Today we’d like to introduce you to Valentina Flores Prado.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
There was a time where many people at my high school were secretly selling stuff at lunch, from burritos to candy, to chips, everything you can think of. Also, at the time, I really wanted to start making my own money because I really didn’t like asking my parents for some. Therefore, I started to think really hard “what’s something that people would buy at lunch that isn’t being already sold at school by someone else?” It took me a while but I then came to the conclusion that selling cookies was the way to go. I was already known for making my cookies because I would give them out on special occasions such as on a holiday or even as gifts on a friend’s birthday so it was nothing new for me. Selling cookies at school was a great way to earn money to spend on the weekends, but eventually, this stoped for a long time due to having a lot of homework and me wanting to concentrate more in school.
Right before graduating, I realized I wasn’t doing anything with my life and it was quite boring. So, because of this, I decided to do something productive mixed with something I liked doing and with a few ideas later, came the idea to start an Instagram page where I would sell sugar cookies to anyone in the San Diego – Tijuana area and ever since my business took off, things have been going wonderful. I hope to keep on sharing with people what I love the most: using my creativeness and my baking skills, to bring cookies to the world no matter the occasion.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The best advice I can give to anyone is to not leave stuff for later and take every opportunity you are presented with. I say this because I got the idea of opening a business such as sugar bee way before I actually started it but my laziness got in the way too much. So, if I’d known better maybe by now, I would’ve been a step further in my career by taking beneficial opportunities that were presented to me in the past because there have been some struggles along the way such as not having as many clients as you would like or struggling to get your name out there. So, my message is that if you haven’t achieved something you want, you need to ask yourself if whatever excuse you are putting is more important than where you want to get to. You must be the one to take the initiative.
Please tell us about Sugar Bee.
What sets me apart from others is that I am not your ordinary cookie brand, I specialize in making any idea my clients have come to life in cookie form no matter how crazy the idea sounds. For example, I once was asked to make a nose job cookie and the result was awesome. I put a lot of effort and dedication to each individual order from start to finish and believe that you can see real effort portrayed in my work, unlike other cookies.
What I am most proud of with my brand is that I get to represent my family in many ways. For example, when I bake my cookies I always remember my “Tita” or my grandma, she was the one who taught me how to bake. When I decorate them, I have in mind my dad who passed on his artistic and creative mind to me. And when I package them and see the final product, I remember my mom who encouraged me to start my business. After all, my business’s name is named after her. “Sugar” stands for sugar cookies since that’s the type of cookie I specialize in making and “Bee” because my mom sees bees as her spirit animal and I wanted something special that would honor her.
Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Growing up, my parents taught me to go after what my heart wanted no matter what. And I believe that this really had to do with how I got to where I am today.
I used to have people tell me all the time ”why are you a baker? That’s a hobby!”, ”wouldn’t you rather become a doctor? You earn more money!”
But whenever I would hear these things, I would just laugh or ignore what they said because I was doing what I really wanted in life. It could’ve been really easy to get a job guaranteed to pay bills, but then again it wouldn’t necessarily be in my happy place. Therefore, I stuck to my beliefs and went after that ”not so high paying career” as a baker instead of something else because it was the one I wanted. So, basically yes, being taught this played a huge role in my life. I strived for a career that makes me happy which I find as the greatest success a person can reach.
Contact Info:
- Phone: +1 (619) 799-6054
- Email: sugarbee.c@gmail.com
- Instagram: Sugarbee.tj
Image Credit:
Valeria Garcia @valeriagarciaac
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
