Meet Gina Souza | Baker & Entrepreneur

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

Hi Gina, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve always had a passion for baking ever since I was a little girl baking with my Mom. After creating desserts to go with my kids birthday themes and my sisters baby shower, family and friends would always tell me how amazing I did and how I should start a dessert business. I never really took it serious, but after many years my sister started a Facebook & Instagram page for me to start a portfolio of all the pictures of desserts I had and encouraged me to come up with a business name. I was still wasn’t sure how to start a business or that I even wanted to. With word of mouth from co-workers, family & friends I just continued to grow and build my portfolio of desserts and it turned into an official side business. I just continued to create new ideas from cake pops, new flavors, cookies, dessert shooters, etc and customize to my customers themes. Now with my customers requests I even do company branded cookies with the name and logos and have branched into specialized cakes. All of my creations have been personalized requests other than the holiday, team sports, teacher appreciation and misc pre-order ideas I create. I’ve been in these corporate jobs all these years and never feeling fulfilled and always thinking there’s more I’m supposed to be doing, and It’s nice to finally like what I am doing and and honor to help others bring their vision to life for their special events and their children’s milestones. I never would have imagined being where I am today, and I just want to continue to learn more and grow even further.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Although I am a business, I don’t necessarily see myself technically as one. Although I never really saw myself as an artist either. The first time I saw myself as an artist, I had to “paint” to create a set of fruit inspired cake pops. I was creating a cake pop that looked like a watermelon, and had to use edible paint to do that, and I paused to think about it and that’s when I thought wow this is art. I just have always loved to bake and create and I guess I don’t stop and think too often what I am actually doing and creating. It takes so much patience, but I think what inspires me and keeps me going are the challenges of creating something new. I started really making cake pops and cupcakes and I just had the motivation to do more. I see ideas and think to myself, I can do that or it would be so awesome if I could do that, and I set out to accomplish that.

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.
We would definitely have to go to beach, and visit La Playa, La Jolla and Coronado. We would have to go to Brigantines Happy Hour, I love their menu, and Old Venice and sit out back on the patio. Definitely a walk through little Italy and stop and eat at one of the great restaurants down there. I would also have to make a stop at Point Loma Seafoods for a crab or calamari sandwich.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My sister Jamie Levels, who really created my social media pages and just really kicked off the start of I’ll Bring the Sweets. If she never did that, I honestly don’t know if I would have had the courage and confidence to do it myself.

Instagram: @illbringthesweets

Facebook: @illbringthesweets

Other: Illbringthesweets@gmail.com

Image Credits
JL Photography