Sophomore Iris Olivares and her business, “Metztli Sweets,” where she sells baked goods and candy, has blown up in popularity since the beginning of the school year. Her diverse spread of different types of sweets began to gain traction quickly, and this attention only increased when she started a business page on Instagram. Now, Olivares is able to sell out an assortment of her sweets within the day, and almost everyone in Klein Collins has heard of her business or tried her treats.

“My mom was the person who most encouraged me to begin my business,” Olivares said. “As a business owner herself, she was able to give me super helpful advice on where to start.”

Inspired by her mother, Olivares began her business in 7th grade, with little to no avail.

“I would go out to the ballpark and try to sell my sweets, but I was too shy,” Olivares said. “I struggled at first, mainly because I was just too shy to try new things. After that, I kind of stopped trying to advertise my business as much.”

But, as the years went on, Olivares began to gain more confidence throughout high school. Olivares began to sell her sweets to her friends, where word began to spread of her treats.

“Once people began to notice my business, it took off from there,” Olivares said. “It got to the point where I would be baking from the time I got home until late at night.”

For Olivares, baking her sweets was her escape, and she found immense satisfaction and joy from the process, as well as the resulting happiness she received from her customers whenever they tried her treats.

“My favorite part of baking and selling my sweets is to see the joy it brings to people,” Olivares said. “I love to bring a smile to someone’s face, and this is my way of doing it. I always try my best, and seeing my work pay off is what brings me happiness.”