Cupcakes for a Cause with Margo Engberg – Founder of PinkaBella Cupcakes

“Success is about the culture you create

and not all about the money you make.”

Margo Engberg is the mother of four adopted children from Guatemala and the founder of Pinkabella Cupcakes, a gourmet cupcake boutique. Since founding PinkaBella six years ago, Margo has donated over $500,000 and 500,000 cupcakes through her business to support the local community.

How do you as a follower of Jesus balance a family with four young kids and a growing, demanding business?

In the early going, we learned to be creative as a family. There would be many nights where my husband would bring the kids to Pinkabella just so we could eat dinner as a family before they went home to sleep and I stayed late to work. And in the mornings, I always made a point to take the kids to school. Try and get stuff while they’re in school. As Pinkabella matured, I’ve been able to be more and more present as I’ve surrounded myself with great people who are doing a phenomenal job. I now have a great assistant who has really become much more like a manager of operations, that has freed me greatly!

What would your advice be for a first-time entrepreneur who has no idea what he or she is in for?

I would encourage them to pray A LOT and to seek God in their endeavor to make sure that HE is really in it. I think sometimes we do things because we want to. We force the issue as we’ll always hear the answer we want to hear if we’re not careful. I think there’s a peace that comes with doing the right thing, and making sure you have that peace which transcends all understanding is important in any endeavor. I would also recommend they seek godly council from friends and mentors and not to overextend themselves financially.

How do you stay centered on Jesus?

To this day, I am still working on staying centered on Jesus. I do this through prayer, getting into scripture, and turning to godly mentors into my life when I feel like I might be getting off tract. I thank God for the faithful people He’s put into my life as mentors. I’ve found that when you have a passion for something, you’re going to be coming in contact with other people that have similar passions. And when you start meeting people you relate to who are on that same journey – sometimes a few steps ahead, there’s something really special in that. There are places like Centered Meetups you can go to in order to find older friends and mentors to walk alongside you in your life and career, but there’s also opportunities in everyday life with people you already know to have life-giving relationships. Amidst all of this, I think learning to look to God to meet all your needs and relying on him in the good and bad times is so essential.

Where do you find your purpose in work?

I find my purpose in giving and serving. I look at my job as a gateway to reach more people, whether it’s with customers or employees, I love to be able to share my passion in giving and serving which I believe can inspire others to do the same. Through my own story of adoption and Pinkabella, I hope others can be inspired to fully live out their own faith and be an inspiration for others to do the same. Since Pinkabella was founded 5 years ago, we’ve also donated over 500,000 cupcakes and $500,000 in revenue from cupcakes sold. I truly believe that to whom much is given, much is required, and when God blesses you, it’s not for you to hold tightly, it’s for you to bless others.

How do you define success at work?

I feel success is about the culture you create and not all about the money you make. I’m trying to create a culture that gives back – a culture of people who live a life of service, community, caring, and simply showing people Christ’s love. It’s not easy to build a community like this. You do a lot of planting and growing, but you also need to do a lot of weeding. Sometimes you’ll find people who might be a really good worker, but if they create a bad environment, that’s a problem. My greatest challenge is finding the right people who can work together and who see value in giving, serving, and community. Pinkabella is not a church. We’re a retail store which means not everyone you come in contact with will know Jesus, but you can still create an environment or culture based on love and the timeless principles He teaches.

How would you suggest a more junior associate in an organization live out their faith?

I would suggest they get a mentor around them first and foremost, before they choose their path and before they invest in their journey. They should seek to find a model they believe in and follow him or her, make Christ the center of every decision, even the no brainer ones… God has to be in it if they want to be successful spiritually. Anyone can be successful given hard work, but pleasing God with our life is the most important way we live out our faith.

Discussion Questions

Centered Discussion Questions are simple resources to facilitate discussion and reflection of Centered Stories and life principles for group settings.

Subscribe to Centered Stories

Never miss another Centered Story. Find inspiration, encouragement, and wisdom to help you stay centered on Jesus in your everyday life.