{"id":24,"date":"2020-09-11T20:28:59","date_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sanjac.mycareerfocus.org\/fall-2020-volume-1-issue-40\/3-art-meets-yum-in-pastry-grads-cookie-business\/"},"modified":"2020-10-23T17:49:00","modified_gmt":"2020-10-23T17:49:00","slug":"art-meets-yum-in-pastry-grads-cookie-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanjac.mycareerfocus.org\/fall-2020-volume-1-issue-40\/art-meets-yum-in-pastry-grads-cookie-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Art meets yum in pastry grad’s cookie business"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Courtney Morris \/ Photos courtesy of Gavin Calais Photography<\/span><\/p>\n

Sydni Calais loves baking. Look no further than her 430 multicolored cookie cutters hanging on wall hooks or the two KitchenAid stand mixers crowding her countertop.<\/span><\/p>\n

But what looks like an obsession is an occupation for the 25-year-old San Jacinto College pastry chef graduate. In April 2018, Calais turned her side hustle, Sweets by Syd, into a full-time gig. Now she\u2019s living the sweet life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis Is It\u201d<\/span><\/h4>\n

Calais seemed destined for a culinary career. As an aproned, flour-dusted three-year-old on tiptoe, she mixed brownie batter with her grandma and squealed to lick the bowl clean. Her other grandma ran a Lebanese restaurant and stocked local grocery shelves with her seasonings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sydni<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family always loved food, being in the kitchen, and creating memories around food,\u201d Calais said.<\/span><\/p>\n

When cake pops were trending, the high school senior made some and divvied them out to classmates. Her math teacher, JuleeAnna Lee, tried one too.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not lying \u2014 it was the best thing I had ever put in my mouth,\u201d Lee said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon the teacher was ordering cake pops for a wedding shower, ballgames, and other special occasions. She suggested business cards and the name Sweets by Syd.<\/span><\/p>\n

With her spark ignited, Calais created an Instagram and advertised for the holidays. Having debated between a cosmetology or art career, she now chewed on another idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started making cake pops, it was something pretty you could also eat,\u201d she said. \u201cI realized: \u2018This is it.\u2019 I\u2019m going to go to school for this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Penchant for Pastry<\/span><\/h4>\n

At San Jacinto College\u2019s North Campus, Calais pursued an associate degree in culinary arts with a pastry chef specialty. Although visions of a cute mom-and-pop danced in her head, she mastered five-layer desserts, cream puffs, and mass production in her classes. She expanded her skill set while crafting a business plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was interesting to learn a different side of baking,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Culinary arts program director Andrea Huerta remembers Calais\u2019 precision, which helped her excel in school while expanding her business.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSydni was a stand-out student because of her passion to get things just right,\u201d Huerta said. \u201cShe was very detail oriented and really had a good eye for making things aesthetically appealing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While completing her degree, Calais also got hands-on restaurant and bakery experience. She served briefly at a sushi bar and baked four years at Rise Cupcakes, where she discovered her true passion: cookies.<\/span><\/p>\n

But in spring 2018, the 60- to 70-hour workweeks between the Rise job and side hustle pushed her to the limit. The happy ending? Sweets by Syd went solo.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chance of a Lifetime<\/span><\/h4>\n

In her home near Minute Maid Park, Calais performs her magic at an 8-foot stainless steel worktable. Bakery racks, pastry bags and brushes, icing buckets, cookie projector, and edible printer stand at the ready. The main event: vanilla shortbread glazed with donut icing and detailed with royal icing. Sweet with a sturdy but soft bite.<\/span><\/p>\n

Custom designs include almost anything you can imagine, from Dr. Pepper cans and Ball mason jars to celebrities like Ariana Grande and Beyonc\u00e9.<\/span><\/p>\n

Calais has racked up 7,000-plus followers \u2014 including wholesale clients \u2014 through word of mouth, Instagram, and Facebook. Also boosting her brand are her classes, giveaways, and how-to cookie decorating videos.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to keep making sure your name is showing up on other people\u2019s feeds,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes her cookies speak for themselves. A Houston blogger related to Chance the Rapper\u2019s fianc\u00e9e saw her cookies at a Kendra Scott event and asked whether she could ship portrait cookies for Chance\u2019s California wedding.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, Calais had to pick her jaw off the floor: \u201cI asked, \u2018Are you serious? Are you joking? He\u2019s my favorite rapper.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She Googled photos of the bride and groom and traced the projected images with royal icing onto the glazed cookies. All four dozen cookies arrived in perfect shape.<\/span><\/p>\n

As much as she likes big-name clients, Calais still enjoys her regular customers, which include her original.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI order from Sweets by Syd every chance I get,\u201d Lee said. \u201cSometimes I just make an excuse. She is my go-to girl.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Growing Pains<\/span><\/h4>\n

Despite the cookie craft\u2019s fun side, it\u2019s not easy being a one-person show.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m also the photographer, content creator, website editor, videographer, order taker, data entry person, and tax person while keeping up with trends, inventory, buying\/recruiting, and planning,\u201d Calais said.<\/span><\/p>\n

When events slowed because of COVID-19, business also dropped off. She adapted by creating decorating kits for homebound kids and quarantine-themed cookies featuring Purell bottles, toilet paper, and medical scrubs.<\/span><\/p>\n

As orders build again, Calais is outgrowing her space. She pumps out 20 dozen cookies in an average week, up to 50 dozen around holidays. She is updating her San Jac business plan, toying with a brick-and-mortar where guests can savor sweets and socialize.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOverhead is very expensive,\u201d she said. \u201cI would love to eventually have a storefront, but I\u2019m wanting to see if that would be a smart move.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Dreams<\/span><\/h4>\n

Whether she expands or stays home-based, Calais has enjoyed the entire journey. Her advice to would-be entrepreneurs? First, work under others in your field: \u201cYou might have to build someone else\u2019s dreams for a while.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[Then] I would say absolutely go for it,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s so rewarding, so wonderful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

From its humble beginnings as a high school cake pop affair to today, Sweets by Syd boasts the ultimate sweet success.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI get to be a small part of the biggest moments in people\u2019s lives,\u201d Calais said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Sweets by Syd offers custom pick-up orders. Learn more at www.sweetsbysyd.com<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Sweet Cheat Sheet<\/span><\/h2>\n

In an average week, Sydni Calais blows through\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n