Yes, You Can Break Free of Your Brand

People change. Interests evolve. The Cupcake Queen learned that firsthand.

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CANDACE NELSON, founder of the world's first cupcake bakery, Sprinkles Cupcakes!" That was my introduction on more than 100 episodes of Food Network's Cupcake Wars.

It's how the world came to know me-Mrs. Sprinkles. The Cupcake Queen. By co-founding Sprinkles, starring in both Cupcake Wars and Netflix's Sugar Rush, and authoring a New York Times best-selling baking book, I had intentionally and inextricably linked my personal brand-the image I cultivated, the ethos I stood for with the world of baked delights. I relished my status as a baking celebrity. But over time, the sweetness started to fade.

In 2012, after nearly a decade of building Sprinkles, my husband and I sold a majority stake of the company to a private equity firm. We were excited to pursue new opportunities, but while my husband quickly embraced the freedom of his new chapter, I faced a unique challenge with mine. The loyal audience I had cultivated was tightly linked to my identity as a baker and integral to my personal brand, and managing its expectations started to weigh heavily on me. I yearned to share my growing identity as an entrepreneur, to mentor other businesswomen, to be recognized as more than just Mrs. Sprinkles. But that was not what my followers had signed up for.