We kicked off the start of our OFF SEASON FROYO PRICING of $.29 per oz by hosting a fundraiser on November 1 to benefit the American Red Cross.  Our Froyo Fundraiser raised nearly $700 for hurricane victims.

Sweet By Holly Froyo pricing beats any competitor. On November 1, we donated 100% of  all Froyo proceeds to the American Red Cross. Not only did this mean savings, families enjoyed knowing that every penny of their frozen yogurt purchase on November 1 helped hurricane victims. Thanks to all who came out for this event!

The ever growing trend for being active is soaring to new heights, nothing is more important than keeping your body and mind healthy! The Florida Hospital Foundation created an interactive fundraising benefit to show how what we put in our mouths really promotes a positive happy life!

I was chosen to host this nutritious event alongside fellow food network host Robert Irvine. Guests worked with local chefs to create their meals and showcase how cooking can be healthy and oh so delicious at the same time. Party goers donned aprons and worked with their designated local restaurant chef to create scrumptious dinners . To conclude the evening, I had the chance to show everybody how to decorate cupcakes, and send everybody home with a mini sugar-free cupcake.

I have always been an advocate in promoting healthy living. While our cupcakes are sweet and always tempting, all our little treats are always prepared with the freshest and highest quality ingredients. In addition, our mini cupcakes are “the thoughtfully creative cupcake” that takes into consideration, portion control.

To learn more about Florida Hospitals Healthy 100 program, www.floridahospital.com/healthy-100.

What a fun (and delicious!) night…    xoxo Miss Holly

The day is finally here!

Putting the gown on… placing the cap upon your head and adjusting the tassel….this moment right here, is the most important day of your academic life!

From learning your ABCs and 123s to statistics and quantum physics, this day is the accumulation and representation of all your years of learning and hard work. Whether it’s a graduation from kindergarten, high school, Grad School, or continuing your education, today is a day that is all yours, to show the world that your hard work throughout the scholastic year has paid off and you’ve made it!

Oh! The joy and excitement your friends and family must feel and now that graduation day is here, it’s time to celebrate! Miss Holly has created a commencement worthy collection of cupcakes. The ones displayed in the photos are our Plain Janes : white cake topped with delicious buttercream customizable with any school coloring of your choice all topped with a candied cap and diploma! These treats are available in dozen packs for $24 and are the perfect surprise for any graduate. Make these delightful desserts the co-star for your loved ones special day! If you are interested in other cupcake flavors, please ask a Sweetie.

Remember, your schooling might be over for now, but the knowledge you will attain from the life ahead of you will forever continue, the path is bright and endless! Miss Holly would like to send out proud CONGRATULATIONS to all the 2012 graduates! We wish you the best of luck in your future and a blast for the summer!

All our dreams can come true…if we have the courage to pursue them.
- Walt Disney

xoxo Miss Holly

Girls on the Run© is a non-profit, community-based prevention program that encourages preteen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running. Their curricula address all aspects of girls’ development – their physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being.

GOTR of Northeast Florida creates life-changing experiences for all girls ages 8-11 by combining training for a 5K run with important life lessons that encourage healthy habits, self-esteem, positive thinking and an active lifestyle.  The result is an awesome way of life for a new generation of girls!

Programs are held each Spring and Fall for 12 weeks at various schools, parks and YMCA’s throughout Northeast Florida, including Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, Baker and Clay counties. Girls on the Run combines running with life lessons. The program is non-competitive – we focus on getting each girl to do her individual best!

Each lesson includes team building activities, running games and work-outs, and uplifting group discussions, while focusing on a healthy living topic, such as:

*Being positive

*Handling peer pressure/gossip

*Respecting myself

Today, Miss Holly had fun at their 5K run, handing out cupcakes to the 900 runners at the finish line…

Do you know a little girl, aged 8 – 11 who would benefit from this program? Please visit www.gotrneflorida.org for more information.

