Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Hay.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sophia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always been a creative person but found that I wasn’t creative in means of art or fashion, but moreso in baking & beauty. It wasn’t until I became very ill that I had time to reflect and pursue my passion for baking. In 2009 I was diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease which slowly took over my life. In 2013 I was so weak that I wasn’t able to work anymore, and I was forced to quit my job. In that time, I really felt like I hit rock bottom, but what came out of that dark place was discovering my passion for baking. In 2014, my best friend and I launched our dessert company, Enchanted Delights, where we specialize in custom dessert tables. As years passed, I also decided to fuel my other passion for beauty, and decided it was time to become a certified MUA by one of my favorite artists DressYourFace, so in 2016, I did just that and started working as a freelance artist @_cakedandbakedbeauty, which was inspired by my love for baking. In 2017 I decided to make a move to Los Angeles, from Sacramento, CA and my dreams for both baking and beauty grew greater. I decided to launch a cookie pop up called Crinkles and Crackles to showcase what I’m most known for, which are my crackle cookies. In that same time, I also decided to get my 2nd MUA certification by Michelly Palma of Brazil.
This journey that all started from a dark place has grown into such a wonderful dream for me. It has shaped me into the strong, motivated and resilient woman that I am today. Often times, along my journey, I felt like giving up because I felt too weak, too sick and very depressed. My goals and passion had bigger plans for me, and through these hard times, I kept pushing myself to look forward and stay creative. It’s truly humbling to look at where I started and to see how far I’ve come. This is only the beginning and I am more motivated now than ever to continue my journey to maintain my health and pursue my passions.
Throughout these years with launching two dessert companies and also being a freelance MUA, I decided to finish my Bachelor’s Degree and pursue my Doctorate of Clinical Psychology. Without being in a dark place, I don’t know where my life would be right now. I was fortunate to find an outlet that helped me find the light in the dark. That is a feeling that I want every person to be able to experience, and I know I can help deliver hope and courage through being a clinical psychologist. There’s nothing sweeter or more beautiful than seeing others living happily. Whether it’s a happy customer enjoying one of my desserts, a glowing bride dolled up on her wedding day or a client who just needs someone to listen, I hope to always deliver kindness and a smile to those lives I interact with on this journey of life.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has definitely been a rough road. Having a chronic illness hasn’t been the easiest thing to live with, but the beauty in experiencing struggles and rough patches throughout this journey is that you grow stronger and more resilient to what comes along the way. These rough patches that we deal with are opportunities for us to grow through what we experience, and the beauty in that is who we become afterwards. We realize that we can survive anything that gets thrown our way, and we can help others who are experiencing similar setbacks or obstacles.
One thing to always remember is that there is always a positive in the negative. If we can focus on that positive thing, whether it be a lesson or an opportunity for growth, we will come out of that situation as a better version of yourself. Isn’t that beautiful? It’s all about how we choose to look at the obstacle we are facing. It’s about choosing to find that positive and hanging onto it and not giving up because it challenges us, or isn’t easy. You have to trust yourself and trust your journey. Instead of allowing the wave to take you under, you must learn to master riding it.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Enchanted Delights, Crinkles & Crackles, Caked and Baked Beauty – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I bake desserts and I bake faces, haha. I am the co-owner of Enchanted Delights, where we specialize in custom dessert tables and tablescapes. We are known for our custom desserts, themed tables and an eye for design. We serve Northern and Southern California.
I am well known for my crackle cookies, and in 2017, I launched my second company, Crinkles, and Crackles. My most popular flavor is my Chocolate Nutella Fudge Crackle, which just melts in your mouth. We offer our flavors in Vegan Crackles as well.
What I think really sets us apart from other bakeries is that we do everything fresh per order, and we can customize everything. We are in the business of serving others, and we want our desserts to be available to everyone. So, we really try to do our best to make a variety of options available, whether someone is vegan, has a gluten allergy or has diabetes, we can make a product that is available to everyone.
Aside from baking desserts, I love beauty and makeup, and being a freelance MUA is such a fun job. I work on so many different beautiful faces, with people from all walks of life and it truly makes me happy to see people feel their absolute best when I work with them.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
The biggest barrier we face is in our society. I feel that when you think of a leader or entrepreneur, people generally think of men first. I grew up under the notion that men are natural born leaders, business savvy and build empires while women are seen as assistants or play domestic roles. The reality that women create and reflect on a daily basis, is that we are leaders, we are business savvy and we too can build empires. The only barriers we face as women, are the socially constructed false notions that women hold a specific place in the working world, inferior to their counterparts, and as long as we continue to stay true to ourselves and work towards our goals, our footprints will leave their mark in society as leaders, entrepreneurs & inspiration for others.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 310-261-9968
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @princesssophiaofficial
Image Credit:
DressYourFace, Raveen Rai
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