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Yum! Brands

Growing up, Kayla Johnson loved baking with her mom, but in 2020, her hobby transformed into a full-fledged business. Like others during the pandemic, the KFC Digital & Technology (D&T) People & Culture business partner found comfort in watching baking shows. One day, she saw a contestant and winner from her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

“I thought, if she could do it, I can dream big, too,” Johnson said. “But at that time, I had no idea what I could do with baking. I was like, ‘OK, let me just order this cake decorating kit.’ I ordered it in August 2020, but it sat in that box until November.”

Eventually, Johnson opened the kit and, after a few YouTube tutorials, made a strawberry crunch cake for her family’s Thanksgiving dinner. Their encouragement motivated her to launch Kay Marie Bakes a month later. When she capitalized on the hot cocoa bomb trend that winter, she sold more than 2,500 in just three weeks — an experience that would later become a talking point when she interviewed for a human resources position at KFC in 2021.

“I could tell she was apprehensive about telling me that she had a personal business,” said Director of Yum! Human Resources Julie Lloyd. “But we have so many employees who pursue their passions outside of work; in fact, we encourage it.”

Now in her role for nearly four years, Johnson has learned how to balance her HR career and her business.

“During the weekdays, I focus on my HR responsibilities and make sure to give them my full attention, especially during work hours,” she said. “In the evenings and weekends, I dedicate time to baking, whether it’s preparing orders, trying out new recipes or managing the business side of things. I’m passionate about baking, so it doesn’t feel like a chore — it’s a creative outlet for me.”

But as with any business, running Kay Marie Bakes has come with its challenges.

“In the beginning, one of my biggest hurdles was how to manage my time effectively,” Johnson said, remembering how she often took on more baking orders than she could handle, leading to late nights and stressful moments. This forced her to adjust expectations or even turn down business. Despite having a few unsatisfied clients, her people-first mindset helped her turn those situations around by providing the best solutions. “Every setback has just made me more resilient and helped me refine my approach to running the business,” Johnson added.

Today, Johnson’s teammates know her as the “dessert person,” a nickname she first earned in school when she was constantly baking for friends. They order cakes and other confections for personal and corporate events, and she is a featured vendor at the company’s December Holiday Market and the Valentine’s Day Pop-up Shop.

Johnson’s desserts were even featured in the Kentucky Bride Magazine. The groom, who grew up in Kentucky, and the bride, who was raised in the Philippines, wanted to showcase their two unique cultures in their desserts, so Johnson created a spread that included southern classics like banana pudding, peach cobbler and bourbon balls, as well as Filipino-inspired desserts like Ube brownies and Calamansi citrus bars.

“I am so grateful that I work for a company that supports my entrepreneurial ideas,” she said. “I want to open my own storefront one day, and my leaders are still committed to investing in me, teaching me transferrable skills to go out on my own. I can’t think of many businesses that would do that.”

In fact, TIME magazine has ranked KFC’s parent company, Yum! Brands, as one of its Best Companies for Future Leaders for two years running, reinforcing its reputation as a training ground for future business executives and entrepreneurs like Johnson.

“Right now, I feel I can thrive in both areas,” Johnson said. “KFC teaches me how to be a leader, while Kay Marie Bakes lets me put those lessons into practice. And who knows? Maybe I’ll be supplying KFC with desserts 10 years from now.”

Now that would be a sweet success story.