Today we’d like to introduce you to Melinda Williams.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Melinda. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was stationed with the military in Rota, Spain back in 2010, my son was turning 2 and I wanted to have a special cake for him. The market for specialty cakes in Spain is not huge and the one local person selling them was outrageously priced. So, I set out on a mission to learn how to make cakes on my own. I have always had an artistic side doing random artwork like painting murals on windows of the emergency room at my hospital, or even as a child I used to mold figures out of mud that I would let dry and paint. So, once I watched a gazillion you tube videos and joined every cake blog site I could find, I not only made my first specialty cake with fondant and hand cut and painted decorations, but it actually tasted really good too! Several friends and co-workers raved about this cake and requested that I do cakes for them and so, it began. For several years, I was doing cakes for friends and family for basically nothing, I just really enjoyed finally finding something to express my creative side! I loved nursing, but cake artistry is fun and much less stress! It wasn’t until about 5 years of doing cakes that people started saying I needed to start my own business and after I had my first paying customer that theme seemed to spread like wild fire. After about 2 years of pressure from friends and family that this is my calling, I finally made the jump. I retired from the military after 22 years, and walked away from nursing to start my cake business. I have spent the last 2 years renovating my basement into my dream home bakery, and my dream of having my own cake business is now becoming a reality!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This has definitely not been easy! Being a self taught cake artist takes a lot of time and dedication to learning. I have made many mistakes along the way, I have had tiered cakes collapse on me because I didn’t know how to properly structure them before and I have had cakes that I thought would take 3 hours to complete take 3 days! The military ingrained in me to have attention to detail, so I am definitely my hardest critic. I strive for perfection with each and every cake I make, so that in itself can sometimes be very stressful when I basically learned through trial and error.
Mindy’s Cakes & Things – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I consider myself a cake artist, as I do not just bake cakes. I take the time to learn what each and every client wants, and then design the cake for them. The beauty about specialty cakes is that it truly is an art and no two cakes are ever the same. People tend to rave how great my cakes taste compared to usual cakes finished with fondant, and I attribute that to making my own and not using pre-made or store bought. I want every part of my cake to be enjoyed, from the looks to the taste! I guess the nursing side of me just really wants my customers to be happy and love their cake. My favorite part of each and every cake order is when I get to deliver it and see the customers smile.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My definition of success is being able to do what you love and are passionate about, and knowing that it is making a difference in someone’s life.
Contact Info:
- Email: mindyscakesnthings@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MindysCakesnThings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MindysCakesnThings/
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