tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54897037596138307982024-03-12T20:43:25.034-05:00Mike Elder - Black Sheep Custom CakesMy honest thoughts, ideas and advice ( if it's worth anything) on life through cake.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-20577669342578980682013-03-23T11:04:00.001-05:002013-03-23T11:14:24.339-05:00The night I didn't die<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few months ago, I dreamt I died…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an incredibly powerful dream,
completely realistic, yet so similar to a movie plot, I should have realized it
was a dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so powerful that it
has taken me this long to even write about it, or even to really speak about it
much as it brings tears to my eyes…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
still don’t feel comfortable describing all of it and everything that happened
within, but I think it’s time I shared it, in hopes that my struggle might help
someone else. (Or at the least get it off my chest!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The dream was just like the plot of many movies, one of my
favorites being “Always”…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure
how it even started, but I met a new friend named Mabel, and she tried for some
time to convince me that I was really dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We went to my son’s school, where he was sitting in class drawing trucks
and cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I watched as he drew, unaware
of my presence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally his teacher
asked him what he was drawing and he told him with a smile, it was “Hotrods my
Daddy made”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The paper held several
crayon pictures of cars done in his own abstract style with a short stick
figure standing with them; it was me...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As the dream progressed Mabel took me to visit many others,
each was carrying on in their own life without me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hard to see but still never really
soaked in until I sat down on a bench to further dispute Mabel’s claims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taped to a street lamp next to the bench was
a flyer for KC Cakefest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked great
and told of all the talented people who were a part of the event, of the great
charity, fun events and finally at the very bottom in small black font, “in
memory of Mike Elder”…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I honestly can say that at that point it was
100% real for me, it didn’t seem like a dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So much goes through your head when you think of that moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think about death much, as I prefer
to focus on life and on today, but having her sit with me as we discussed life
without me, changed me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dream ended when
I visited Carey, who had spent the day working on Cakefest with my oldest
daughter Tabby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was sitting alone in
bed watching “Top Gear”, one of my favorite shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had her laptop out and glasses on as she
worked on whatever need be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Occasionally
she’d look up over her glasses as one of the Top Gear guys would say something ridiculous,
smile, let out a gentle giggle and go back to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
unifying theme throughout, as I visited all of the people I loved was that they
all smiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They all laughed and they
all found at least a degree of peace and happiness, and having seen it first-hand
I realized that is all I could ever hope for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s all I ever wanted and if I were to go today, I could feel fulfilled
knowing that they had a lifetime of happiness in store for them and knew how
much I loved them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the time that has passed since that night seldom has a
moment passed that I haven’t had that dream at least on one of the small screens
in my head …<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have lived a very
interesting life filled with all sorts of trials and also great triumphs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the recent days I’ve come to realize that
the dream served a greater purpose then just to strengthen my need to show my
love to those around me, it also served as a message that I need to let go of
the pain and the regret associated with so much of my life and past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not a religious man, and I’m sure right now some are
reading this and thinking that “God” had a part in this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe so, but whatever the reason I feel I’ve
learned much from it and that’s why I share it today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only speak for myself but it seems to
me that so much of life is spent focused on things that don’t really
matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve done things and believed in
things that if I had ever stopped to question why, I would never have done. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing I have become best (or worst) at is
accepting the blame and guilt others seem so happy to heap upon me, as well as
blaming myself for things I really shouldn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This dream was a wake-up call, a
coming to terms of sorts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The message
being that I needed to leave my old life behind, begin to shed the guilt and
blame and even the vanity of my past and look towards a better tomorrow and
happier days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So much time and effort has been expended in my life doing
what I thought was the right thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
times it wasn’t right at all and I knew it was so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But because it’s often easier to go along
with whatever comes along, I went with the flow, convinced I was doing the
things that were best, even though deep down I knew better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believed at the time that I had no choice,
that I had to make do with what came along and with a lifestyle I know now that
I chose, not a life that had been forced upon me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is always a choice, and I chose badly
in many cases.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many days I
believed I dreamt about my death and a future for those I love void of my
presence. I realize that it wasn’t about my physical death at all…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was about a life I have come to expect, a
future that holds great happiness and love, if only I have the strength to move
on, let go of my past which includes not just past feelings, but also past
relationships and even people and embrace the changes that must come with
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dream was about my life. about moving on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know that once again I have failed to produce a cake
related blog, but some things are worth the side note if you will!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a fact even that cake is one of those
things I took way to seriously, and my participation in it became more a competition
for me as a business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked to each
cake as a way to prove myself to the world and to prove my own personal value
that had all my life been called into question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I once wrote a blog about “Faking it til you make it” and it seems I was
