Today we’d like to introduce you to Lila Wilson.
Hi Lila, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I graduated from UW-Milwaukee in December 2016 with a BA, focused on printmaking studies. I moved back to Duluth where I worked at Pita Pit. During an opening shift I was approached with an inquiry into who had done the window art. Turns out it was the current general manager of How Sweet It Is. When I told her I was the artist she invited me to come by for an interview to be a cake decorator. I didn’t have any experience with cake decorating but was intrigued and excitedly agreed to an interview. Following the interview with the owner at the time (Eileen Brown) and GM I was offered a position on the cake decorating team. Turns out my artistic skills translated well to my new job, and I now had a new passion. Unfortunately, not long after joining the team the business closed. In a surprise turn of events a few months later I received a call from the owner telling me that How Sweet It Is had joined the Duluth Grill family and if I was interested to come by asap for an interview to rejoin the cake decorating team through this new company. Of course, I couldn’t say yes fast enough as I was devastated when the business had closed. I wanted nothing more than to be able to continue to learn and grow as a cake artist as I had barely scratched the surface. Before I knew it, I was back at it decorating cakes/cupcakes and creating other desserts for weddings, birthdays, and other special events. Fast forward a year later and sadly How Sweet It Is and Duluth Grill were parting ways. How Sweet It Is was closing again. I found myself at a crossroads. I either needed to go find a new job or take a leap of faith. Deciding I didn’t want to give up my career as a cake decorator I met with Eileen Brown and asked her how I could start my own business. Wide eyed she looked at me and basically told me if I wanted, I could take on How Sweet It Is. I laughed and responded with “are you serious? Of course she was. My mentor was offering me an amazing opportunity that I hadn’t seen coming. I officially took ownership of How Sweet It Is in January 2019. I had a lot to learn, and I’ve found being a business owner is rarely easy, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Now years later I still love creating cakes, cupcakes, and more for my client’s important life events.
Alright, 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?
When I took ownership of How Sweet It Is I knew how to bake/decorate/complete orders but managing a business as a whole had me scratching my head. This was my first big challenge and honestly, it’s one that never ends. All wrapped up in how I want the business to look and where I want it to go. Which I came to learn needs to be fluid as what I feel is right for the business one day may not be the next. When I took on ownership, I decided that I wasn’t going to hire any employees and didn’t see that changing in the future. To this day I am still the only employee, but thankfully I do have an amazing family that helps me from time to time when I overbook my schedule. This turned out to be a great decision when COVID occurred. I think it’s a main factor that helped me make it through the major decline in orders throughout that time. I do work in a shared commercial kitchen, which is not always optimal. The other aspect I would label as a challenge is social media and technology. I do make fun of myself from time to time that for being only 31 I am not at all savvy when it comes to social media and technology. I prefer email for work correspondence to phone calls/texting, and I think it’s been about three years since I posted to social media.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I create cakes, cupcakes, and a variety of desserts from scratch. These are for orders placed for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. I am considered a catering bakery as I do not have a storefront with daily offered goods, all sweets are pre-ordered. I would say the specialty of the business is the cakes and cupcakes as these items make up the majority of what I create. I think How Sweet It Is, is most known for the buttercream we use and our large selection of cake/cupcake flavors. We have the classic flavors of vanilla bean, chocolate, white lemon, carrot, and red velvet. Then for those with taste buds on the wild side white ginger peach, chocolate earl grey lavender, chocolate habanero, and white tequila lime. These are just a few that are offered: the full list is over 30 flavors. Add in the filling options for the cakes and the cupcake toppings our clients can create sweets that are unique to them. How Sweet It Is also offers gluten free, vegan, and gluten free vegan desserts. While the bakery is not a gluten free/vegan facility I do my best to accommodate those with food allergies. The part of the business I am most proud of is having clients come back year after year and getting to be a part of the celebration.
How do you think about happiness?
Work wise hearing from clients that they loved their order. It’s one thing when I complete an order and am thrilled with the end result. Having the client then reach out whether through email or a review that the order was exactly what they wanted truly brings the process and feelings full circle. Personally, getting to spend time with my husband, cat, and dogs. Also, coffee, cake, a good book, and a glass of bourbon.
Pricing:
- Cakes: $40.00 and up
- Cupcakes: $2.50 and up
- Custom Cookies: $5.00 and up
- Cookies and Bars: $3.50 and up
- Other Desserts: prices vary
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.howsweetitiscakes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howsweetitisduluth/
