Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Sims.
Hi Kim, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been baking for over a decade, but I only opened my cottage business in October 2020. My love of baking came from my maternal grandmother. One of my earlier memories with her is when she took me to her grocery store and we went behind the baking counter so she could have me pick out decorations for my birthday cake. I would help her and my mom make candy and baked treats every December. I remember the kitchen tables covered in all kinds of homemade goodies.
To this day, I still make my grandma’s cinnamon rolls every Christmas Eve in memory of her and my childhood. My Grandma passed away in May of 2020, and for some reason, that pushed me to start my business. The reason I held off on starting my business for so long is that I have food allergies. I thought that being a completely nut-free bakery would hold me back because I would have to turn away all nut requests
On the contrary, it has been one of the reasons I have been so successful. I am a completely nut-free facility because of my allergies, which has become a blessing in my business. I can accommodate most allergy-friendly requests, but my main requests are for tree nuts, peanuts, wheat/gluten, soy, egg, or dairy allergies. I have special equipment for certain allergies, and because of my personal allergy history, know more about how to avoid allergy contamination.
Over the past, almost 2 and a half years, I have grown very quickly and my business is becoming more known in our area. I mainly bake cakes and decorated sugar cookies for birthday parties and other private events. I have baked for some larger corporations, and hope to do more of those shortly. I also love meeting and befriending other bakers in my area, and I’m hoping to cultivate a community between us to support each other in our businesses.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
With every path, there are always bumps in the road. However, I think most of my bumps were more self-placed than anything else. When I began in 2020, I had just begun decorating sugar cookies and I held myself back from some orders because I didn’t believe in my work enough. I only saw the flaws and didn’t believe no one else saw them as such. I’m a perfectionist at heart.
I have practiced and practiced since then, and I’m comfortable with my work. I still have room to grow, and I’m excited to take on a new challenge. I was also terrified of fondant for cakes. It is a very hard, and somewhat expensive medium to try out and practice with. Because of this, I shied away from it for a while. It was a friend who believed in me more than I believed in myself who helped me overcome this.
She ordered a cake and said, “I don’t care what you say, you can do it. Just do it.” Her confidence in my skills gave me the courage to take on the challenge. That cake was better than I thought it would be, but not the best by any means. But since then I have become very comfortable with my skills and they have grown so that I’m impressed with and proud of my work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have a bright, colorful style with my decorating. I’m known for my flavors, attention to detail, and creative designs. I always want my treats to taste just as good as they look, so my flavors are the most important part of my baking. My Chocolate Chip Cookies took me 7 years to perfect, and do my rave-about treat. I also did a Hawaiian vanilla cake recently that people cannot stop talking about. I use high-quality ingredients as well as specific techniques to achieve the best flavors.
The coolest cake I’d say I’ve decorated was a 3D dinosaur I did with another local baker. We did this together to practice our structuring skills, as well as our shading and coloring techniques. This was just for fun, but it was probably my favorite piece to make.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t believe in luck per se. I believe the risks I’ve taken and my hard work are what have gotten me where I am. In some cases, the connections and friendships I’ve made have set me on paths that have led to my success, but I don’t think luck has anything to do with it.
Sometimes things don’t work out, and I strive to learn from those experiences. Sometimes my personality and determination have led me down successful paths. I like to reflect on each experience and recognize all that plays a part, so I can learn and grow from it.
Pricing:
- Cakes vary in design and size. They typically start at $85
- Sugar cookies also vary, and start at $50 per dozen
- Cookie Classes are typical $70
Contact Info:
- Website: WesleysTreatsHalliesSweets.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wesleys_treats_hallies_sweets/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WesleysTreatsHalliesSweets
- Other: TheWoodlandsCookieClasses.com
Image Credits
Hilliard Photography