doing the very thing I was protesting, just in a different aspect of my
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this seems so petty now,
and my only wish is to use cake as a way to spend time with great friends, good
people and the ones I love. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know many
people who seem to have this firmly in their grasp, yet far more, seem far more
interested in their appearance, then their reality… Maybe my friend Mabel can
do something about that? LOL.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always try to
end on a humorous note, and this blog is a bit more challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really do intend to write about cake
someday, I can’t say I’m horribly interested in a “how-to” blog about
techniques or new products, but I am very interested in the people and the emotions
that go along with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as that
night and that simple dream helped me see life in a different light, I see my
role in the cake community differently now too. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve launched a new project to share the
stories of triumph and good people around the nation and world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m excited to share what we come up with and
very happy to be focused even more so on such a positive movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s getting late now, I sit here typing with a little boy
asleep on my shoulder and two girls snoozing on the floor at my feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sweet dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m off to bed myself, to sleep, to dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wishing you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Peace N Love<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">m <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-7029452798906728902013-01-21T22:51:00.000-06:002013-01-21T23:05:19.545-06:00A world gone mad....All we need is loveI've been studying some of my grandparents old photos and memorabilia I found recently. Among them are a stack of letters sent to my Grandfather (my facebook profile pic). The letters go into detail about my Grandmothers everyday life at which time my father was a little younger than the age of my own son. The content of the letters are pretty general, as my grandmother mostly tries to share her day to day occurrences with her distant husband, whom she very clearly loved very deeply. I smile and struggle to choke back the tears as she describes how; last night a mouse was spotted in the kitchen after putting Larry (my dad) to bed. Investigating the intruder she was startled when upon opening the cupboard door it scurried out. Reacting instinctively she swatted at it with a nearby mop, finally smacking it and leaving it stunned. She describes that she didn't have the heart to hit it again, so it ran into my dad's room and under his book case. The letter describes how she finally woke Larry up to enlist what would become my future fathers help in capturing it, only to finally loose him for good back in the pantry. Being resourceful (and sounding a bit proud of herself) she explained that she found the mouse's point of entry in the bottom of the pantry. She shared a bowl of soup with her now wide awake son then attached the tin can lid over the hole, thus, solving the problem. The letter ends with a request by my Grandmother asking that my Grandfather "<em>save up all those hugs and kisses for me, as I'm saving mine for you, I'll expect them upon your return home... I do love you so."</em> <br />
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The letters sat unknown to my Father in the bottom of a box hidden away until I found them recently. All neatly dated, in order and tucked away, they make me think of their life, and a time that at first glance seems so different than my own. I found myself thinking nostalgically about what seemed to be a simpler time, with simpler troubles, but the reality is things were just a tough and routine as they are now and probably ever have been. I can't imagine my Grandmother sitting at home alone with my young father, trying to plan her week based on food rations and radio news reports of massive invasions and death tolls in the thousands. Going to the movies where the previews are propaganda news reels urging you to "support our boys" and giving up her stockings so that they can be used aboard some far removed battleship. ( nylon from pantyhose was often used to make bags of gunpowder used in the big guns) The world was a very scary place, and I can't imagine raising my own kids in a world that was aflame with war. (more than ours is) Yet at the time things were surprisingly up beat. Neighbors knew each other, a family sat down to dinner when ever possible together, and the nation as a whole worked united towards a single goal and they did it without a single text message!<br />
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I read these letters and it makes me think about my children and the way they will view the world as it was before they arrived. It makes me think about the horrible tragedies and senseless violence that seems to be becoming more and more common these days. The recent events have made us think twice before sending them to school, allowing them to go to the movies, and even to stay home as the computer age has opened yet another door for negativity that never existed before. <br />
I listen to my children as they get excited by a Tv show that's coming on, and I cringe when they say things like "OH BOY< Honey Boo Boo"! I watch the "kid friendly" shows, and most of them scare the hell out of me when you really look at what they say as a whole. Most of the "kids" on TV have no parents to speak of, or if they do the dad is ALWAYS an idiot, who embarrasses them and the mother is always snarky. I find myself living in a world where my kids have a diminishing respect for much of anything and I have an aversion to punish them when they misbehave out of an extreme fear that they may mention that they got swatted to a teacher, followed by social services knocking on my door calling me an unfit parent! Everyday I worry about the choices I've made and the impact it has on my kids. <br />
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We seem to live in a culture that celebrates stupidity, violence and ignorance, where the evil doers get all the media coverage, victims are forgotten in general, and the "Jersey Shore" mentality is entertaining. Who made the decision to get us here? Well, we all did, but it's never to late to do something about it!<br />
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Being a part of the cake industry has been great even if at times difficult logistically for me in that it has shown me a more peaceful side of humanity. This isn't to say that there hasn't been a fair share of people doing all they can to inject negativity into it at times, but in general, despite the trouble with it from a business aspect, the people I've met and the things I've seen and things I've done because of it are without equal! I cannot imagine my life without the people and the memories that have become a integral part of my life, many of whom I met and know because of cake, or at least because of my association with it. I am thankful for the clients I've had that on occasion teach me something about life I hadn't before considered, the ones that surprise me, and open their hearts to me, making my soul a bit fuller and warmer. I've been many places doing "the cake thing" and I can say that it's been an amazing experience that I am grateful for in many ways. Someday I may yet find a way to make a go of it financially even! ( that's a joke btw) The thing I've learned from my exposure to so many people and so many different experiences is that contrary to what I am led to believe from the media and TV shows, there are really great people all over the place! Somehow we've forgotten that... I feel as though the past experiences of my life, have led me to a new sort of enlightenment in which I can see and appreciate the good solid people of the world. The people that do good because it's good. The people that work because they believe in a days honest labor. The people that love because loving is the right thing to do. I've known all sorts of people, at times I found myself not liking the person I was, or felt I was close to becoming, it is the good people and the love I've been shown by them that has given me new meaning and hope that things can and will get better. I've stood in a room divided by imaginary barriers of language and nationality where one would expect to feel alone, only to find comfort, warmth and friendship. I learned that a smile is universal, and an open heart is recognizable no matter the language. In a way, I have cake to thank for that.<br />
