Sarah’s Story
Click HERE to listen to Sarah speaking all over the country as a National Customer Service Expert.
Sarah’s life is now based in Ardmore, TN, but Sarah grew up in Thousand Oaks, CA and always dreamed of one day having her own business. Her initial love for both Food and Hospitality Industries started at the age of 15 working at Carvel Ice Cream and continued to grow throughout college where she obtained a degree in Business Management and Entrepreneurship. After several years of working as a Food and Beverage Manager for very large hotels, fate is ultimately what led to the real start of Sarah’s entrepreneurial journey.
After overcoming a huge loss when a previous business opportunity fell apart, she was left with an empty bank account, a ton of bills and a strong desire not to go back to corporate life. With literally nothing to lose, her dessert business was born. The week Sarah got her business license, kitchen permits, and insurance, she had $6 left in her bank account! She drove for Uber to make ends meet until business picked up, and hated every second of it, so it was extremely motivating to not have to do that anymore.
After 7 years running a successful dessert catering business in the Los Angeles area, Sarah decided to get out of California and head to Nashville to expand her hospitality company, CWS Hospitality. In a time where a great customer experience and customer service has never been needed more, Sarah strives to create the highest standard for all of her clients. She spent 2 years building a custom, one of a kind home in Nashville but ultimately sold it in 2022 to pursue her bigger dream, owning a wedding venue on a big piece of land.
Now, after almost 10 years, Sarah loves sharing her story and the power of being broke. She hopes to inspire other entrepreneurs who have a dream, and maybe not the most ideal situation to make it come true. If you ask her about her thoughts looking back, she says, “I am actually glad I had nothing when I started. I value every single client as much as now as I did when they took a chance on me when I needed them the most.”
The Celebrate with Sarah brand has evolved into so much more than even Sarah could have dreamt up that day when she had $6 left in her bank. From cupcakes to creating one of a kind homes, building, designing, and investing, the journey has opened up so many opportunities.
Sarah has also brought back her non-profit organization she created several years ago that helps give back locally and internationally to children and young entrepreneurs. Read more about The Sarah Annelise Foundation
Sarah truly believes that sometimes the best things can come from the worst, and is passionate about celebrating both the losses and the victories. With overcoming financial and personal health struggles, she hopes to continue to share her story to prove that even when 5 things go wrong, 10 can go right.
Celiac Disease
I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease over 16 years ago. After overcoming everything that I shared above with how I started my first business, I could tell things were going backwards for my health as well. I had already been doing everything I thought was needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and although stress was a huge problem, I started to get all kinds of other gut issues on top of it. In the middle of everything else going on, my health quickly become the forefront of everything, and I could feel myself deteriorating. I hadn’t felt that way since before I was diagnosed several years prior, and it was challenging trying to figure out what was going on. It was the lowest point in my life, mentally, but also physically.
I eventually realized that all I had gone through was giving me the knowledge to help others. Countless hours in doctors offices, scans, x-rays, injections, you name it.
Sometimes the best things can come from the worst, and now I am so passionate about celebrating the losses, the victories, and the struggles. Our stories are so important, and should be shared!
