Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Wallace.
Kayla, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up, I was always infatuated with raw ingredients like flour and sugar. It amazed me how they could come together to make delicious things like cakes, cookies, and biscuits. In my house, however, we usually relied on boxes and store-bought baked goods to satisfy our cravings (no offense mom). While in college, I tried making cookies a few times and failed tremendously, lol. But in 2016, I lived with my vegan friend, Taylor Williams, for a summer, and my life was changed forever. It all started with vegan banana nut muffins. She made them, I tasted them and was so amazed that I begged her to teach me to make them that very same night. As I’m sure you can guess, we made lots of other things that summer.
After moving out, I started experimenting with things like lemon poppyseed muffins and red velvet cupcakes. This was also around the time when I’d do lots of meatless meal preps for lunch to save money. Soon enough, lots of my meals were vegan too. I told myself I’d go cold turkey when I found a good chocolate chip cookie recipe. That happened a little too soon, so right now, I’m vegan at home and pescatarian when I’m out. While simultaneously falling in love with vegan treats, I earned my degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston. I knew very early in my hospitality career what the end goal was – a coffeehouse. I worked at Cougar Grounds on campus and fell absolutely in love with coffee. The taste, the smell, the flavor profiles, the brewing methods, not to mention that coffee shops are my favorite place on earth, purely because of the atmosphere. Currently, I’m working on step one: hands-on experience, which has landed me as a manager at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen where I am learning the ins and outs of operating a restaurant. I figured that if I could successfully manage a place like Pappadeaux, I’d have quite a nice foundation for running my own coffeehouse one day. I am also in the process of starting a baking company called Olive, Vegan Goods through which I plan to serve many if not all of the baked goods that will be available at the coffeehouse.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Let me preface this answer by saying that I am VERY Type A. Although, three major changes and two semesters later, I finally realized what I wanted to spend my life doing… I couldn’t have predicted anything that would come after college. If it were up to me, I would’ve graduated, worked for a bakery in hopes that the owner would let me shadow them, applied for financial help from bankers, investors, and anyone else willing to read my business plan. Well, let me tell you, Pappadeaux is not a bakery. In addition, the road to creating vegan goods has also been one with MANY flips and turns. Among one of my first lessons was that cookies will melt and turn into a lump of chocolate goodness if not baked to the right degree of doneness, allowed to cool completely and packaged correctly. Second, I learned that overcommitment is not being kind toward the friends that I promised cookies to nor myself. Then, I learned that not all sugar is considered vegan. Who would have thought? I also have no entrepreneurs or business owners in my family and no trust fund. No rich uncles either. But, I do use entire car rides to think about which lights would look better along the hall to the restroom, what type of milk I want to offer, and whether or not coconut flour and coconut oil are too much for one cookie. All I know, is that I have a dream that I’m choosing to believe in, work toward and that I’m grateful for the help and blessings that are always there in the moments I need them. I get this feeling when I visit a new coffee shop. It’s almost like that feeling when a beautiful guy walks up to you and asks your name. I look around and every fear that I’ve entertained for the last few weeks diminishes. So, that’s my advice. Go after the things that make you tingle. Reject fear, take things a step at a time, and believe that your dreams are not only possible but that they were given to you for a reason. They should not be neglected.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Olive, Vegan Goods – what should we know?
Vegan baked goods are my thing. I love that people’s reaction to my baking is usually something along the lines of “These are vegan?! How?” I firmly believe that just because something is vegan doesn’t mean it has to be compromised in flavor. I create vegan treats that not only stand up to the regular stuff but can often trump it. It’s just as chocolatey, just as moist and just as satisfying. That’s the way it should be.
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Take the next step. Dreams often seem so unattainable, but we have to remember the people in this world who have accomplished crazy things. They’re people, just like we are. They all comb their hair in the morning and put on one shoe at a time. So, how’d they got there? They decided what they wanted, figured out step one, then did step one. Then, they figured out step two and so on and so forth. For them, and for us, obstacles WILL come, but as long as you still have breath, there’s still time. We must quiet all of the voices in our heads that tell us lies about ourselves and our capabilities. Practically, learning our craft is of utmost importance. Not only does it teach us, but it also confirms whether or not our hearts are as committed as we think they are. For me, that looks like visiting coffee shops, reading, baking new recipes and failing, letting my friends tell me when things suck and being willing to try something again for the sixteenth time. Who knows, seventeen might just be it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: sonkissedolive
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