Announcing Cupcakes After The Run!

Put away your sweaters, mittens, and coats and hop into tanks and flip flops! Now that our cold winter months are over, it’s time to celebrate the warmth and beauty of Spring!

Miss Holly has the perfect way to celebrate these deliciously warm months ahead with some of our traditional flavors dressed in Easter chic perfection to make your mouth water with sunshine! Spring time means blooming flowers and new beginnings, and what better way to sprout into this new spring season with colorful,  creamy confections.

Let your eyes delight on the sights of Spring,  with our adorable Easter collection, sure to make your recipients warm and fuzzy with happiness and love! Miss Holly has chosen some of her most popular flavors to represent this cute and cuddly collection. Choose from our always pleasing Red Velvet: traditional red velvet cake adorned with a cream cheese frosting and happy little spring chick, Boston Cream: yellow cake filled with creamy buttercream and decorated with delicious and chocolaty  Easter egg,  Carrot Cake: a spice cake with raisins, walnuts, and a smooth cream cheese frosting topped with a cute carrot frosted piece and last put not least our ever popular flavor, Plain Jane: white cake with a buttercream frosting topped with the Easter Bunny making his debut this season! These perfectly pastel and festive treats are ideal for a sunny beach BBQ, a cheerful park picnic, or just to show the special people in your life that you’re thinking of them.

This beautifully carefree cupcake collection is available starting April 1st for preorder, only $18.00 for a “basket” of 12!  You can also order the perfect Easter basket filler, a four-pack. If these snuggly sweets aren’t an excuse to let yourself indulge in the tastes of Spring, we don’t know what is! Allow these light and airy Easter treats be the blooming start to this sun-filled season.

XOXO Miss Holly

Beaver Street Enterprise Center Mission Statement:  The mission of the Beaver Street Enterprise Center is to stimulate economic growth through entrepreneurial development. To achieve this mission, the enterprise center recruits, trains, and nurtures entrepreneurial talent to fuel growth, create wealth and encourage reinvestment in our community.

Throughout history, and all ages and cultures, women have impacted the world around them. From the most renowned and celebrated to the least and unknown, women have led countries and commanded armies, excelled in entrepreneurship and as women took their place in society in the 20th century, they broke ground in every field for the women of their day and for future generations. In celebration and honor of phenomenal women across the globe, Beaver Street Enterprise Center hosted an event titled  “The Sweet Taste of Success… A Celebration of Women’s History Month”

I had the pleasure of speaking at the Beaver Street Enterprise Center today,  yet another talk in the line up of many speaking events this month. The Center is a 25,000 square foot professional office facility offering modern workplace amenities for startup and existing small businesses as well as business technical assistance, counseling, mentoring and assistance in marketing and obtaining business financing. The center is geographically positioned to stimulate economic growth in Jacksonville’s northwest neighborhood and is run by nonprofit Core City Business. Two other ladies, from Kilwin’s and Edible Arrangements, joined the panel discussion for women.

I left feeling one thing – inspired. Inspired listening to the stories of all the women who spoke up. Their hopes, visions and possibilities; and the willingness for these women to help one another. It’s an empowering sight, to see a group of women so eager to share their ideas and inspirations to help another woman. Hats off to all the hardworking ladies who attended and came to hear us speak.

xoxo Miss Holly

We are at Jim and Tab Furyk’s residence on Ponte Vedra Beach today with 300 VIPs raising funds for the Jim & Tabitha Furyk Foundation.

The Jim & Tabitha Furyk Foundation is dedicated to supporting these groups through fund raising events and donations. There are many wonderful organizations here in Jacksonville working everyday to provide services to help children in need. Some provide food and shelter to underprivileged children, while others care for those with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and offer family counseling to those who are suffering. There are groups who can educate our children to keep them safe from violence or simply provide a safe place for our child to get them off the streets. Right in our own backyard we have an amazing children’s hospital that cares for our children but relies on charity donations to run many of its programs.

