Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Kitchens.
Hi Emily, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been entrepreneurial at heart, with the long-term goal of eventually working for myself. When I was around six or seven, I came up with an idea for a hotel chain called Cheap Sleep. I remember sitting down with my dad and working through age-appropriate questions about pricing, design, and how the whole thing would actually function. Accessibility mattered to me even then. I wanted it to be affordable, and I even imagined it as a place where homelsess individuals could stay for free and get breakfast.
A few years later, around twelve or thirteen, that same drive showed up again when I started planning a horse rescue while taking horseback riding lessons. I put together cost estimates for barns, stables, and ongoing care, and even came up with a name and slogan, though I couldn’t tell you what they were now. Whenever something really excites me, I naturally want to figure out how to make it work.
Baking, though, was always the constant. I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember. One of my favorite childhood memories is my birthday parties. Instead of making one cake, my mom would bake five to ten mini cakes in chocolate or vanilla so each guest could decorate their own. Growing up, I was also glued to shows like Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes, and I never missed a baking competition when one came on the Food Network. That inspiration sometimes spiraled into late-night baking sessions, like making fondant from scratch or trying out beignets.
At sixteen, I got my first job in the bakery department at Hy-Vee. I started as a clerk packaging rolls and cookies, but my goal was always to work on the cake side. Whenever I finished my tasks early, I’d help the decorators. One decorator in particular, Judy, was incredibly patient with the wide-eyed high schooler who just wanted to learn. The highlight of that job was covering as a cake decorator for an entire week while another decorator was on vacation.
After leaving for college, I kept doing cakes informally for friends and even took on a wedding. I graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Family Studies and Human Services and spent several years working in that field, including supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, working as an assistant preschool teacher, and later as a children’s mental health case manager. I also began coursework to become a sign language interpreter and worked in a healthcare clinic since I wanted to be a medical interpreter.
In 2020, I stepped away from healthcare as the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the nature of the work and the demands of the healthcare environment. Around the same time, I paused my studies toward becoming a sign language interpreter due to personal circumstances and ultimately didn’t return once my direction shifted.
That same year, I accepted my first professional role in a baking environment as a full-time cake decorator at McKeever’s Market and Eatery in Lenexa. While it was a grocery store setting, I often took on custom orders that went beyond standard pre-designed templates and involved more detailed, individualized decorating work.
During my honeymoon in 2021, I found myself seriously thinking about what it might look like to one day run my own small bakery. I spent time settling on a name, purchased Procreate, and designed my first logo. That was the point where the idea shifted from something I’d always dreamed about to something I was actively planning.
After two years at McKeever’s, I moved to McLain’s Bakery in Waldo to broaden my experience, starting on the baking team and later transitioning to cake decorating. Just over a year later, my husband and I decided it was the right time to pursue my longtime goal of opening a small bakery.
That’s how Sprinkles & Co. began. I offered custom cakes, cupcakes, and sugar cookies, and over the first two years, I more than tripled my gross sales. By late 2025, after an especially intense wedding season that included traveling out of state with my entire bakery operation, I realized I was deeply burned out. Taking time off during the holidays made it clear that stepping back wasn’t a failure. It was a way to protect something I’ve loved for nearly three decades.
Today, baking is still important to me, but in a much more limited and intentional way. Right now, my focus is on building a new professional services business, and I’m taking a lot of what I learned from the bakery with me. This business is called Nomadic Notary, Ink. – which is a mobile notary and loan signing agent service.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge I faced was burnout, especially as a solo home baker. The amount of work that goes into running a small bakery is hard to fully explain unless you’ve done it yourself. Every order meant sourcing ingredients, managing inventory, storing everything properly, baking, decorating, mixing individual icing colors, packaging, marketing, and coordinating pickup or delivery. On top of that, there’s constant cleanup between each step. Depending on the order, that could mean anywhere from four hours to several days of active work.
Emotionally, the hardest part was coming to terms with stepping back from something I had dreamed about for seventeen years and loved for most of my life. It wasn’t about feeling like I failed. It was about mourning what I hoped the bakery would be, while also being honest about what it was costing me physically and mentally. It’s been hard learning to listen to my intuition and set boundaries, especially when that meant stepping back from something I love. As hard as it was, it’s been for the best, and my mental health has improved a lot.
On the notary side, the biggest challenge has been the lack of a formal or universal training path. As a notary, you’re responsible for finding and understanding the laws, requirements, and ethical standards on your own. You must be commissioned in your state, carry a surety bond, and maintain errors and omissions insurance. Since I’m commissioned in both Kansas and Missouri, that process has to be done twice, as each state has its own rules, laws, and standards. There’s a lot to keep track of, and you’re responsible for getting it right.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Nomadic Notary, Ink.?
My current focus is Nomadic Notary Ink, a mobile notary business serving the Kansas City metro area. I am commissioned in both Kansas and Missouri and travel up to 50 miles from my home base in Overland Park, Kansas.
Many people think of notaries as someone you visit at a bank, but my business is fully mobile. I travel directly to clients, which allows for flexibility and accessibility during important life moments. I assist with general notarial acts such as but not limited to: acknowledgments, affidavits, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, trust documents, contracts, DMV forms, proof of residency, and I-9 verifications (as an authorized representative, not a notarization).
I am also completing additional certifications, including becoming a loan signing agent. In that role, I facilitate loan document signings for real estate transactions, working alongside lenders, mortgage brokers, and title companies. I do not provide legal advice or explain loan terms. My role is strictly to ensure documents are executed properly. I’m also training in apostille processing, which involves preparing and submitting documents for international use, as well as field inspections, which are non-notarial assignments focused on photo documentation and reporting.
Notary services often come up on individuals with a tight timeline, and getting things done quickly and correctly matters. Being mobile lets me meet clients where it works best for them, rather than adding extra steps or coordination for them to manage. My goal is to keep the process clear and easy to follow so it’s not confusing for clients. As a commissioned notary, I also complete annual background screenings and keep detailed records for each notarization.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
When it comes to baking and cake decorating, I am largely self-taught beyond the basics I learned early on and occasional tips from colleagues. I’m a very visual learner, so I often looked at a design and figured out how to execute it, occasionally turning to YouTube to learn specific techniques. During long baking and decorating sessions, music got me through. Taylor Swift was on heavy rotation and played a big role in keeping me sane during chaotic workdays.
For notary work, much of the education is self-directed, since each state has its own requirements and there is no universal training program. With one of my main resources being Anna the Notary, whose content and educational platform has been especially helpful.
Pricing:
- varies by service / project
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nomadicnotaryink.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomadicnotaryink
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nomadicnotaryink
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-kitchens
