Meet Autumn Williams | The Young Entrepreneur

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

Hi Autumn, what do you want people to remember about you?
I want my legacy to be one of integrity and kindness. So many businesses nowadays have a bad reputation of being untrustworthy, greedy, and uncaring toward their customers. I always want my clients to come to me knowing that they will receive full transparency and that the product being delivered was completed to the absolute best of my abilities. I want people to remember that I was a genuine person who loved putting a smile on others’ faces through sharing my baking gift. I also want people to remember that I operated my business on integrity and trust.

What should our readers know about your business?
So my business actually started at the young age of 16. I had just discovered that I loved two things: baking and making others happy. I racked my brain as to how I could combine the two and from that came The Sugar Layer. I started bringing desserts to my high school every day and sold to my schoolmates. I eventually had to slow down because I would stay up every night past midnight trying to make desserts, only to be tired at school the next day. Once I realized that people really enjoyed the products I made, I decided to be a little more serious about baking after I graduated from high school.
One of the people that helped my business take off after high school was my amazing grandfather. He shared my baking business with the coworkers at his job which led to me starting to get consist orders for the next few years.
After about two years, I started attending Texas State University which is really when things started popping. Since the college community was so close, once a few people knew about my business, EVERYONE knew about my business. I had such an amazing support system from other local business owners, as well as the students who would regularly buy from me.
My staple item became my Number/Letter cakes. Most people ordered from me when they had a birthday party or graduation event coming up. My cakes set me apart because no one in my area was really doing stacked cakes. I had discovered the perfect little niche.
But with a lot of success came a lot of burnout and long sleepless nights. Since it was just me, I would often not get any sleep because I had 2-3 cakes due every week, along with still needing to study for my college courses. It was very hard trying to balance baking full time and being a full time student. I eventually had to take a break from my business to focus on my mental health and prioritize school. In the interim, I started an event organization for Texas State students and devoted most of my time to creating memorable experiences for college students in the surrounding areas.
Fast forward to now, with me being a new graduate from Texas State University, I decided to reopen my baking business. I am once again specializing in my famous number/letter cakes and am getting to enjoy making people smile through my desserts. Something I want the world to know is that it’s okay to take a break sometimes, especially when it’s beneficial to your mental health. But there will always be space for you to come back and share your gifts with the world whenever you’re ready. And your support system is crucial when it comes to success and perseverance.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
San Marcos is such a vibe whenever you go! If I had to choose a few things to do, I would definitely say the river and The Square. There’s nothing better than to grab a few friends, grab some drinks, and go float on the river on a nice spring or summer day. The river is definitely one of the attractive factors of San Mo.
The Square is more so for nightlife adventures. It’s a collection of bars and venues for you to go to and enjoy food, drinks, and great music.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my God-fearing, loving fiancé. He has been one of my anchors in this crazy, chaotic world. His unwavering support of me is unmatched and he deserves the world. He never fails to let me know that I’m loved and that I am worthy; not only in his eyes but in God’s eyes as well. He pushes me to be a better version of myself every single day and I could never thank him enough for all the things he does for me.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesugarlayer?igsh=MXExZXZkN3VoZ3Excw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thesugarlayer?si=6g0u5aLsYw6JqWEW