Kingdom Bakers | La vie en Rose
Sometimes what feels like an interruption is actually an invitation from God. A canceled flight, an unexpected season, or a dream we thought was behind us can become the very place where God begins something new. In this edition of Kingdom Bakers, we are honored to introduce Helody, founder of La Vie en Rose, whose journey from Haiti to Long Island is a beautiful testimony of restored passion, family, faith, and divine timing. Her story reminds us that God can take what we thought was left in the past and breathe new purpose into it.
Tell us your story.
Where are you from, where are you based today, and how did your journey into pastry begin? Were you self-taught, formally trained, or inspired by someone close to you?
I am originally from Haiti and currently based on Long Island, New York, where I run my home bakery, La Vie en Rose, alongside my mother (affectionately known as Manmie Soso).
My path to the pastry world was anything but conventional. Starting in early high school, I served as my mother’s right hand in her baking and catering business back home in Haiti, where we catered countless celebrations. By day, I was a dedicated student; once I returned home and finished my assignments, we spent our evenings practicing techniques from the baking classes and seminars we attended. Practicing on foam dummies, mastering the exact angle of a piping bag, and sculpting 3D sugar roses while my classmates were doodling flowers on paper; those were skills I never realized would resurface years later.
When I transitioned to the United States for higher education, my career took root in the sciences. Working today as a professional in the pharmaceutical field has instilled in me a rigorous discipline for precision and quality control, training my eye to catch the smallest unseen details.
When did you realize this was more than a craft?
Was there a moment you felt God calling you into this, or confirming that your business was part of His plan for your life? Tell us about it.
When I left Haiti, even though Manmie continued running the business with her hired team and still manages it remotely today, I genuinely thought our baking and catering days together were behind us, destined to remain a cherished chapter of my youth preserved in memories and photographs.
Then came a series of unexpected roadblocks: from learning how to walk again after a drastic life change, to numerous canceled flights later on.
What initially felt like frustrating travel delays slowly revealed itself to be a divine detour. Sitting together in that unexpected waiting period, my brother and I bought a mixer as a surprise for Manmie to rekindle her love for baking. From there, we added one pan, then one spatula, all to pass the time and taste a piece of home again.
The true moment of clarity came when we shared our Pineapple Upside-Down cake with friends and guests. The sheer joy, nostalgia, and connection that dessert sparked across the room stopped us in our tracks. In that moment, I felt the Holy Spirit gently whisper that the gifts cultivated back in Haiti, along with all those late-night hours of practice, were never meant to stay locked in the past.
God showed us that He had orchestrated a canceled itinerary to plant La Vie en Rose right here on the Island. Today, our cakes have traveled to many places, events, and homes across New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and even Florida! It was the realization that baking wasn’t just a hobby we once shared; it was a ministry of comfort, restoration, and fellowship. God took what felt like displaced, uncertain timing and turned it into a table of blessing.
How does your faith show up in your day-to-day work?
Faith isn’t an accessory we put on after the work is done; it is the atmosphere we carry, even in our kitchen, from the moment we set our minds to fulfill an order.
In our day-to-day execution, God shows up in the harmony between Manmie and I. Our baking is a blend of two worlds: her intuitive culinary wisdom and my attentiveness to precision. Merging those two perspectives requires constant humility, patience, and mutual respect. Before we measure any cup of flour, we commit all the work to God. We pray over our hands, the ovens, and specifically over the homes and celebrations each cake will enter. We pray that every bite brings comfort, joy, and a reminder of God’s sweetness to whoever gathers around that table.
In how we treat our clients, faith shapes our integrity. In an era where business can easily become hurried and purely transactional, we see our clients as souls entrusted to our care for their most vulnerable and joyous milestones. Whether it’s accommodating a mother’s anxious changes for a birthday cake or answering a frantic last-minute request, we choose grace, transparency, and warmth. We treat each order with the level of excellence we would expect for our own family, remembering that we are working “as unto the Lord.”
Truly, faith is our lifeline during those times. Balancing the rigors of my professional career by day with the physical demands of baking late into the night and also ensuring delivery is no small feat. There are times when exhaustion set in and the timeline feels impossible. In those moments, we pause and remember that if God gave us the strength to learn how to live joyfully again, and worked it all together to allow us to build this unexpectedly again from a single mixer, He will sustain us through any order. That truth immediately shifts our hearts from stress back into worship and peace.
What has been your greatest challenge as a pastry chef, and how did God meet you in it?
My greatest challenge hasn’t been the craft itself, but the steep learning curve of entrepreneurship, specifically navigating business management, marketing, and advertising.
Between my background and the years spent at Manmie’s side, the kitchen feels natural to me. Measuring, setting flavors, decorating, and high standards of cleanliness are becoming second nature. But learning how to put ourselves out there, navigate social media, market to the right audience, and manage the administrative backend of a growing startup while balancing other life’s responsibilities is a completely different discipline.
