From teacher to baker: How a Lake Nona entrepreneur turned The Naked Cupcake into success
Lake Nona entrepreneur turns The Naked Cupcake into success
Sandra Shorter went from teacher to business owner after taking a chance on a food truck 10 years ago.
LAKE NONA, Fla. - Sandra Shorter once pictured herself becoming an attorney or an engineer. Early on, she realized she wanted to work with children, leading her to a career in teaching.
Eventually, that path took an unexpected turn and turned into a cupcake business called The Naked Cupcake.
From food truck to Lake Nona
The backstory:
Ten years ago, Shorter took a chance on an idea and started The Naked Cupcake as a food truck. She still remembers the first time she drove it on I-4.
"The very first time I drove the truck on I-4, I cried," Shorter said. "It was just like, oh my gosh, this is real. This is mine."
The food truck eventually became a Lake Nona bakery, but Shorter says the business has always been about more than cupcakes. She wanted customers to feel at home when they walked through the door.
"I love to think of the moments that people will have that can help people feel a little bit special," she said. "I want you to feel like you’re walking into a neighbor’s home."
Her Colombian roots
Shorter's parents both came to the United States from Colombia. She says their sacrifices taught her to dream big and believe in what is possible. That lesson followed her into the classroom, where she worked in low-income, high-Hispanic communities and wanted her students to see a model of what they could become.
"I wanted the girls to see a model of what’s possible," she said.
Now, she carries that same message into her work as a business owner.
Ten years later
A decade after taking that first chance, Shorter still has "pinch me" moments, and, if she could go back and talk to herself at the beginning of the journey, she knows exactly what she would say.
"I’d tell her to keep going," Shorter said. "It’s just a matter of persevering and realizing that you have more than what it takes. You really do."
Shorter never planned on becoming a baker, but ten years later, she's still doing what she's always wanted to do: making people feel a little more special.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Sandra Shorter, entrepreneur and owner of The Naked Cupcake.