Meet Harshika Vanjani | Software Professional and Cottage Baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Harshika Vanjani and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Harshika, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I am self taught, have a deep love for baking and to top it off, my entire family has a sweet tooth too. So it all started when I used to make baked treats for them. I have been baking for many (8+) years and so it felt right to start my business Drops of Desserts LLC because I wanted to share this passion for baked goods with more people and a wider audience. I had taken a few baking classes to upskill myself and I love experimenting with flavors, recipes and techniques. I love doing seasonal treat boxes, baking gourmet cupcakes, fusion brownies, chocolate truffles and cakes. Baking helps me unleash my creativity so whenever I’m free and not working, I am in the kitchen baking. My personal life goal is also to be able to do more and give back to the causes that are close to my heart and I believe this will give me that opportunity. I’m very grateful to be doing what I’m doing.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am an engineer at heart and a software professional working for a tech company. Over the years I have developed a love for programming and now I know that it makes me happy. I love the challenges it gives me and the happiness in truly creating something useful, one of a kind and providing a sleek user experience for the end user. It provides me with some kind of fulfillment in knowing that I am truly responsible for building user friendly products for a positive and meaningful user experience. The challenges that come up in the programming world provide an opportunity for growth and development for me. It’s hard to stay abreast with the latest technology in this fast paced world but nowhere else I’d be right now.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Dallas offers a wide variety of fun and interesting attractions to explore, from delicious local cuisine to world-class museums and parks. I would definitely start the trip off with some authentic Tex-Mex cuisine at my local favorite like Torchy’s Tacos or Chuys. After that maybe head to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. I would take them to some shopping and entertainment with plenty of malls and also AT&T Stadium. I would also suggest them to try out local breweries, downtown Dallas for art and history, Dallas World Aquarium, US minting factory, parks for some recreation. Frisco has some of the best Indian street food restaurants so that’s a must. There are a lot of fun things to do for kids too! And finally at last, there’s some delicious treats to be tried from Drops of Desserts 

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As a mum with two kids, I’m juggling with the demands of parenthood while pursuing my career and passion. It takes a lot of energy and sacrifices and I’m still learning to prioritize, plan and stay organized to make it all work. One person who is my rock, my core and my everything is my husband. He needs special credit for taking care of kids and our house while I bake.

My children are also an important part of this, as it’s my 5 year old who has inspired me to pursue baking professionally. She loves sweets and tells me ‘mumma you make the best cakes!’ Sharing my creations with her is a very rewarding experience for me.

Also a special recognition to my parents and my close family for encouraging me to do my best! Last but not the least, it’s important to recognize the support of friends, family, and customers who have ordered from me, helped me along the way whether by providing feedback, recommending and referring new customers, or simply engaging with my content on social media. I am honestly very grateful.

Website: www.dropsofdesserts.com

Instagram: @dropsofdesserts

Facebook: Drops of Desserts

Yelp: Drops of Desserts