Meet Tonya Cummings | International Baker

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

Hi Tonya, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The Katie’s Cakes Experience is a family-owned business of two sisters that offer family traditions through their grandmother’s pound cakes and hospitality to tourists visiting Mérida,Yucatan. The most important factor behind the success of the two sister’s brand is FAMILY. The two sisters fully support each other and rely on each other’s business strengths. There is never any ego tripping or bossing each other around.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The Katie’s Cakes Experience is a creative business that offers private baking classes and private orientation tours. Our business model is completely original and creative. We use a trial-and-experiment method that intuitively align with our passion and lifestyle. The Katie’s Cakes Baking Class, led by International Baker Tonya Cummings is a no pressure environment, where the student is nurtured and guided. Baking is a creative profession and allows room for success and errors. When Tonya arrived in Mérida, Yucatan, she had to recreate the pound cake recipe 17 times before it was perfected. When tourist book “The Katie’s Cakes Experience Private Baking Class” they will learn how to bake using local Mérida,Yucatan ingredients and how to apply these techniques in their native country. The Private Orientation Tours, conducted by Tour Buddy Ebony Duff is a fun and engaging tour of Mérida, Yucatan. The Orientation Tour offers two to six months of preparation of visiting Mérida Yucatan, to capture the true meaning of the “Simple Living Lifestyle & Travel.” What set the two sisters apart from other businesses is their authenticity. It will feel like meeting up with old friends baking and touring the country. They offer that mothering and protective instinct while visiting. The two sisters don’t believe in challenges, instead an opportunity to create a solution. For example, the two sisters are not fluent in Spanish, but did not let the language deter them. The language barrier has brought an opportunity to make it their top priority to learn Spanish.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

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?

We dedicate our shoutout to our Mérida Yucatan Family: Mary, Walter, Keyla, David, Elizabeth, Rich, Jessica, Ivan, Sandra, Pastor Andres, Dr. Jose, Miguel, Cynthia, Anna, Betty, Martha, Arturo, Yolanda, Poncho, Margaret, Patty, Marcela, Pedro, and Fruteria El Rinconcito De La Maya. Each one of these persons have encouraged, supported us, provided mentorship, and just been a listening ear. They have not once judge us and have fully embraced us as Black American Women. Our Mérida, Yucatan Family have allowed us to share our traditions and hospitality in their community.

Website: https://katiescakesmerida.mystrikingly.com

Instagram: katiescakesmerida

Facebook: Tonya Cummings – Katie’s Cakes Merida

Youtube: @patsysdaughtersmovedabroad

Image Credits
Tonya Cummings & Ebony Duff