them and never expected discounts or had his hand out because he knew how important it was to actually support me instead of having his hand out just because he was my family. He was my only family member that didn’t just expect everything free and wanted to contribute to my business. I had actually just made his baby shower cake not too long before he passed. He was expecting his 2nd daughter, whom he never got to meet. So I’m pushing. For him. For his children. For my angel daughter. For my children and my 2 bonus children. For my family and for MYSELF.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about OHH MY GOODIES?
I am a self-taught baker, cake decorator, and event decorator/designer. I do pretty much everything, from making the cake and treats for the event, to coming out and setting up the entire dessert table and decorating your entire event. My specialty is custom or personalized cakes. Most times, my customers don’t even fully know what they’re looking for. They trust me enough to just throw me a color, or character or idea and allow me to use my creativity to make something beautiful. Other times I’ll get those that send 5+ pictures of different ideas and I’d find a way to incorporate them all into 1.
TASTE is what sets me apart from others. I live for making my treats taste just as amazing as they look. It’s always great to have beautiful desserts at your event. But TASTE is what keeps them coming back! I am very proud to say that I’ve never had 1 complaint, since I opened my business years ago, on a bad-tasting dessert. In fact, I always get the opposite. The people love how moist and tasteful my desserts are. And it’s sad to say, people nowadays don’t expect that. They are actually shocked that with such epic, unique designs that they get, IT TASTES GOOD TOO! All of my desserts are baked and made fresh to order using quality, fresh ingredients always!
My business offers custom cakes, cookies, cake pops, apples, pies, strawberries, candies, and any pastries or special requests that you can think of. You name it and you’ll get it! There are no limits to what you can order.
I do have a behind-the-scenes business partner which is also my life partner Tia, that helps with anything that I need to be sketched out or free-handed for my treats. She helps with all decorating and setups for events, which my business also offers including room and/or venue decorating, dessert tables, balloon arches, backdrops, and more!! You name it and we’ll do it, guaranteeing 100% satisfaction!!
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I do not believe luck has played any role in my business or success. As far as life, I don’t think luck is on my side. My luck is for sure like a bald guy winning a comb. Haha. I do believe what has played a big part in my business and success is motivation, manifestation, hard work, and gratitude. I believe that hard work and opportunity become my luck. I worked and still work very hard to be where I am today, even when I feel all odds are against me. I am very thankful and grateful to have the opportunity to bring joy, happiness, and smiles to other people’s lives through my business which helps me keep going. You never know what someone has going on in their life, but I do know that to be able to make someone smile is great and can mean a lot to someone, and any chance that I have to do this I will take that chance. Because I know how it feels to need a little joy brought to you.
Now, this doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in luck. Some people may have more luck than others. Some may or may not call it luck.
I just personally have not witnessed any luck in my life or the people nearest me. We work hard. We go through a lot. We keep pushing. I do believe that everything happens for a reason or has a purpose. Not necessarily a cause and effect type of thing. But more so that everything that happens in life, has the purpose of molding me into the person that I am becoming. The events life has taken me through, and the actions that I take is creating the person that I’m becoming in life and as a businesswoman. So no, luck has not been a factor in my life. Good or bad.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohmg.cakess/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ohmg.cakess
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ohmgcakess
