Life and Work with Sydni Calais

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydni Calais.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Sydni. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My love for baking and decorating started when I was a senior in highschool, and Cake Pops had just become a big trend. I brought them to my classmates and friends, and my math teacher (shout out to Mrs. Lee, you’re a rockstar!) was the first person to order from me, and even gave me the name “Sweets by Syd”. I kept practicing with Cake Pops and other sweets, eventually made an Instagram and started building my work and clientele there.

Once I picked up cookies about three years ago, is when the business really took off.

I’ve been so fortunate and honored to have opportunities to work with Kendra Scott Baybrook and Rice Village, Lululemon Galleria and Sugarland, The City of La Porte and The Galveston Bay foundation, as well as selling my cookies weekly to Robinette and Company Catering in Seabrook, and Agora coffeehouse in downtown Houston.

I absolutely love getting to bake and decorate cookies and sweets for peoples special occasions and events! Celebrating people is so important, and I’m so thankful that I get to be a small part of it.

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?
It hasn’t been a smooth road by any means. Starting so young was great- and building my client base for so long, put me to where I can be self-employed and full time with my business today, at 23. But along the way, after high school and through college, there were times where I was working two other jobs on top of my personal business while I was still building clientele. Eventually, I graduated from school, left my sushi bar waitress job, and just had one job and my growing business. But overtime, as Sweets by Syd kept growing and weekly orders/catering orders became more consistent, I was spreading myself very thin and was constantly under stress, working 70 hours a week. After figuring the numbers and realistically planning what I’d need to make with my business to even out my job pay, and finally achieving that goal, I was able to leave my job and be full time with Sweets by Syd.

I’d be lying if I said there weren’t many emotionally and physically draining days- times where I felt totally burnt out, even had a few panic attacks. But I just kept pushing and hustling, because I saw my goal, I saw my growth, and I knew anything worth having doesn’t come easy, and I couldn’t be more thankful and excited for where I’m at now.

Please tell us about Sweets by Syd.
Sweets by Syd is a home based bakery in the city of La Porte. I specialize in decorated shortbread cookies, but I also create other sweets, such as chocolate chip cookie sandwiches, cake pops, chocolate covered Oreos/pretzels, cupcakes, and some simple buttercream cakes.

Though I love it all, decorating cookies is my absolute favorite. I love it because the theme is always different, designs and trends are always changing, each set is specifically custom designed and handmade for the client, and I can really be creative with the designs and details.

My work is so special to me. It’s more than a job or commitment for me. It’s fun, it’s therapeutic, a creative outlet, and provides happiness to people. Every sweet that I create is made with so much care and love before it goes out of my door.

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
I heard a quote once, and it stuck ever since, “Be the CEO that your parents wanted you to marry. #girlboss” and I think there’s so much freedom in really embracing that, and pushing for that to come to fruition in your life- regardless of the business field. Facing the obstacles as opportunities to prove you can go above that, and achieve that for all of the women around you.

In the cookie/baking business particularly, it’s dominated by so many incredible women. And there’s so much more room for more businesses and more women to spotlight their work and talents. The cookie community is so encouraging, positive and helpful. Amazing girl bosses who are mind-blowingly talented with their passion and their creativity, and it’s so inspiring.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 832.877.8258
• Email: sydni@sweetsbysyd.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/sweetsbysyd
• Facebook: Facebook.com/sweetsbysydni

Image Credit:
Brittney Feliciano

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