Ericka poses with her creative concoction: a butterscotch cupcake with salty caramel frosting.
Passionate. Driven. And just plain happy.
All these words describe Ericka Olin, account coordinator and junior copywriter, to a tee. She spends her days in our Duluth office, coordinating accounts and smithing words. But on nights and weekends, Ericka adores baking cupcakes. That’s how she unwinds, keeps her creative juices going and spoils her officemates.
“It’s always been a dream of mine,” explains Ericka, “to open my own cupcake bakeshop.” When Ericka and her husband tied the knot in Colorado last summer, they served gourmet cupcakes at their wedding. The three women who started Happy Cakes Bakeshop in Denver are Ericka’s inspiration. “Because cupcakes do just that—they make people happy!”
Word lover Ericka adoringly refers to her kitchen as “the ButterCup Factory.” There, she’s decided to bake a new kind of epicure cupcake every weekend. And the best part? She’s bringing a new sample to the WestmorelandFlint office every week.
“I’m excited to experiment and see where this adventure takes me,” explains Ericka, “though I’m kind of thinking the whole undertaking may only serve to satisfy my voracious sweet tooth and maybe make me some new friends in the office. But who knows—maybe it’ll take off and I can someday open my very own cupcake store!”
Get to know a Flintster: Q + A with Ericka
What’s your dream job?
Ericka's Dr. Pepper Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes
Though not necessarily my career goal, I have always wanted to open up my own cupcake shop where I sell homemade gourmet cupcakes and make people’s days just a bit brighter.
Which job would you not want to have?
I don’t think I would want to work at Target, because I don’t really like wearing red. Also, it would kind of ruin my guilty pleasure of roaming Target on Saturday afternoons.
What was your first job?
I was a nanny for two summers (going into my junior and senior years of high school). Though I don’t even know if you can really call it a “job”—I basically just relived my own childhood and played all day long! I remember one day I really wanted to have a lemonade stand, so I persuaded the kids it would be the most awesome thing they’d ever done. They were so kind to “humor me” with my callow cravings.
What did it teach you?
Nannying taught me that you’re never too old to don your overalls and eat mac ‘n cheese with your fingers—in other words, it’s okay to stay young at heart and even act on your infantile impulses.
What is one thing you’d be willing to practice for an hour a day?
I would absolutely be willing to practice tongue-tying a cherry for a day—it’s a lifelong goal.
What’s the best advice you ever got?
“Eat your broccoli.” –My mother
What sound do you love?
I really like the sound of crickets on a summer evening.
What scent do you love?
VANILLA! Actually I love vanilla anything—smell, taste… I’m sure if vanilla had a texture or sound I’d love that too! My favorite beverage is a 16 oz. nonfat extra hot chai with—of course—vanilla syrup. I absolutely love vanilla tootsie rolls, and my secret Santa at work this past year was amazing and gave me a whole 1 lb. bag (though they didn’t last for long!). Don’t tell anyone, but I always add double the vanilla that a recipe calls for—I honestly don’t think you can really ever have enough vanilla.