Candace Nelson pretty much started the cupcake trend with her company, Sprinkles Cupcakes, which she founded way back in 2005. Since then, she's segued her passion into a massive career as a businesswoman, television star, and author. Not only that, but she's also raising two boys, and now, she wants to share what she's learned in the nearly two decades since she lost her jobs in banking and tech in her brand-new book, Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe to Turn your Passion into Profit.
CafeMom had the chance to chat with Candace about everything from her success, the challenges of being a working mom, and of course … pie! "Before I knew it, the side hustle in my tiny apartment led to my opening the first ever cupcakes only bakery during the height of the low-carb craze. Despite the early naysayers, my tiny bakery in Beverly Hills disrupted the legacy bakery industry and ignited a media craze and worldwide cupcake phenomenon," Candace explains, and honestly, we're in awe. Keep reading to find out her biggest takeaways as an innovator, an entrepreneur, and an all-around impressive mama.
'Innovation Is the Heartbeat of Entrepreneurship'
Candace's journey to turning her passion into fame and fortune actually started way back in 2001 after she lost her job during the dot.com bust. Rather than taking the expected route and going to business school to rack up more knowledge and experience she had built a career in, she completely pivoted and decided to go to pastry school. From there, she started selling cakes out of her home kitchen.
By 2005, she had opened the world's first-ever cupcake-only bakery, and less than a decade after embarking on an entirely new career, she once again, found herself innovating when she launched a Cupcake ATM, a cutting-edge contactless cupcake delivery system.
"Today, Sprinkles has sold over 200 million cupcakes and has over 20 stores, 30 Cupcake ATMs, and 1,000 employees," she tells us. "Sprinkles ignited my entrepreneurial spirit."
What If ...
"It’s about doing something different, creating value and staying ahead of the competition. But innovation really starts with a simple mindset. It’s what I call 'What if' thinking," Candace says.
"Sprinkles came about because I thought 'What if' the cupcake was different, 'What if' it was aspirational and giftable and it could stand on its own."
At its core, Candace believes success as an entrepreneur involves capturing people's attention. Your product needs to have something that sets it apart from the competition.
"One of the most important things I've personally learned is that you don’t have to be exceptional to create something extraordinary. I truly believe anyone can be an entrepreneur as long as you have the passion and a plan," Candace tells us. "Sweet Success helps with both," she says of her new book.
'Anyone Can Be an Entrepreneur'
"We see a lot in the media about these larger-than-life entrepreneurs raising hundreds of millions of dollars and building rocket ships into space. That type of entrepreneurship feels intimidating and daunting, but I built a big business out of a simple cupcake. I believe anyone can be an entrepreneur," Candace says.
"By revealing the mistakes and lessons I learned while building Sprinkles, I hope to break down the barriers to entrepreneurship to open the door for the next generation of female founders, disrupters, and changemakers."
Passion Doesn't Mean It Won't Be Hard Work
Especially as a mom, it's worth it, but not always easy. "I can’t stand feeling disconnected from the people I love most. But I remind myself that the flexibility I have as an entrepreneur allows me the opportunity to pour back into them again soon. And I remember how meaningful it is that I’m modeling a good work ethic," Candace, who has two sons, ages 11 and 15, tells us.
"I think it’s a constant balancing act, and the last thing we need to do is add more pressure to ourselves to feel perfectly balanced. There is beauty in the chaos!" she exclaims.
You're gonna need a support system and a healthy dose of grace for yourself, she points out.
"My husband is my partner in life – and business – which is wonderful because we help each other out at work and at home. I also have an amazing nanny who has been a member of our family since the boys were toddlers," she tells us. And sometimes, you just have to accept that you can't do it all.
"Over the past few months with the book launch, unfortunately exercise has gone by the wayside. But I’m giving myself grace to get through this intense time and will get back to it on the other side."
Resiliency and Perseverance
"There will be countless challenges but don’t let yourself wallow for too long. It’s how you recover from the setbacks that will set you apart as an entrepreneur," Candace says. "Dream big, but start small. Test your idea for traction on a small scale before going all in."
And Now, for Pie ...
Candace offered up some solid advice and encouragement for budding mompreneurs, but we just couldn't let her go without nabbing a favorite recipe from her, especially since Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Here's her take on classic pumpkin pie.
FOR THE GRAHAM CRUST:
3 cups Chocolate Teddy Grahams cookies
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE PUMPKIN FILLING:
1 (15-oz.) can pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or bourbon
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
__MAKE THE GRAHAM CRUST: __
In a food processor, pulse to break up the cookies, then process until fine, 30 seconds. Drizzle in the butter and pulse until coated and the crust holds together when pinched between your fingers. Press into a 9-inch pie pan and chill.
MAKE THE PUMPKIN FILLING:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, cream, condensed milk, eggs, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until just set (the center will still be slightly jiggly), 35 to 40 minutes more. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool completely. Serve with whipped cream.