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I know people follow my blog because its "cake related" and lately my blogs have had little to do with cake at all... , Maybe it's the romantic in me that wants to see "cake" as something more than something we bake and decorate. In my heart I want it to symobolize more. For me "Cake" is the struggle I've lived through, the loss, the heartache and the triumph. "Cake" is the faces of all the people I've met, places I've seen and things I've managed to do. More so "cake" is the experience and wisdom I've gained from taking part in it, creating something from nothing, creating a smile, a friendship, a celebration, LOVE... LOVE, it's about love and living a life filled with as much of it as I can muster, and forgiving myself when I fall short of it thanks to my many imperfections. I know I have so much to learn and so much yet to be understood, but I believe in Love, these days for me, that's enough.<br />
So, at a risk of contradicting the sentiments expressed so beautifully by my Grandmother, "Gather up all those hugs and kisses and spend 'em like there's no tomorrow" <br />
peace N love<br />
m<br />
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oh and : <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTF_wJW7N4g">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTF_wJW7N4g</a> it's worth the time.<br />
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. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-1934652379679877532013-01-01T19:50:00.000-06:002013-01-01T20:12:46.753-06:00Strength. sometimes it finds youJust the other morning, I was walking out of the gas station on my way to my second job. I stepped off the sidewalk into the parking lot, looking down as I bundled my coat tighter around me bracing against the icy winter wind, at my feet lay a scrap of paper, what appeared to be a business card. There was a word written on the card in blue pin, simply : <strong>STRENGTH...</strong> At first I simply hurried by, in a rush to get to my van and speed off to work, but then something stopped me. Turning around I walked over and stood above the tattered message abandoned on the pavement. It had been run over many times and had nearly become a piece of the parking lot. I read it again: in all caps, STRENGTH... I thought to pick it up, but again something stopped me and instead I stood there in the morning cold, simply looking at this simple word. I can only imagine what the station attendant must have thought as she watched me as I stood there dumb founded... I've seen words, billions of them. I've seen scraps of paper, litter and trash all over the place, but this one little piece of cardstock on this day stopped me in my tracks. Finally I pulled out my phone, snapped a picture and parted ways, leaving this simple, yet powerful message in it's place for the next person to find. In the time since, this is what I've been thinking:( so bear with me!)<br />
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My brain is a weird sort of place, and often a hard one to reconcile as it's set up like a mega plex theater. I have at times dozens and up to hundreds of movie screens inside my head. Some "movies" play randomly, like the memory of a flooded street as a child, while others are far more under my command, and everyday, I relive my past, look to my future and consider the options taken, not taken and still to come, essentially this means I think A LOT and it wasn't long before the reality of my day started to kick in. Traffic, plans for my work day and issues with my personal life, quickly found their way into my thoughts. It was new years eve, and as I do to often I found myself thinking about the past year ( and more) about my current struggles and all the problems that seem to dog my life. This past year has been a roller coaster ride to be sure! I've expreienced some massive highs, and some dark sinking lows, and quickly it seems the dark of the lowest times stains the light of the good. I try to be a positive guy and even harder try to focus on the good stuff and what I can do to make things better, but of late that's become a tough battle for me. It pains me to look back at segments of my life. I don't mean to imply that it's been bad, or even that I would really change any of it, but lately there has been a clarity cast on my past and with clarity sometimes comes the reality of facing up to things, long filed away and while never forgotten, seldom drug out for inspection. <br />
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In light of some of the tragedies that have happened in the past year it seems almost arrogant to even consider ones own issues as problems at all, thinking back to my youth I still can't fairly compare to the loss and pain suffered by far to many people of late, yet inside ones own mind it is easy to get lost in self pity and remorse. For my own part I seem to blame myself for things even when I know it's not really my fault. The falling out between my mother and I was a nuclear bomb for my family and as of yet no one seems to be very interested in a truthful resolution or even a feeling of culpability. Instead judgments seem to be cast, blame placed and never disputed, and divisions set seemingly in stone. Hurt feelings and perhaps more so shattered images or ideals have caused such a rift that it seems easier to move on in different directions than to even attempt to see the truth. (and you wonder where black sheep comes from?) I've come to terms with the lifelong reality that my role within my family is to burden the fault. Whether it bear truthfulness, matters not, but by blaming me they seem to be better at moving on. Perhaps it's strength to accept this? I don't know. <br />
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This year I accepted the blame for the final failure of my relationship. Far to often I sat angry, focused on what I thought was the faults and shortcomings of the other, wondering what did I do to deserve this... I am angry at myself for the way I acted and felt. It scares me to know that I could feel such animosity toward someone who really was doing their best for me. I'm not sure even what started it or when but I had held on to every negative feeling and every bruise of my ego until there was little left but rage, anger and blame directed at the person I was supposed to be supporting. I don't mean to pass the buck but it's very easy to mirror the roles we are raised with and in my case both of my parents, seemed to be so enormously unhappy with the other and blind to the fact that the issues and shortcomings go both ways. My dad used to run out the back door when my mother came home, while my mother would seem most angry just to have had to come home. I can remember daily the scene of near panic in the supposed head of the household upon hearing the car door in the driveway, everyday was spent in avoidance and trying to lessen the conflict between people who were supposed to be my relationship role models. It really brought to mind my impact on my three children because of the actions we had taken under their watchful eyes. It makes me feel very guilty that because I wasn't strong enough they had to see so much of the same. It sucks when relationships fail, but I'm confused as to why exactly in so many cases the end has to be so nasty and ugly as it was with my parents. what's worse is