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

Hi Sarah, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was raised by practical, non-risktaking parents who had very stable, professional careers. With their encouragement, I earned my degree in Industrial Engineering and spent over 20 years in the manufacturing sector. I am thankful for this part of my life because it allowed me to raise my 2 children as a single mom. However, my personality and artistic side never quite fit in corporate America. I have always pushed the envelope, questioned rules, and loved variety/change. I began creating cakes for my kids and my skills grew through the years when friends and family started commissioning me for their cakes. Eventually, my kids left for college and I began to explore doing my passion full time. The engineer in me did research that included working for a small business, taking a course at our business incubator, and costing out the investment to get started. Armed with knowledge, talent, support from friends & family, I finally quit my 9-5! It has been a long, over analyzed thought process but here I am and thrilled to be here

Three-tiered white wedding cake decorated with colorful flowers, on a table with a floral tablecloth.

Cake decorated with pink and red flowers, placed on a table with a gold-colored draped cloth, with a white background.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is multidimensional! Your eyes view it first as too beautiful to eat, but then your brain registers the texture and taste as you eat it for an immersive experience. This is my “why” for every cake and cookie that I create. I am constantly learning new techniques based on trends. I stretch my creativity by participating in styled wedding shoots where I have design freedom, but also using these to test new flavors and recipes! I am inspired by fashion & color trends, interior design, weddings, architecture, art museums, landscapes. I do not think any art is easy, it is a long adventure with stops along the way.

Tall white tiered wedding cake with floral decorations on top, placed on a dark wooden floor, with draped curtains in background.

Decorative cake with blue and white icing, featuring a framed checkered pattern, on a round gold stand.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am based in NWGa near Chattanooga, TN. My favorite restaurants are all in Chattanooga: Calliope, 2nd American, Attack of the Tatsu, Elsie’s Daughter, Wardlaw’s Lucky Eye Q, and Little Coyote. Downtown Ringgold is adorable, has great antique stores, and Caffeine Addicts coffee. This area is pristine for hiking especially Cloudland Canyon State Park and North Chickamauga Creek. Take a walk along the River Walk or walking bridge for some beautiful views of the city and mountains. See a Lookouts baseball game, go to the Aquaurium, explore Rock City, and shop at the Chattanooga Market.

Decorated cookies with butterfly and cloud shapes, some with pastel colors and gold accents, arranged in a wooden tray.

Wooden tray with decorated cookies and flowers, including purple, white, and blue cookies, on a light wooden surface.

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?
I am forever thankful for my children, Samantha and James. They are my biggest cheerleaders. Samantha is my artistic sounding board and encouraging voice. James is my technical guru who works on my mixers, computer, and 3D prints cookie cutters for me!

I also want to mention Chef Lee Cureton with Culinary Creations Chattanooga. Lee jumped in to help my business launch and has become a valued mentor to me. Her personal knowledge in this industry is invaluable to me.

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Decorative cake with pink, purple, yellow, and white flowers on a gold base, on a wooden surface.

Tall white cake with irregular white decorations on a glass stand, set on a white surface with a black railing in background.

Image Credits
Jaxon Collake

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