If you've attended Alive After Five in Senoia over the past few years, chances are you've seen the colorful booth, spinning sugar, and a line of excited kids waiting for a fluffy cone of cotton candy.
Right at the center of it all is Mia Henrich.
At just 15 years old, Mia has built something many small business owners spend years trying to create — a brand people recognize, a product people love, and a booth that's become a staple at community events.
But Mia's Hand Spun Cotton Candy didn't start as a business. It started as a hobby.
Around 2020, when Mia was about 10 years old, she began experimenting with a small cotton candy machine at home. When a friend invited her to set up at a small event, she quickly realized something — people loved it. The demand was more than her little machine could handle.
So Mia reinvested the money she made into a larger machine. Then another. And another. Today her setup includes six machines, along with tents and equipment that allow her to serve large crowds at events across the region. Alive After Five became one of her first major events, and over time she's become a familiar face not only in Senoia but at festivals and gatherings across Peachtree City, Newnan, LaGrange, and throughout the Atlanta area.
Part of what makes Mia's cotton candy stand out is her creativity. She makes her sugars and ingredients from scratch, constantly experimenting with fun flavors, toppings, and colorful combinations. Not every idea is a hit — she laughs about an eggnog-flavored attempt that didn't quite work out — but the process has taught her an important lesson: try, learn, and adapt.
Running the business has also taught Mia real-world skills many adults are still learning, from managing money and understanding supply and demand to navigating rising costs and planning for events.
"People underestimate how much work it takes," Mia says. "There's a lot that goes into preparing for events."
When she's not spinning cotton candy, Mia is a sophomore at Northgate High School and an active musician, playing guitar, bass, and vocals in a band that leans toward hard rock and alternative music.
Looking ahead, Mia hopes to continue pursuing entrepreneurship after high school, possibly opening her own business one day.
What started as a simple hobby has turned into something much bigger — a young entrepreneur building a business, learning life lessons, and adding a little extra sweetness to the community along the way.
For more info about Mia's Hand Spun Cotton Candy you can order online at www.handspuncottoncandy.square.site or follow her on Facebook or Instagram @handspuncottoncandy