What inspired you to begin your tiny food quest?
I actually never intended to start making tiny food! I was already seeing some success as a food content creator when the wonderful folks at Real Mini World reached out and offered to send me a tiny oven to try. I was surprised to learn quite quickly that tiny food content was something people REALLY wanted to see, and it took off from there!
What is your favorite petit food item to create?
I love making tiny cakes! They're probably the most challenging but also the most satisfying.
What do you do with the food and drinks you create after they’re finished?
I usually hand them over to my husband, who is my official taste tester!
Your instagram is full of videos of you baking and creating small bites. It is so satisfying to watch them come to life from start to finish. What feelings are evoked for you when you’re in your tiny kitchen?
You know, it's actually kind of funny that I've ended up making tiny content because my father was an incredibly talented scale model builder. We're talking a “win all of the awards for his model car and truck builds, get in all the scale model magazines” kind of guy. He was really into creating vividly detailed small things & he was truly exceptional at it. Now, when I'm creating tiny food, I feel comfort & a sense of connection to him. As silly as it may sound, it feels like a small way to keep his memory alive, and that really makes me happy.
What is your vision for your brand over the next few years?
I'd like to continue to grow my brand by writing my first book & perhaps releasing a product line or another product collaboration like the two I have done so far with my friends at Replica Surfaces. I'd also like to dip my toes into creating longer form content on YouTube!
Have you always loved cooking?
I took up an interest in baking as a kid when I had my first Easy Bake Oven. When I was 18, I was given the option of going to culinary school or pursuing music. I chose the latter & eventually saw success in that area. As an indie artist, it was pretty cool to hear my music on shows like The Jersey Shore & The Hills. In my late 20's, however, after a very public copyright battle with a pop star, I lost my drive to continue in the music industry. I felt a bit lost after making that decision & wanted my next venture to be something I was equally as passionate about. Pretty quickly, I was hired on as the pastry chef at a local fine dining establishment. Though that position didn't last, I was hooked on creating food for a living. In the years that followed, I went to Ecole Chocolat twice to become both a professional chocolatier & a master of chocolate flavor. There weren't many job roles for me locally, so I got an office job and started building Sugar Pusher.
What do you love about food?
You know how scent is tied so strongly to memory? Well for me, a lot of my memories are tied to food. Most of the trips I've ever been on have been planned around where & what we'll eat. A caramelized almond "escargot" pastry at Du Pain et des Idées in Paris; the best hot chocolate I've ever had at L.A. Burdick in Cambridge, Mass; a blueberry cake donut from The Cookie Jar in Portland, Maine; the best chocolate bonbons from The Chocolate Lab in Calgary, Alberta...each food is so strongly tied to a pleasant memory. Food helps us truly experience new places and cultures; it also serves as a way to connect people, to bring us together. I can think of few things I enjoy more than making a beautiful cake for a friend's special occasion or a big meal for a dinner party with my closest friends. Food is, quite possibly, my love language.
What do you love about creating?
I love the freedom it gives me to be who I am and do what I love to do.
So often, people look down on creatives until they're "successful", and I think that stops a lot of incredibly talented people from really pursuing the things that will help them reach their maximum potential.
Four years ago, I started making content to keep sane during lockdowns. Now, I'm working with companies like King Arthur Baking, Michaels Craft Stores, Amazon's Alexa, Reddi-Wip, and so many more. I've grown my beautiful community to over 1 million "Little Sprinkles" across platforms and am earning 6 figures for the first time ever; from home, doing what I love. Content creation offers me the kind of freedom I couldn’t get working for someone else.