Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Chung.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I moved to Minnesota in 2011 for my first job out of college at the magical food manufacturing company, General Mills. Minnesota snows more than it doesn’t so, I spent my time off work indoors. Armed with Betty Crocker cake mixes I got creative in the kitchen with cake pops to get through those cold Minnesota nights. It was the start of a passionate hobby. After I moved back to Houston, I still loved baking treats for my family and friends and would be the go-to party sweet baker.
One of these parties, I made a gender reveal cake for a couple close to me. When they cut the cake to reveal they were having a baby girl, they cried tears of joy. That moment defined me “why”. I love making special moments a bit sweeter.
With the push of friends and family plus driven by my “why”, I launched Wink in 2014. Since then, it has taken off beyond my wildest dreams. In 2017, I made a leap of faith and left my corporate marketing job to pursue Wink full-time. This year, in 2018, I will be opening a dedicated kitchen at The Creative Chateau, building a team with the goal of spreading the joy of Wink!
Great, 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?
Sometimes! Just like a long trip, sometimes you hit smooth patches and sometimes you hit bumps along the way. The smooth patches keep the momentum going and the bumps provided lessons and make for a more interesting ride.
Being a one-woman show, the struggle is trying to do it all. You wear so many hats as a small business owner, marketing, customer service, accounting, invoicing, sourcing, procuring, cleaning and so much more. On top of that is maintaining a semblance of a social life with friends and family.
Please tell us about Wink by Erica.
Wink by Erica is in the business of making special moments a little bit sweeter with custom desserts! We believe every special moment is worth celebrating with something delectable and sweet. Desserts play a special part in all those great life moments whether it be a birthday, baby shower, wedding, graduation or simply to say “I love you”. Our dream is to celebrate all those milestones and be our client’s lifelong baker.
We’re known for:
– Adorable character macarons. We’ve turned our client’s pets into macarons and recreated many beloved characters from Hello Kitty, Minions, Totoro and more!
– Simply beautiful cakes. Simple yet elegant and colorful cakes are our jam!
– Unicorn desserts. Magical, unicorn cakes, mini donuts, macarons, cupcakes, cake pops, and more.
– Delightful design. We’re known to take inspiration from anything from invites to party decor to even paintings and turning them into beautiful cakes and treats!
– Baked from scratch. Not only do we want our desserts to look good, we want them to taste amazing too! Our desserts are made from scratch with carefully selected ingredients.
We pride ourselves on bringing our client’s dessert vision to life.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My creative, entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. I would take Kleenex and draw designs on them with markers, glitter glue and stickers. Then, I would try to market and sell my “designer handkerchiefs” to my family and friends and school. Why blow your nose in a plain tissue when you can blow it in one that’s colorful, bedazzled and leaves your face full of glitter?
Yeah, no one ever. It made sense when I was 6!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.winkbyerica.com
- Email: erica@winkbyerica.com
- Instagram: @winkbyerica
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/winkbyerica
Image Credit:
Divya Pande Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
