Meet Shani Sibrian-boyes

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shani Sibrian-boyes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Shani, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is tough and it is something I have struggled with for sooo long. I have luckily received such amazing feedback from my followers and friends which inspire me to continue working on my art, even when I am not feeling confident on the finished work. What I have recently discovered is that I can overcome imposter syndrome and self-doubt by continuing to practice techniques I am not comfortable with, re-doing the same design so I can redeem myself, and creating work that I can confidently make without hesitation. By following these steps, I am able to create art that I am happy with and have confidence in.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Creepy Sweets is a home-based baking business that specializes in custom cakes and cupcakes for all occasions. I began Creepy Sweets with a heavy influence on the things I enjoy such as Halloween, cute and spooky designs, and rock music (with subgenres including metal and punk). By creating custom treats that focused on these themes, I had knowledge of what my customer was referencing so that it could be easier for me to create a design, color scheme, and idea for their custom treats. This also gave me a chance to have tons of fun! I have recently began accepting non-spooky ideas for custom treats in hopes to expand my techniques and design ideas. Some non-spooky themes I’ve worked on recently include Spongebob Squarepants, Lizzie McGuire, and Sailor Moon.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Narrowing down to 3 skills is tough! But my top 3 skills I feel have been important in my journey are patience, tenacity, and customer service.
Patience – because this work is tough! Just because you are starting your crafting/hobby into a full-time job/business doesn’t mean it’s any easier than getting a corporate job. There are tons of struggles a small business goes through, and our struggles are not all the same. Patience helps you be mindful that your business will not start with 10,000 followers right away. Patience also helps you perfect your craft, knowing that as soon as you start rushing an art piece, it won’t turn out correctly who you’d like for it to be. Patience helps you during customer service when a new customer is contacting you for an order but they’re not sure what they want to request quite yet.
Tenacity – because you need to show up for yourself! If you want your business to succeed, you need to put in the work to make it happen. You’ll have good days and you’ll have bad days, but the best way your business will continue is if you get your mindset right to continue working hard, despite those bad days. We learn from those bad days and move forward.
Customer Service – because we need customers for our businesses to survive! Over time, I have practiced kindness with my customer service but also firmness in my rules and setting boundaries from my personal time. Kindness goes a long way with customers because they feel valued when they are purchasing from you. Setting firm rules for your business helps you communicate with your customer on how your order process works, which may be different from another business. It also helps you get paid in a timely manner and know how to handle potential refund issues, shipping delays, etc.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

My parents have always supported me throughout life. They’ve supported me through my random choices of jobs – my dad once purchased over $1k worth of knives from me because I was a Sales Associate for CUTCO. They’ve both also supported me through my choice of pursuing art as a career. They continue to support me, my husband, and our businesses by listening to our struggles, see pictures/videos of our work, and help/give advise when they can. My mom has even helped me decorate cookies for Creepy Sweets before! They’re truly amazing humans and I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for their support and love.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Portraits of Resilience

Sometimes just seeing resilience can change out mindset and unlock our own resilience. That’s our

Productivity
Perspectives on Staying Creative

We’re beyond fortunate to have built a community of some of the most creative artists,

Confidence
Kicking Imposter Syndrome to the Curb

This is the year to kick the pesky imposter syndrome to the curb and move