Pressing On in a Pandemic: Starting a Business

Pressing On in a Pandemic: Starting a Business
Words by Erwin Davis II

‘Powerful’ can be a loaded word in today’s climate. It can infer a sense of overbearing control or unshakable capability. Whatever your definition, one thing is for certain: when we see it, we know it.

Imagine a life where—before you were old enough to rent a car and just barely old enough to order a drink—you had started college, bought a house, gotten engaged, adopted a dog, and somewhat understood how taxes work. Now, in that same life and within one and a half years of all of this; your fiancé cheats on you with a mutual “friend” and calls off the wedding one month before the date, you endure a messy selling of the house you purchased together, your dog is re-homed, you leave school, and a world-health crisis is introduced. Sound like a lot? What’s your next move? Hell, what’s your next thought?

This is where Emily Smith found herself coming into 2020 after a tornado of a 2019. The 23-year-old from Ringgold, Georgia is a prime case of ‘powerful’ and persistence personified. After a year like that, it would be so easy for anyone to re-examine their life decisions and call it a day. However, Smith has taken the journey through the typhoon to come out on the other side with a vision. A vision that looks as sweet as it tastes.

What started as a hobby has quickly ignited into an entrepreneurial venture for Smith. Sweet Em’s, as she has named her creation, is the offspring of her ambition for seeing the treat in everything and her natural ability to create magic from scratch in every situation she finds herself in. The pastry and dessert endeavor specializes in high-caliber morsels, and has grown quite rapidly in the few months of its inception. From a quick craft project to bookings for 2021 in just over 3 months of operation, Sweet Em’s is becoming an increasingly interesting brand to watch in the Chattanooga Valley.

“It’s given me a creative outlet that also makes people smile.” says Smith. “Life can be so gloomy, but being able to give someone a moment of joy is something that gives me so much hope for the future. Nothing is sweeter than that.”