The commonality that Stephanie and I have are that we both owned bakery entities, however mine was very much in the beginning stages of curation and well, Stephanie’s was on her way of taking the world by storm. Her famous caramel cake can be found all over Chicagoland and now nationally.
Her why was clear. “Kimia, I want to create a lasting experience for every occasion and know that when people of all backgrounds try my creations, they know how special they are for years to come”
I loved how Stephanie and I connected by letting go of old thoughts, people, and mindsets that could no longer be a part of our present journey. If something has the ability to grow, the environment of where it exists has to have the freedom to do so.
We exchanged stories of love, loss, and creating new pathways to invoke our truest self. I could see her business was streamlined from careful marketing, delivery, and to multiple vendors she distributed to. Her mind was quite focused.
She let me know what she would've done differently, had she known better in the beginning stages of her business. All I could do was gaze at her appreciative like she just gave me a Christmas present. She didn’t want me to make the same mistakes even if they were big or small. I greatly admired that quality.
Not many people help you find your way, a lot of times they will even take it from you. Stephanie was and is a giver. I felt so lucky to sit down with a woman that not only built her own dynasty but was willingly to share her secret.
Her foresight bled into our conversation like she knew how to remedy my doubts and frustrations. Working on a business can be painstaking, but with enlightening antidotes and affirmations we as independent thinkers can fuel our drive. As we closed our conversation, she handed me a peanut butter truffle. I held it in my hand to the point of melting. All I could think was that this was a talk of wisdom and Stephanie’s hug was one I never knew I needed. Her visibility will help me to continue to forge through.