when family members who once loved you learn of the split, the first thing they do is get mad, pick sides and get to hating! The world would be so much the better if people would agree to the degree that the situation sucks, but help to move on with a positive plan of action and love, not blame, anger and finger pointing. It's been very hard over the past few years to have gone through such a range of emotions only to realize that although we are not the right fit to truely live together fully, we are good friends, and do love each other. I've shared a huge part of my life with her and having realized my own faults and shortcomings, it makes it impossible to be mad or to blame her. Where I had once hated her ( as much as I hate to admit I felt that way) I now only feel regret and a need to support her and to be a better friend then I was a husband. It sounds very strange I'm sure to some but letting go of the anger and bitterness I had so much of towards her was at first very hard, but one of the best things I have ever done. Instead of thinking about all the things I was mad about and had often wrongfully blamed her for I can focus instead on building a relationship based on our 3 awesome kids and a friendship that supports her like I never did in the past. The idea of presenting my children the relationship model we had built or the one I think we are creating now gives me a sense of hope I never had before. Instead of saying I focus on love and peace, actually living that way. It seems that even when I felt I had none, strength found me here too.<br />
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The cake business... You've all heard me say it if you've ever read a blog from me before: it's a bitch. I've done some great things this year to be sure! I've traveled around the world and met some beautiful people. Carey, I and friends held one of the biggest cake events in the world and proudly shared the positivity and joy we and our awesome cake friends have with thousands of cake fans. I've taught classes in 3 countries with excited students all sharing a common love of creativity and love expressed in cake form. Set a world record and even managed to make a few cakes I'm pretty proud of. Add to that this year alone over 20,000 people have read this blog, I've had articles published globally and people still enjoy my DVD's and one would say I'm doing great. How could I feel like I'm failing at it so? Maybe it's all the other drama that's been so strong this year, and the fact that due to the economic downturn many people just don't order cakes like they used to. Thanks to the "walmartification" ( i made that up) of the industry many people order based on price alone and can't justify paying anything extra for a truely awesome cake. I've found myself unable to keep the bills paid, struggling each week just to stay afloat. It's been a busy year no doubt, but a profit still eludes me. I've been working on all that I must do so much that everything else has suffered. I work each day as a painter and building maintenance guy, often 7 days a week, and do cakes at night sometimes all night. After six months of 12 hour days then coming to the shop afterwards to try and put together a cake business, it's very hard to say I enjoy doing a cake. Often I find myself wishing I could just go hang out with the kids or as I used to do, ride a bike! My passion is Cakefest and the Tv show we've been trying so hard to pitch, but when exhaustion is the primary force in my life, it's hard to persue that dream. Cakefest isn't done to make a profit... It's done to raise money for worthy charities and to have fun. But in it's self is a full time job. <br />
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The TV pitch I've mentioned many times. As I think I've eluded to before I have been asked several times by several different groups for show ideas. It seems to go in spurts and each time I get excited and allow myself to get drawn into a weird twisted world where the people in charge consider shows like "honey boo boo" golden. The concept is simple and in the past I've worried about sharing it as it's so easy to "steal"! But at this point? The idea is focused not so much on cake. It's true that my own background is pretty diverse. I've done a lot and lived through a ton, from nearly dieing at the hands of a drunk driver, molestation, family troubles and the more positive list of cool jobs I've had ranging from race car driver, CPR instructor, self defense assistant, security, to roofing, to working in a cave at 30 below. I've traveled a lot especially recently and with each experience I've learned that there are countless good people focused on doing the most good they can EVERYwhere! The show's intent is to showcase the everyday, unsung heros of the nation/ world who never get the attention they deserve. ( everything these days focuses on the bad and most "out there" people) By celebrating each of them individually, we celebrate the whole. Until yesterday I had thought the show was simply about what they do and why, but having found this fateful card on the ground it donned on me the truth. The heart and soul of the show idea is S.T.R.E.N.G.T.H... We all have it. Sometimes we don't see it. As I surely didn't and still have trouble doing so. We all have it and it is what makes us do what we often must, and sometimes pushes us to want more, want to do more and want to be more! It's what we see in others that inspires us to follow and even to lead the way. Strength often will make us say what need be said, do what is right and defend those who may need it. <br />
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Life is about finding the direction and strength is the fuel that gets us there. <br />
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At a time when I felt I had none left, and that my tank had run dry. I found it. Laying in a parking lot, mashed into the pavement, written in blue pen.<br />
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Peace N Love<br />
m<br />
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P.S. since this is a new years post, all my love and Thanks to everyone who has impacted me so much! Thanks to Carey, Angela, My kids Tabby, Alyssa, Ethan, Dad,Jesse L, Richard F, Heuy H, Duane D, Rachel E, Michelle B,Rosalynne C, Chris H.,Lynette and Dennis, John & Robin, Eric L,Debbie G and Chris H, David G, Jasper M, Kathy and Dan F, Ed H, Ruth R, Peggy and Lonnie T, Bob B, Clara G , Eric & Patty W, Teresa H and family, Nelson F, Jay Q, Jaime W, Caroline W, John C (SGC), Collin my camera dude, Honor Flight Gary L, Erin and Vets, and everyone that saw fit to take a class from me, watch a demo or support me in any way!~ I've been fortunate tho I sometimes forget to have met and love so many great and awesome people. I know I'm forgetting you, but you know I truely love you all!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-86760639116455811762012-11-28T20:09:00.002-06:002012-11-28T20:17:26.075-06:00"Fake it til you make it" Vol IIIn case you missed the original version it might be helpful if you read it first. <a href="http://mikeelderonline.blogspot.com/2012/06/fake-it-til-you-make-it.html">http://mikeelderonline.blogspot.com/2012/06/fake-it-til-you-make-it.html</a><br />
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An old friend once told me that "you got to fake it til you make it"... I wrote the original blog about the subject in response to a flood of facebook post about being "so busy and having so many cake orders" at the time, while everyone I know was struggling to figure out how to make a living off of doing cakes. Many truly talented and very well known cake artist are right this minute trying to figure out what it is they're doing wrong. The concept isn't crazy in terms of building an image of a strong and successful brand. Often as a budding business or artist, it's priority number one to appear successful. The idea being that looking like you're doing well and creating an image of prosperity, will eventually lead you to actual success. I guess to an extent the idea is sound and could justify a client being willing to separate themselves from their cash, and is perhaps even necessary to a degree. Why would a client feel justified in paying you a healthy sum, when they know they are the only job you got that week? We all fake it, it's the degree to which we do it to our peers that bothers me. (it's an interesting note that many fledgling cake decorators act to the exact opposite, believing that doing cake for free or at extremely low cost is a good choice for starting up! your work has to have value, and that's not how you add value to your work!)<br />