The couple believe that while raising charity dollars is crucial, making our community aware of the many local charities in Jacksonville is equally important. These charities provide an invaluable service for those who feel they have nowhere to turn.  “We want people to know there is help available. They look forward to using our resources to grow these programs and to provide more services for the children and families in our community.”

Below are a few of the charities that the Jim & Tabitha Furyk Foundation has selected to be the beneficiaries of the 2012 FURYK & FRIENDS Concert and Celebrity Golf Classic.

1) Community PedsCare is a nationally recognized pediatric palliative and hospice program for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.  A program of Community Hospice of Northeast Florida in collaboration with Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Nemours Children’s Clinic and the University of Florida-Jacksonville, Community PedsCare offers support, comfort and care to these children and their families.

2) Blessings in a Backpack is a non-profit organization that feeds U.S. School Children who currently are fed during the week on the federally funded Free and Reduced Meal Program, and are at risk of going hungry on the weekends. The program works with elementary school-aged children whose families cannot afford enough food. Better test scores, improved reading skills, positive behavior, improved health and increased attendance have all been attributed to the success of this program. Locally Blessings in a Backspack is helping to feed over 1300 school children in the Jacksonville area and nearly 57,000 across the county.  

3) Recognized as one of America’s Best Children’s Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Wolfson Children’s Hospital is the only full-service tertiary hospital for children in the region, serving North Florida, South Georgia and beyond. Wolfson Children’s Hospital is a non-profit organization that is apart of Baptist Health, the region’s most comprehensive healthcare provider. The world-class pediatric care available at Wolfson Children’s Hospital is made possible by the support of Baptist Health Foundation and enhanced through physician partnerships with Nemours Children’s Clinic, the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville, Brooks Rehabilitation and Mayo Clinic. As a non-profit organization, Wolfson Children’s Hospital relies on charitable donations to provide world-class care for all children in the region.

Our beach themed dessert display will be amongst the many delectable offerings Jacksonville’s top dining spots are cooking up for Jim and Tab Furyk’s guests. Additionally, country fans will be delighted to know that celebrated musician  Jack Ingram will be hosting a private concert.

This is such a worthy cause, and being fairly new residents of Jacksonville, we are only too willing to participate. Thank you Jim & Tabitha Furyk for opening up your home to this beautiful cause.

Miss Holly with our take home gifts for the 300 guests.

Miss Holly bounced back from Jacksonville for yet another speaking engagement. This time, she was joined by over 100 ladies at Universal Orlando.

Universal Orlando Women’s Network (UOWN) is made up of thousands of ladies that work in a variety of positions across Universal Orlando resort.   UOWN is one of their six Diverse Team Member Resource Groups & brings to life a variety of events throughout the year, for all their Team Members to take part in.  In celebration of Women’s History Month, Miss Holly was delighted to be asked to be their speaker.

As much as Miss Holly enjoys sharing her stories, her highlight is being able to hear attendees share their own stories and journeys. At this particular session, one of the audience members got up and spoke about her 65 year old mother, who just retired, and is now brave enough to unlock her dreams and do what she wants and what she loves. How courageous, and a lesson to us all, that age is just a number.

Men look at themselves in mirrors.  Women look for themselves.  ~Elissa Melamed

“It was a pleasure to meet and listen to Holly’s story; truly inspirational and fun at the same time.” Gislene “Gigi” Moorman, Attendee

“It was wonderful getting to meet you yesterday and hear your story. You are a true inspiration to women.  I hope someday to be as brave as you and move forward on some of my personal ideas. “ Jennifer Taylor, Attendee

For more information about Miss Holly’s speaking presentations, please email feedback@sweetbyholly.com.

For those of you who don’t know, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) preserves and promotes public confidence in the U.S. financial system by insuring depositors for at least $250,000 per insured bank; by identifying, monitoring and addressing risks to the deposit insurance funds; and by limiting the effect on the economy and the financial system when a bank or thrift institution fails.

