Her Traditions strives to be a resource for women’s financial health and celebrate and support women as we make our dreams a reality. As we focus on the vital role strong women play in our community, we encourage you to nominate women who inspire you.
Whether she is crushing it as a business owner, lifting others as a community builder, or inspiring women through leadership — we want to hear about it! Help us shine a light on strong women by sharing their stories.
Please email stories and nominations to Nicole Shaffer, Director of Her Traditions.
Kayla Solomon: A Supportive Community is the Key to Small Business Success
Kayla Solomon has always been passionate about food.
“Food brings people together – when you think of good times with family and friends, food is usually part of that.”
Upon moving to York as a single mom, Kayla struggled with loneliness, and she turned to her love of cooking to build new relationships. While working at Conrad’s Deli in Central Market, she fueled her soul with the sights, sounds, and interactions with customers in the tight-knit market community.
Soon an opportunity presented itself to start her own business when Little Sister’s Kitchen Confections was listed for sale.
As a chef, Kayla had already experienced the challenges of working in a male-dominated industry, but she was ready to take the leap and invest in herself.
“It can be hard to navigate something new,” she shares, “but I think it’s important to be empowered in my success.”
Another critical part of Kayla’s success was letting others lend support. Between other market vendors sharing advice and a strong relationship with the team at York Tradition Bank’s Downtown York Branch, she realized the importance of not taking on everything herself.
“There is a definite learning curve to understanding the finances behind a business,” she notes. “The team at Downtown York was like a family to me! Beyond giving support, we celebrated wedding and baby showers together.”
Working to make the business she bought her own, Kayla invested in the new branding. With a specialty focus on vintage-inspired pastries, Kayla renamed the business K’s Konfectionery. The rebrand came complete with a new mascot, “Miss Bonnie Butter,” who notes that cookies make everything better. 
While Kayla loved the family atmosphere at Central Market, COVID-19 took a toll on in-person sales at her stand. With a new home in Hanover, Kayla decided to reinvent herself and relocate her business to Hanover to focus on pre-orders and deliveries.
“Just like at Central Market, the Hanover community has been so supportive of me,” says Kayla. “Of course, one of the first things I did was make sure there was a Traditions Bank branch in Hanover!” she laughs.
As she looks towards the future and the opportunity it holds, Kayla knows that she needs to be willing to look at things differently to take advantage of new opportunities. “As women, we need to make sure we have access to the resources we need and to be supportive of one another.”