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Even though I seem to say it in every blog, and risking sounding like I'm stuck on the idea, making a living solely on cake is TOUGH! It never really donned on me before but, I got started because of this difficulty! My mother spent much of my youth doing cakes... For bakeries, for food brokers and finally for herself, when the work finally began to take it's toll on her body, she started to need help, and that is when I began to come up on weekends, or Friday nights to help out. At the time I was blissfully unaware of just how tough a career choice it was. For me as a mechanically minded guy, used to working on customers hot rods, the fun of doing something short term, creative and seemingly lucrative was a blast. I never considered it as a career, but eventually after being on several TV shows, and after our clients became used to the style of cakes I could do ( my mother and I had very different styles) we got so busy that the hot rod shop began to suffer and ultimately it was the cause of the demise of it. It's hard to keep a shop going when you're never there to answer the phone, or work on a customer's car. At first I really enjoyed the work and when busy, the money was good. But after making the move outside Kansas City, the business really fell off in spite of the fact that I deliver everything! The strain of the industry took it's toll on my relationship with my mother too. My success at times overshadowed hers and eventually added to the issues we already had with each other until finally it became too much. <br />
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I've been asked so many times how I find time for it all and the truth is I don't! I've even been approached before and asked for advice about survival and keeping your sanity while owning a cake shop, and all the while I've felt like I was the one loosing my mind! These days my day begins at 6 am... I climb from bed exhausted and throw on my work clothes, climb in my van and rush to KC where I work a second job painting houses, doing remodeling and general construction. In the past 2 years this is the first time I've felt like I could reliably earn a stable living. During lunch, and I hate to admit it, but sometimes on the drive to and from the city, I check my emails, call clients and try to keep from falling too far behind in my cake shop. Some days I make it home early enough to spend some time with the kids, but more often then I can stand these days, I'm at the bakery in the evenings and nights trying to keep a handle on my cakes. KC Cakefest is one of the things I care about most, and it turns out that too often I don't have the time or energy to really do it like it deserves to be done. Additionally there's what I now refer to as "The TV Thing"... For some time now I've been working on a project that should have been completed a year ago. All the while I've received and turned down offers to do several other TV shows, from Halloween wars to next great baker. Every time I get the call or emails I let myself get excited. It's been over a year since I did any national TV and like anyone would I worry that without it, my business will fail, or people will not want me to do events or teach classes. I worry so much about it that at times I have seriously considered doing the shows. My opinion of most of them has been pretty harsh, maybe to harsh, but the reality is that the producers of these shows are experts at faking it! I've watched a little of some of these shows and honestly I'm really let down by the level of quality shown, yet presented on TV to the general public as "The BEST OF THE BEST"... After being courted by so many different production companies about one lame knock off of another already existent show after another, I decided to do what felt right and try to produce a show that has some actual heart! I've been working to produce a show that shows the real true hard work your every day average American does day in and day out for nothing much more then the satisfaction of a well done job and a paycheck. Our world is created and run by these people, yet they never get the acknowledgment so deserved. We cake people are among them. We create something that seems simple; a cake... The truth is cakes are far more than that, they are the things that memories are made from, celebrations are held around and people share with one another. Every great celebration can be made greater with cake, and seldom do we ever make enough to be worth our while. We do it because we feel good about it, we do it because making someone smile is worth the effort and time spent, we do it because we love it. I'm proud of the concept and proud of whats been put together, even though the consensus with networks seems to be that it's not "unreal" enough! Essentially I have 4 jobs in addition to trying to spend enough time with the people I love and it's not an easy task. I'm not trying to get rich, just live a life I can be proud of and make some sort of mark, but it's getting harder every day, I don't feel like I'm doing a very good job.<br />
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So for once I actually have advice that may have value. Be careful about judging yourself and your own success based on what you hear on TV or read on Facebook! It's one thing to admire someone or follow them on facebook because you like their work, or they inspire you in some way, but it's a bad idea to judge yourself by their standard. (they may be faking it!) Admit your fears... For myself, I tried for a while to fake it, all the while afraid of failing, not being able to support my family, not being good enough, being forgotten and longing for something more. I still fear these things but admitting them and facing them is oddly a great source of strength for me. It's very easy to get caught up in all that I CAN'T do, all the things I struggle with and places I've failed, but I choose to believe that from pain comes strength! From failure comes knowledge and overcoming doubt is possible. I focus on doing what I can, work as hard as I can and believe in what I'm doing even when it seems I don't measure up. It's human nature to look at others and wonder why they seem to have it all while I struggle. It's even easier to inflict that self imposed punishment upon ourselves these days while a FB friend is posting "gee I have so many cakes this week and they're all awesome orders for celebrities and TV shows, what am I to do?" all the while trying to sound like they are complaining about having to do so much work! only to follow up later in the week with only one or 2 photos of the work. Competition is a fact of life. Many people will do what ever they can including these post to feel superior or gain respect, but in reality it paints a false picture of what is our normal life. Try a little humility and we may all be closer. I've said it before: We're all in this together... There is only one you and the impact you make on the world is yours and yours alone! Whether you choose to to make a grander one, or are happy to sit by and watch the world go on, you will still have made your mark. <br />
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thanks for letting me once again vent.<br />
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peace n love<br />
mikeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-35460112613019906442012-11-12T20:28:00.000-06:002012-11-12T21:00:42.661-06:00crazy biz and crazier clients! How to cope?Have I ever mentioned just how difficult the cake decorating industry is? (oh wait only all the time..) I have friends in every aspect of the food biz, and that runs the range from chefs to bloggers to magazine editors and of them have it rough these days, but as cakers we've got all their troubles plus the additional perks we all know and love so much. this blog is a short comparison between cake design and the regular restaurant chef's world and then we'll move on to define the different types of clients we seem to get in our industry.<br />
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Restaurants are fickle just as cake is, but with different pitfals. Many chefs cater and frequently do large banquets that closely mirror our experiences, requiring advanced tastings, meetings with the client and stress about supply and cost versus profit. There is a big difference between how they sell and how we must sell. For one, they can give the client the finished product months before the actual event. This means that the client can try the "Tagliatelle with roasted chicken, tossed in a light olive oil with sun dried tomato, or the Apricot glazed salmon with saffron baby potatoes with soy, garlic and ginger splash"( yeah I'm hungry too) during the actual sampling. They can eat at a table decorated just as it will be the night of their event with the same wine, same lighting and same service staff they will expect when their guest arrive! As long as things go more or less to plan, there is little to worry about in terms of surprises. If the client orders 150 dinners, the chef will plan for that and the odd occurrence of an unplanned vegan guest showing up unannounced. The everyday operation is more trying, with an unknown number of guest ordering what they will. Trying to plan for the ups and downs of that sort of business is very tough, especially as today's economy tends to force more and more people to cut back! <br />
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Our business is similar, but also very different. (if that makes sense?) Our work is much more abstract. We can still meet clients and plan many things months in advance, offer several different choices of flavor, style, icings and fillings, and as far as our job goes that's the easy part. The client may die for your lemon cake with raspberry filling, and you can assure them that when they cut their cake that's what they'll get, but after that they're going almost entirely on your word and reputation, and there is no way they can really understand what it is that you're going to do for them. <br />
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I consider myself to be a "well known cake person" in my area... However I get calls all the time from people who have never heard of me, or have no clue what it is that I can do. Even the educated ones ( and by that I mean they've researched my work) can barely grasp what it is that I'm presenting to them in terms of a cake. I can't show up to the consult with their completed cake, I can't show them the exact size that 350 servings represents, though I do know bakers that stack dummies for clients (great idea!). I can't expect them to understand the value of my talent, nor the amount of work that goes into my craft. The time creating, and the hassle of delivering and setting up a cake is also outside their comprehension. So then how can I really truly convince them that the price is fair and that the cake will be beyond their greatest imagination? I'm not sure I can, and here in lies the problem for us all. People seem to more and more often expect more while paying less. They think that because walmart does a cake that honestly presents well ( and looks like the 100 done before it) on the cheap, that we as custom cake designers have to follow suit. They think that because so many decorators do and well, it's the way of things these days! I know a lot of bakers in our area that will work cheaper than walmart thinking that they are "competing" with them. They price their work so low that really there is no profit. I've heard so many times from budding businesses that "we're trying to build a clientele so we have to work cheap". The idea being that because they're cheap they'll get more cakes, thus more repeat customers, thus more and more referrals. This works but the reputation you've built is " she's really cheap" I don't know how else to put it other than quality cost! We all know it and when a client perceives your work as "cheap" that also means "acceptably worse" but since they're not really paying for quality work, they're OK with it... If that's the business reputation you're looking for, well, then good job. I've said it before: " there's always someone willing to do it a little cheaper and a little crappier" (congrats you're cheaper and crappier than walmart)<br />
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I've dealt with so many crazy uninformed client inquiries I've decided to start a glossary and even offer advice on how to deal with them. Maybe next blog I'll tackle the issue of post-delivery and angry clients!<br />
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<u><strong>Clueless dreamer:</strong></u> This person has no idea who you are, but saw way to much reality CAKE TV! They call you blindly with no clue what they really want and even less though about it actually costing them. They want a cake just like they saw on TV but for he and his girlfriend only (2 servings). They expect that you have that cake just sitting on the rack ready for them without thought of advance ordering. (I have had these people call looking for anything from a chainsaw to Barbi dolls, and for this afternoon... good thing I stock cakes like that?)<br />
<em>solution:</em> <em>I've never landed a cake from a client like this. Usually I end up feeling insulted when I give them some sort of guideline about the price and they say something that matches their mentality... so instead I tell them to go to my website, look me up online and call me back when they have some idea what they want and how much they want to spend. The less time wasted on them the better. they wont call back. </em><br />
<u><strong>Cheapskate:</strong> </u> This client calls or emails and gives very vague info. "Can you do a cake for me in August and how much is that?" They're bargain basement shopping for the lowest price and haven't realized yet that walmart is their place! The reason the info they've giving you is so vague is because they don't want to spend the time explaining what they want until they like the price. They're calling or emailing so many places that to save carpal tunnel or loosing their voice, they cut to the chase. <br />
<em>solution: again as little time spent on these people the better. They're looking for a quick answer anyway so they can call the next bakery in the book. I tell them my minimum price and explain that most cakes don't fall</em> under that category.<em> I'm up front and honest so that I'm not trying to figure out what corners to cut later so as to fit their budget. cutting corners for me just means I do the same amount of work but get paid much less. These people can be a problem post delivery as I've found they can get "buyers remorse" and regret spending their hard earned money on a "silly cake" beware!</em><br />
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<strong><em><u>Fatal attraction ( big fan):</u></em></strong> This may be more for those who've had some TV or press exposure, but people will try it on anyone! This cake shopper contacts you explaining that they love your work, perhaps they've seen you on TV and undoubtedly their cute lil 6 year old niece loves you dearly and is your biggest fan and they're quite convinced "you should be on one of 'dem TV shows"! They will schmooze you and massage your ego until you feel obligated to do the cake for them for next to nothing! It seems ( for me at least) a little flattery goes a long way! It's a cunning strategy and sometimes it's even true!<br />