There are days when the business side feels intimidating. In a world dominated by algorithms, trends, and aggressive self-promotion, it’s easy to feel out of depth or wonder if I’ll do enough to gain visibility.
God has continually met me in this challenge by replacing business anxiety with His supernatural peace and renewed joy. Over the years, the Lord has gently restored my heart and filled our home with laughter, and He carries that same lightness into how we operate La Vie en Rose. Whenever I feel overwhelmed by what I don’t yet know about marketing, God reminds me to 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.' Proverbs 3:5-6 and 'I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. ' I Corinthians 3:6; that I am called to plant and water with excellence, but He is the One who gives the increase.
He proves that to us constantly. Without massive ad budgets, God has used word-of-mouth and the genuine love of our clients to carry our cakes across state lines. He meets me by sending the right people, teaching me grace for the learning process, and reassuring me that I don’t have to compromise authenticity for exposure. He reminds me to be a faithful steward of today’s order, trusting Him to handle tomorrow’s growth.
What would you say to a fellow Daughter or Son of the King who feels called to entrepreneurship but is afraid to start?
To my dear Brother or Sister in Christ, I would tell you to take a deep breath and remember Whose child you are.
Fear often paralyzes us because we look at the entire mountain at once. We tell ourselves, “I don’t have a business degree,” “I don’t know how to run ads,” or “I don’t have thousands of dollars in capital.” We wait for a season where all conditions are perfect, our fear is completely gone, and our five-year plan is airtight.
But God rarely asks for a finished blueprint; He only asks for your next step of obedience.
Look at what is already in your hands. When God prompted Moses, He asked, “What is that in your hand?” For us, it was literally a single mixer bought as a gift, a couple of cake pans, and a recipe from home.
We didn’t have a storefront, an ad agency, or a massive roadmap. We simply offered what we had, and God multiplied it.
Don’t let what you don’t know disqualify what God has already placed inside you. Business skills, marketing strategies, and algorithms can all be learned along the way, but a heart anchored in integrity, excellence, and faith is something the world cannot manufacture.
Start where you are, with what you have, from the kitchen counter or desk you currently sit at. Give yourself the grace to be a beginner. He is still teaching and molding Manmie and I along the way. If God planted that vision in your spirit, He is not sending you out alone, He will walk beside you, send the right people to help you grow, and handle the doors you cannot open yourself. Step out in faith, let Him do the building, and watch what He does with your beginning.
Favorite Bible Verse
'And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. ' Colossians 3:23-24.
This scripture is the heartbeat of our kitchen. Whether we are putting cakes in the oven at 1:00 AM, smoothening the icing, or wiping down countertops, it reminds us that our true client and audience is God Himself. When we view our work as an act of worship to Christ, the standard naturally rises to excellence, integrity, and love.
Signature Creation / Special Faith Moment
Our undisputed signature creation is our Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.
It isn’t just a menu item; it is the divine spark that birthed La Vie en Rose here on Long Island. During that unexpected season of waiting, it was the very first cake Manmie and I baked using that mixer. When we served it to guests, the reaction was immediate: the caramelized golden pineapple, the tender, flavorful crumb, and the rich nostalgia took everyone by storm. That cake broke open conversations, brought people together in shared joy, and confirmed that God was calling us to step back into our craft. To this day, whenever an order goes out, it carries the sweet aroma of God’s unexpected goodness.
In addition to our signature pineapple cake, we create custom cupcakes and multi-tiered cakes crafted for birthdays, baby showers, church family and community gatherings.
To complement our desserts, we also offer signature mocktails and natural wellness juices pressed from fresh, wholesome fruits. Rooted in our heart for hospitality and genuine nourishment, these refreshers are crafted to celebrate vibrant flavor without anything artificial. They offer a crisp, revitalizing balance to our sweet bakes. Whether poured for a toast at a family celebration or enjoyed as a daily wellness reset, they extend our passion for feeding people well, body and soul.
Anything Else You’d Like to Share
Just the heart behind the name La Vie en Rose.
While the French phrase poetically translates to “life in pink,” for Manmie and I, it represents seeing life through the lens of God’s Grace and restored Joy.
Life will inevitably bring seasons of detours, loss, and waiting. But when we choose to look at our lives through the lens of gratitude and God’s promises, we realize that His beauty is unfolding even in the unseen details. Every rose we hand-pipe, and every cake that leaves our kitchen, carries that prayer: that whoever tastes it is reminded to pause, smile, and celebrate the sweetness of life that God has faithfully given us today.
“Because every good and perfect gift comes from above.”— James 1:17
Helody’s story reminds us that God is always working, even in moments that feel uncertain or unexpected. What began with a canceled itinerary and a simple mixer became the beginning of La Vie en Rose, a business rooted in family, hospitality, excellence, and faith. Her journey encourages us to stop waiting for perfect conditions and simply be faithful with what God has already placed in our hands. Because sometimes, all God needs is our willingness to take the next step, and He will take care of the increase.
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