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

Hi Melisa, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting my own business was a natural progression from a hobby, but I like to blame it all on my daughter. I was one of those moms that just had to make her kid’s first birthday cake because no grocery store was going to bring my pre-Pinterest vision to life. So I started taking cake decorating classes a few months before she turned one. I still had a corporate job and took all my homework cakes into the office where my husband and I didn’t have to eat them by ourselves. I started getting requests for birthday and baby shower cakes, and Sweet By Design was born. I put together a business plan, started taking classes at a culinary school at night, and began to receive wedding cake orders shortly thereafter which is where I decided to focus my business.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I love when I can bring a couple’s vision for their wedding cake to life. It’s exciting to see a sketch or idea come together in icing, and to be able to give that to someone is an amazing feeling. I think a great cake has to be visually appealing, but it has to taste great too – after all, cake is meant to be eaten! I strive to give all my couples the wedding centerpiece they envision that their guests rave about long after the big day is over.

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?
I love Armor Coffee in Allen. Everything I have had there is delicious, there is room to spread out, and all the employees are amazing. Queso would definitely be involved, so we would probably end up at Blue Goose or Abuelos too.

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?
The wedding industry in North Texas has been amazing. I get lots of love and support from several venues – River Road Chateau, Bethel Rock, Rustic Grace Estate, and The Venue at Frisco Town Center as well as FarmHaus Catering.

Website: sweetbydesigncakes.com
Instagram: instagram.com/sweetbydesigncakes
Facebook: facebook.com/SweetByDesignCakesTX

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