<em>Solution: This is a toughie as you'll already be in a better more peaceful place. I try to be fair and charge as I should but honestly they're going to get more out of me than they bargained for! I'll go out of my way even if I do think they're pulling my leg. I had one lady totally bullshit me once: She called with the "I'm your biggest fan and my entire universe of friends and family all love you and we've all dreamt of having one of your "masterpieces" ... she went on to explain how they follow me and love my "recent" cakes. I asked "which one" to which I could hear her clicking away at her computer until she described a cake... Mike McCarey's cake. (nice one too BTW! you da man Mike) she still got a good deal! </em><br />
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<strong><u><em>Alexander the great ( I want it all!):</em> </u></strong> This client suffers from Cake Reality TV Syndrome (from this point on referred to as "CRTS" They've watched the magic of TV and like a "big fan" they may truly love your work and want a cake from you, or they may have been lulled into the misconception that making cakes is as easy as it seems on TV. Random bakers get random unknown request for huge mechanized cakes and somehow manage to make 'em in 8 hours. They have never been presented with the actual reality of the industry and will find it hard to understand why you cant repeat what they saw on TV or the cost involved. They ask for the world not realizing that everything they add to their cake adds tons of time to our work, and thus, more cost! Frequently this client will even think it's their "job" to make last minute changes or "twist" to their order all with no regard to the cost difference.<br />
<em>solution: The usual fix is quoting a price that's actually worthy of the work they want done and explaining why they can't get what they're asking for on a budget. I had one of these after our Christmas tree show aired on TLC. The lady called for a cake "just like" what they saw us make in a 5 minute segment of a TV show. I found out they were on a $100.00 budget. That amount wouldn't have bought the icing required for the piece! I try very hard to create something they can afford and be happy with but truth is if they want the world but their budget is Ramen Noodles, there's a conflict brewing! I've had more clients unreasonably angry after a cake like this scenario because it didn't meet the extremely high demand they imagined. I've rarely done a cake I wasn't willing to stand behind 100% but when they wanted far more, they can become unhappy pretty easily. I try not to let my clients settle... better to move on.</em><br />
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<strong><em><u>Sir Lancelot:</u></em></strong> This client is so well connected that you should feel honored that they took the time and had the good nature enough to think about including you in their kids 2nd birthday! The amount of business and number of people they will magically transform into mindless followers of your bakery is staggering! You should literally pay this person for the honor of doing a cake for them, as the rewards for you will be endless. They can be individuals or huge groups (or in my case pro sporting teams) Either way this customer believes or wants you to believe that they have the ability to single handedly make your business! You'll never need to advertise again.<br />
<em>solution: run away! or at least don't fall victim to the idea that anyone gets something for nothing! Just as Lancelot vowed to protect and honor King Arthur, he also caused the fall of his kingdom by banging the crown off of Guinevere! It's easy especially if you're a small bakery to feel like opportunity is knocking, but as a small bakery you should understand that you can't go giving everyone a cake with the hopes of creating a business or free advertising! I've done cakes for all sorts of people in the past that I believed would have the ability to increase my business volume, but in truth I can't name more than a few cakes that were booked because of all of them combined! I even did a free cake for The KC Chiefs ( long story) and I didn't receive a single order in return. If a little exposure is what you're looking for, try the next art faire! ( bring samples)</em><br />
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<em><u><strong>The Crypt (ic) Keeper:</strong></u> </em>This client is closely related to the "Clueless dreamer" in that they've got no idea what they want. They may have all the specifics and be well researched, but as far as knowing what they actually want, they've not a clue... They may call with random and pointless ideas or thoughts but have no concise plan for what the cake should look like.<br />
<em>solution: These people aren't so bad as long as they're willing to give you control and won't second guess your decision. I actually like this guy as normally they are just looking for guidance and as an "expert" ( notice the quotation marks!) in my field I'm happy to point them where I think they should go in terms of design. It's our job as cake designers to know what looks best in cake and how to do it, it's nice to have a client that doesn't try to take on the designers role! I've heard this is some decorators least favorite type of client because they feel like they need their direction, but think outside the cake box and you'll see this as a blessing! They're usually more open to any input you got and some of my favorite cake have been done for them!</em><br />
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<strong><em><u>Last Minute shopper:</u></em></strong> We've all been there... This person needs a last minute cake for a myriad of possible reasons. They expect that in no time you can create what ever their little procrastinating heart desires... They will often appeal to your softer side as a "big fan" will, hoping you'll feel sorry for them and squeeze them in. <br />
<em>solution: It's a question of quality versus time. if I can fit someone in I always will, but they need to understand that they're going to pay more and I've got to do it my way! As they say a lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine</em>.<br />
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<strong><u>The baker in the family: </u></strong> This person is the self proclaimed or "used to be" the "family cake baker" and for what ever reason they've decided to go to you instead. They tend to think they know more than you do, or that they can manipulate you into cutting them a deal because of some sort of inside knowledge they think they have. " I know how this is done so don't try to pull anything over on me" or " I worked in a bakery for 20 years" (yeah from 60-80!) They think you're obliged to owe them because they too did or do cake. Humm...<br />
<em>solution: I stay away from these all I can! I know my product, I'm happy with what I produce, but doing a cake for someone who is letting you know in advance that they'll be critical of your work is a bad idea! It's no different then taking your car straight from one repair shop down the street to another and letting the guy pick apart the others work. It's bad practice and damaging for everyone!</em><br />
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I could go on and on with this and I encourage you to add your own in the comments section! <br />
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What ever the perils of this industry be, there are those of us who are looking to understand them, explain them and share with each other our experiences. We've got an often fun job that can be tricky to make a real living from! So many of our peers like to post on facebook things like "Oh my how am I to finish all these dozens of cakes... poor me?" (earlier blog "fake it til you make it"... look it up!) Cake TV , or rather the possibility of being on it in the future is responsible for some of this, as many feel a need to "look" busy as they feel it makes them more appealing to producers. ( busy apparently equates to great?) It may be true that this week they are that busy, but reality is dealing with our customers, and making a viable business out of cake is tough! We don't need people to fake it and make the rest of us feel like we're the only ones struggling with it! We need to unite and figure out a way to make it better for all of us! THAT'S ALL OF US!! I've been given a gift and I see it as such. I have been lucky enough that people tend to look to me for guidance and insight... Not that I feel like I'm worthy of it, but as it happens I have thought about it a bunch. I could post pics of every cake I do and brag about being busy ( even though I'm not) I could put on the front that most everyone would believe. I could swear to be doing more than I could stand and everyone would believe it and my own desires to be respected for being a "success" in this industry would be upheld. But I choose to support the truth and realize that real understanding of this industry will come when we can all stand up and say, " yeah this is tough... but working together and sharing the struggle is so much better than hiding from the truth!<br />
