How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
I have 2 sweet (and wild!) boys! Lucas is 5 and Brady is 3.
How long have you lived in Columbus?
I’ve lived in Columbus for 13 years! I am originally from Cincinnati and moved here for a teaching job right out of college. A year later, I met my now husband, and we’ve loved living here in Columbus, it’s so fun!
What are your favorite things to do as a family in your spare time?
We love to be outside, so going to the zoo, a park, or exploring our neighborhood is always our go-to! We also love snuggling on the couch for movie nights or going out to eat at our favorite restaurants, like Northstar, Pattycake Bakery for Saturday morning cinnamon rolls, or La Tavola in Grandview for Italian! It’s no surprise we own a food-related business, we’re total foodies!
Tell us about your business, The Crafted Cloud, and where the idea came from.
As health-conscious parents, we quickly realized how hard it was to find sweet treats for our littles that weren’t filled with artificial dyes or ingredients. Our oldest in particular loves cotton candy and we could never find any for him… so we decided to make it ourselves! From there, we knew we had to share our yummy and clean cotton candy with our community!
We are a conscious cotton candy company, offering flavored cotton candy, made only with organic and natural ingredients! As a locally-owned, family-run business, we believe in the power of creating a truly special treat that is not only delicious and unexpected but also made with the utmost care. That means you’ll never find any fake dyes, flavors, or ingredients in our cotton candy, We love adding a little extra sweetness to any event with our cart services and pre-packaged “to-go” clouds!
Where do you sell your cotton candy?
We travel all throughout the Columbus area and beyond to provide freshly spun cotton candy right from our cart! We specialize in hourly cart service and private bookings (like birthday parties, corporate events, and weddings) and love to attend festivals, markets, and other public events any time we can! You’ll often see us spinning at Nocterra Brewing in Powell, Delaware’s First Friday, or Westerville’s Fourth Friday!
We also have pre-packaged custom “to-go” cotton candy options! We love to work with our clients to create something that complements any event. For now, reach out to us via email ([email protected]) or message us on Instagram or Facebook to learn more about our party favors and “to-go’ options! We are currently building our website, where you’ll be able to order our freshly spun cotton candy any time and have it shipped directly to your door!
What is your favorite part of owning your own business?
Oh, so many things!! I love getting to work with my husband on a daily basis since we own this business together and really enjoy the creative outlet it provides! I’m an elementary teacher turned entrepreneur (I actually also own a small operations consulting firm that supports female business owners in operating and scaling their online businesses!) so The Crafted Cloud really is the perfect blend of the creative and business side that I love! I also love getting to meet our customers and see the smiles we get to serve at each and every event! It’s magic!
What is your favorite flavor of cotton candy? What is the most popular flavor that you sell?
My personal favorite is root beer! I also really like spicy mango if I’m in the mood for a kick! Our most popular flavor is probably a tie between marshmallow and fruit punch. We are constantly adding new flavors to our menu so it’s fun to see what people love the most!
Describe what a typical day looks like for you.
This definitely depends on the day, 9-5 is not the norm when you own your own businesses! On a typical day, I’m usually up around 6:30-7am, get my littles fed and ready, take one or both of them to school, spend the morning hours either hanging with my littlest if he’s not at school or getting my workout in if he is. Every day, I do a little bit of admin, social media, event prep, cleaning the house, playing with my 3-year-old, and then getting my 5-year-old off the bus, having family time, doing the bedtime routine, and then I spend a few more hours after they go to sleep working on my businesses or hanging with my husband!
How do you juggle work and being a mom?
One day at a time… sometimes one hour at a time. If I can, I will absolutely wait until my littles are asleep or at school to get business work done. I feel so grateful that I get to spend my days with them, so I try to soak up that time as much as possible. Sometimes, there are things I have to do when they are around, so if they can, they help me, and if not, I just do my best! I also live by my planner, Google Calendar, and the support of my husband to get it all done! It’s not always pretty, but we always figure it out!
What is the best piece of advice you have received from another mom?
Whatever works for your family is the best and that can look different for every family. It’s really easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing or how they are making it work (especially with social media!) and it’s definitely great to get support or tips that make being a mom a little easier but ultimately, it’s about what works for your family and makes your kiddos feel the most loved and supported. We’re all just trying to do our best and that’s the most important!