One would never think that in a business like that, you’d find a cupcake decorating competition? Well, that’s exactly what happened. Miss Holly was invited to be their Women’s History’s Month speaker and the Chairman’s Diversity Advisory Council (CDAC) at the FDIC asked that we incorporate a “fun” element into the presentation. 5 attendees competed to decorate a cupcake, Sweet! style, with some pretty creative results. Will they trade their day job for a spot at Miss Holly’s store? Perhaps?

Miss Holly  also shared her Baker’s Dozen Sweet Nothings: Messages to Inspire and Surprise. These thirteen simple rules for sweet success can be applied to anybody’s lives. Drawing from her own life’s lessons about business and personal life, she hopes that her experiences, failures and successes will serve as a platform of knowledge attendees can find insightful as they navigate their own journeys.

Stepping away from baking up a storm in the kitchen with her talented chefs, Miss Holly’s month is busy with travel and presentations across Florida; so stay tuned to this blog for updates…  Tomorrow she’ll be at Universal Orlando spending time with 100 ladies.

For more information about Miss Holly’s speaking presentations, please email feedback@sweetbyholly.com.

Hollis Wilder is so proud to be a part of  the GENERATION W inaugural event. The “Living Powerfully” event will be held April 20th at the Fine Arts Center for the University of North Florida in support of Generation W Women’s leadership program.

This event is a celebration of 800 female leaders in the community empowering others to reach for life and professional goals and to encourage self change and growth. With the belief that every person in this world has the ability to achieve anything they set their mind to,  a distinguished panel of guest speakers will be presenting how to achieve their  goal tools, not only to better themselves, but change the world as they know it in the process.

The philosophy of empowerment and finding your passion sticks true for the Sweet by Holly  brand, and fits perfectly in line with all that the Generation W belief stands for. Miss Holly is proud to be part of this event and share her story about starting from the ground up, taking chances and being blessed with success despite challenging periods. Starting a complete new career venture, treading in uncharted waters, turning her world upside down, she’s still evolving, learning, and enjoying the (sometimes bumpy) ride.

Miss Holly is excited to be joining a panel of many accomplished, well known speakers  from around the country including media moguls, political intellects, philanthropists, and world-class athletes to support in the development of strength and creativity for females of all generations. As a bonus for attendees, she will have cupcakes for everyone!

Miss Holly was asked the question: “What is it like to be a Woman in 2012?” Here’s what she had to say.

“While there are believers out there convinced that 2012 will be the end of the world, I think its an opportunity which places the world is at our feet. Women have more opportunities, resources, connections and power than we have had in the whole of history.

This is a gift of responsibility, to use it to our best ability to be all that we can be. We need to tell ourselves that there are no limitations except for the one that exists between your ears. It is our job, and not anyone elses to make us be the very best person that we can be; to do more, be more, challenge more, love more.

2012 is a time we don’t need to make excuses for our ambition, and most certainly, don’t need to ask for permission.

2012 is a time to honor our own truth. The most important being the ability to tell the truth when I know it; as a woman, business owner, mother, wife, employer and as a human being.  If I am not honest with myself, how do I expect others to be honest with me? Not honoring the truth only places obstacles in one’s way, obstacles that needn’t be there.

2012 is a time to believe in what you want because we have never been more modern, technologically advanced or capable. It’s not grandiose if you can back it up.

2012 is also a time we should be helping each other through platforms such as Gen W.  As former Former U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright said: “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.”  The world is more connected technologically than ever, lets use this and widen our network, helping all the women within our network, to push each other to the top – not trample on each other on the way up.

This is our time. 2012.”

We encourage women of all ages to review the upcoming highlights of this revolutionary event taking place in Jacksonville next month. Please visit  www.genwnow.com for more information, and ladies of the future, we will see you there.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
-Harriet Tubman