Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Valdes.
Hi Christina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Sweet Spot TN was born from a lifelong love of food, family, and creating memories around the table. Growing up in South Florida, I was surrounded by the restaurant and catering industry through my family’s business, and some of my favorite memories are cooking and baking alongside my mom and grandmother. Those experiences taught me that food has a special way of bringing people together.
After moving to Pleasant View, Tennessee in 2019, I spent several years working in higher education while baking remained a passion on the side. What started as sharing homemade sourdough bread with family, friends, and neighbors quickly grew into something much bigger. People began requesting loaves, then other baked goods, and before long Sweet Spot TN was born.
Today, Sweet Spot TN is a sourdough-focused micro bakery specializing in artisan breads, cookies, cinnamon rolls, donuts, and custom chocolate treats. What makes our products unique is our commitment to long-fermented sourdough, simple ingredients, and making everything by hand in small batches. My goal has always been to create products that not only taste incredible but also bring a little joy to someone’s day.
Over the past year, the business has grown beyond anything I imagined. We’ve expanded into farmers markets, community events, and local retail partnerships throughout Middle Tennessee. Seeing customers return week after week and watching the community rally behind a small local bakery has been incredibly humbling. Recently, being named the 2026 Cheatham County Main Street Award Winner for Best Dessert, Bakery & Donuts was one of the proudest moments of my journey as a business owner. It served as a reminder that taking a chance on my passion and building this business from the ground up has been worth every challenge along the way.
Today, I run Sweet Spot TN full-time while continuing to grow the business one loaf, one cookie, and one customer at a time. Looking ahead, my vision is to continue expanding our reach, build a storefront presence, and eventually operate a bakery trailer that allows us to bring Sweet Spot TN to even more communities. At the heart of it all, though, the mission remains the same: creating quality baked goods that bring people together and make them feel at home.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but every challenge has taught me something valuable.
One of the biggest struggles was deciding whether to leave the security of my full-time career and pursue baking full-time. Sweet Spot TN started as a passion project, and for a long time I tried to balance both worlds. Taking the leap and going all in on my business was scary because there are no guarantees when you’re building something from the ground up. Ultimately, I realized that if I wanted to see what Sweet Spot TN could truly become, I had to fully commit to it.
Another challenge has been balancing entrepreneurship with being a wife and mom to two young children. Running an at home bakery often means early mornings, late nights, and long weekends. Since we don’t have our immediate family nearby, there isn’t always a built-in support system to help carry the load. Learning how to balance family life while growing a business is something I’m still working on every day.
I’ve also had to learn that saying “yes” to everything isn’t always a good thing. I genuinely love creating things that bring people joy, and there’s nothing better than seeing someone’s face light up when they pick up an order. Because of that, I’ve always struggled with turning down opportunities or telling customers no. There have definitely been times when I’ve taken on more orders than I realistically should have because I wanted to make everyone happy. Over time, I’ve learned that setting boundaries and protecting my time is necessary if I want to continue serving my customers well and avoid burnout.
The challenges have been real, but they’ve also helped shape both me and the business into what we are today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in handcrafted sourdough baked goods and custom chocolate treats made with high-quality, simple ingredients. While many people think of sourdough as just bread, I love showing customers how versatile it can be through cinnamon rolls, donuts, bagels, muffins, and especially what have become an absolute best seller: chocolate chip cookies! All made using 100% sourdough fermentation and without commercial yeast.
I also create custom chocolate-covered treats and desserts for birthdays, baby showers, weddings, corporate events, holidays, and other special occasions. One of my favorite parts of the business is collaborating with customers. Often, they’ll come to me with an idea, theme, or inspiration photo, and I get to bring their vision to life through edible art.
What sets me apart is my commitment to both quality and experience. I always use clean ingredients and avoid artificial dyes and unnecessary additives. I believe what goes into food matters just as much as how it tastes. I also put a lot of thought into presentation. Whether it’s a loaf of sourdough, a box of cookies, or a custom dessert order, I want customers to feel like they’re receiving something special from the moment they see the packaging.
Another thing that’s important to me is making treats accessible to as many people as possible. I work with customers who have dietary restrictions and
offer gluten-friendly and sugar-free treats upon request. Food is often at the center of celebrations and special moments, and I love being able to create something that allows everyone to participate.
What I’m most proud of is the community that has formed around Sweet Spot TN. Seeing customers return week after week, trust me with their special occasions, and support this dream has been incredibly rewarding. Knowing that something I made became part of a family’s celebration, holiday, or everyday routine is what makes all the hard work worth it.
At the end of the day, Sweet Spot TN is about more than baked goods. It’s about creating meaningful experiences, bringing people together, and making sure every customer feels seen, valued, and cared for.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something surprising/unknown about me is that I speak three languages and my family is Middle Eastern/ Venezuelan. And so, even though my business is based on sourdough baked goods, I also enjoy cooking Middle Eastern food and desserts for my family!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://app.simply-bread.co/sweetspottn/signup
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetspottn?igsh=MmJ0ZndteTlmMjg1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1NTJHi6USP/?mibextid=wwXIfr
