Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellen Sant’ Ana Aguiar
Hi Ellen, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi, I’m Ellen, a 38-year-old from Brazil, now happily living with my family in Knoxville. In Brazil, I studied business administration in college, worked in a bank, played the violin in the orchestra in the city where I was born (Limeira), and sang in church. In other words, cooking is not in my background – although my mother is an extremely good cook.
My journey to starting Sweet Knox began in 2020, shortly after I had my little boy. A couple months after Ryan was born, something happened that no one expected: the coronavirus pandemic hit. With Ryan only being a few months old during this pandemic, I found myself unable to leave the house and unable to work. I wanted to find a way to help support my family from home. I had made my first decorated cake for my cousin’s birthday party a few months ago with the help and support of a dear friend. I had not taken any course, but used my friend, Itamara’s, recipe. Her tips and support were all I had. I made the first cake to take to my aunt’s house, and it turned out pretty well. It seemed like it came pretty effortlessly, I can’t explain it, it was like a divine gift. A friend’s son’s birthday was coming up, so I asked to make the cake for his first birthday (what a responsibility!!). She was a little hesitant, but she allowed it, so I made two cakes and a smash cake. The cakes were a success, and I was finding that I enjoyed baking and creating cakes for people. That’s when the doors started to open. An order came in for a girl who had worked with my husband. Although I was still pretty nervous about baking these cakes, I stood firm and made the cake. To help me feel more confident, I decided to invest in a cake course. I studied and started making the cakes that I learned in the course. With a lot of studying and dedication, I was able to improve more and more each day! My work began paying off. I posted the cakes on the websites of the neighborhoods here in Knoxville and the reporter and editor of Shoppers contacted me because he loved my work. I had the opportunity to be featured on the cover of Shoppers, which helped promote my small business. Then, Mr. Alan Williams, who was the anchor of the WVLT news, saw the repost and was interested in my story, so I had the opportunity to see my work on the newspaper’s newsstand as well. This journey did not come without challenges. I am Brazilian, so the language was a possible obstacle for me to be able to sell the cakes, but I did not let that stop me in any way. While my son watched Cocomelon in English in the living room, I sang the songs and made my cakes in the kitchen. The children’s songs helped me with my English, which is still not perfect but much better than when I started! After 4 years of studying, practicing and more practicing, I still have plenty to learn, but I am committed to giving my best to each cake that I bake! When the cake is themed, I often watch movies about the theme and look for references. I really dive in! I put my best effort in every detail because I know that the details are important! Perseverance, hard work, gratitude, giving my best, and attention to detail are the keys that have unlocked opportunities for me! I am from a person who never made cakes, to a professional cake designer!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It wasn’t a smooth road. I didn’t know how to make cakes, or fillings, much less American cakes with American fillings. I had never done any decorating in my entire life and had not taken any decoration courses. However, I knew that if I dedicated myself, practiced, and made an effort, I could do it. I lost a few batches of cakes and fillings because they didn’t work out, but with each mistake I learned how to do it better. The language barrier was also scary for me at first. I was worried about negotiating the price of cakes and making sure I got all the details right, but everything went smoothly and became easier. Early in my business, I received a call from someone asking for a quote and I didn’t answer. I sent a message later on apologizing and asking if the person could give me details via message (hahahaha). Today that doesn’t happen anymore!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Before I consider myself a baker, I consider myself a cake artist. I am very happy with the results of many of the projects I do. I am recognized for the dedication to detail that I give to each cake that I develop. In each sketch I create, I focus on understanding the client’s desires and expectations, and then work to meet or exceed them. I truly love what I do.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can show your support for Sweet Knox in several different ways. Follow my page on Instagram and Facebook, do a review, tag my page in the photos of the cake. Your support is important and appreciated!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetknoxandmore
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetknoxandmore
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@sweetknoxstudio
- Other: https://linktr.ee/sweetknox
