Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Thornton
Hi Kimberly, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started baking as a little girl with my dad which turned into me baking for my criminal justice High School class for fundraisers. As I became an adult it was just a hobby I didn’t think much more of it until my coworkers at the prison told me that I should start selling my cakes. I would bring in desserts every time we did a potluck at work and everyone would always ask who made this? So I had a conversation with my mom about it and she said to look into a class to help improve my skills. Once I started researching Keiser University popped up and I saw that they had a baking and pastry arts degree. I decided to go in for a tour and that’s when I knew that this was the right path for me. When I got there my instructor Chef Turek spoke about the program and walked me through the kitchens. As he spoke I could tell he loved what he did so it made me excited to start classes. As we walk through the kitchens the students were in their practical exams. I remember the smells of Thanksgiving. You could smell the apple pie, sweet potato pies, pumpkin pies. I immediately fell in love, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year so I think it just brought up so many memories and made me even more excited to start classes. I started 2 months later and finish my degree 16 months later. I worked for several different companies before I decided baking for other companies was not for me. It made a vow that if I bake I bake for my own company. In 2019 I officially started working on my business and came up with the name Kimberly’s Kreations. Soon after the pandemic hit in force me to run my business full time. I had no major background experience and running a business besides what they talked me in school which was pricing and profits. With every order I learned to do’s and don’ts I also started to take courses from other Bakers online to learn more about running a bakery business. I started my business out of my home and now here I am 5 years later finally having a commercial kitchen to work out of and still learning so much about business. I started doing everyday desserts out of my home to selling in my neighborhood at a certain location every weekend then I moved to events and markets. Now that I have a commercial kitchen I am working towards wholesaling and working with restaurants/ catering companies it sell my desserts with. I am on this journal of life and am riding every wave that comes my way. I am excited to see where this journey takes me and to see where i will end up years from now.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been far from a smooth road. Being an entrepreneur brings out the best and worst parts of you. I have learned that there is a lot of inner work that has to be done on oneself. The one thing I have realized that I struggle with the most is self-discipline. Working for someone else I realize that you are on their time and you are getting told what to do. Working for yourself you have no one but yourself to depend on and hold yourself accountable. It is a lot of mental development that has to be learned and unlearned with entrepreneurship. Another struggle that I deal with is having self-confidence in myself. I know that I can bake I know that I am creative. But when it comes to other people seeing my work I feel that if it’s not perfect in my eyes it’s not good enough. When I feel myself getting like this I remember that I am my toughest critic in that most people don’t know what the end product was supposed to be in my head. Besides having struggles of self I also have struggles of life. Learning how to be a single mother working mother and a business owner has created its own challenges. Balancing personal life work life and business life can be difficult at times. I believe the last struggle that I deal with is knowing when to Pivot in business. When one idea is not working knowing when to Pivot or to ride the wave is vital in business.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Kimboly’s Kreations?
Kimberly’s Kreations is a bakery that specialize in a little bit of everything. We cater to birthdays baby shower wedding and all other special occasions. We are known for I read velvet cake and cheesecakes. What sets us apart from most is everything is made from scratch and with the love. We also offer unique flavors of our everyday desserts and treats. We are most proud of the relationships that we have build with clients and that has constantly returned for our services. We want readers to know that we are dedicated to providing a high quality, seamless and reliable experience that sets us apart in the market. We value customer satisfaction Above All Else and are committed to building long-term relationships by delivering exceptional service
What does success mean to you?
I define success by the influence that you have on people. It says it’s not always about money. It’s about the connections and relationships that you build with people. It’s about the small victories. It’s about the smiles and joy that I see from clients as they see or taste my work. Success is also what people remember you from.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: kimbolyskreations
- Facebook: KimbolysKreations