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There is only ever going to be one of you, and one of me... the contribution you make to the world is determined by you and by your actions. We have such a short time to make that impact and the sooner we chose to do something good and stand for something we believe in the better! Don't waste your time comparing yourself or your work to someone else, be you, do your thing and an impact will have been made as only you could make it.<br />
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Peace N Love<br />
m<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-40635230693724332102012-10-29T21:21:00.001-05:002012-10-29T21:53:29.859-05:00Culpability... another life lesson from the cake world(written in part during my latest travels) <br />
As I sit in a cold hard international terminal chair waiting for a flight home, I can't help but think: Life is beautiful... Life is also a challenge and sometimes the things we love and believe in most, want most and dream of, are the things that seem to be hardest to grasp. Sometimes circumstances stand in the way of all that life can be, to often I've forgotten just how much I have. (I'll get to the cake related part of this blog soon! I promise!)<br />
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I've lived a life that often surprises the people I meet. I've done so many things, seen so much and experienced a wealth of visions, real, unreal, pleasant and painful. For so long I wondered around in a frantic attempt to please the people in my life that I held responsible for my happiness... I believed the purpose of my life was to earn their respect, gratitude and approval. My "job" was to make them happy. My purpose was to some day feel worthy of their love, and not feel as though I had it because they had to, or because they needed me so badly that I got it by default. It's one thing to be loved because you're needed, and a completely different thing to be loved... through out it all I always felt misunderstood.</div>
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I have given up so much and been subjected to some of life's very dark side in my attempt to break this cycle and be happy. I learned the hard way that I am extremely rugged... I am able to subject myself to enormous strain and endure all sorts of pain and punishment and I even have the ability to rationalize to myself why it is all going to be worth it some day. But the truth is life is short. Waiting for the day when my family would approve of me, the people I need would step up and carry their own weight, and I'd finally have earned what I thought I was working for, is not a very good use of my time.<br />
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Breaking the cycle, and being able to accept both my own bad habits and the short comings of myself and those around me cost me more than I ever expected, but in hind sight, the cost was equal to the degree of just how much of a mess my life had become. The knowledge I feel I gained combined with the possibilities of a brighter and more loving future, more than justify the cost and in truth, we<br />
are what we are because of what we've been through. I am a product of the life I lived, and these<br />
days I'm starting to feel like I might actually come to like this guy!</div>
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So how the hell does any of this matter to you? " What's it got to do with cake mike? ". Well... As I said I'm a product of my own life experiences and past. We all are. I've come to find myself in an industry that few people really understand, and one that many people paint a very unreal image of in an attempt to earn the respect of their peers. (if you've read my fake it til you make it blog, you know what I mean). I've been guilty of this too, as it's nice to be looked up to and to have a persona of<br />
success, even if the reality is that we're all struggling! In general the idea behind what we do is great,<br />
but after all the emails I get about my blogs and comments from fellow cake people I find that I'm<br />
not ever as alone in my thoughts and plight as I thought I was. So many of my friends and fellow<br />
artist feel and experience the same things I do, and many who do feel like its some sort of failure to<br />
admit that they too struggle. It's very liberating for me to share my experiences with others, and in<br />
turn feel like we've shared our struggles together. For me, the truth has been very rewarding. </div>
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I've heard from many people who are like myself artistic in nature. For us things are perceived<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">differently. Our industry in general is not at all like most out there. We have a very unique job and it is one in which we put a massive amount of time, energy and even emotion into our work and receive in return much stress, long hours and a great deal of unpredictability. For many people who come </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">from a corporate or other type of background our work is and will remain a mystery. I've had so </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">many people write me and tell me that their family doesn't understand them, they think they </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">should be "more businesslike". Hold regular hours and schedule work so that we can be like the rest </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">of the world and have Saturdays off, our evenings free and more money in our pocket. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">My partner </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Carey has gone through so much because of her dedication to what the people in her </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">family consider a hobby. The idea is that if it were a real business, she'd have posted hours that are strictly adhered to, and a Clear separation between home life and business. I've heard the same scenario explained by many and I really believe that there is a distinct lack of ability of some people to see the value in something artistic, especially if the pursuit isn't exactly making a bunch of money. In her case( and many others) the only way I feel that she could prove herself in the eyes of her nay-sayers was if her business was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">so successful that she needed to hire employees, the next step would be to open a custom cake making factory with share holders and an international marketing budget. The lack of any of the</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">obvious signs of success means to the people that criticize her (and many just like her) that she is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">unsuccessful. Having your work perceived as a hobby and the long hours and time dedicated to what is hard work seen as a waste of time, or even a lack of good time management really can take its toll on a person. Many people with regular jobs bring their work home at times. Does this mean they're wasting time at work? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Add to the already unpopular and misunderstood job choice the value or apparent lack of said value gained by doing charity work, and quickly blame and anger directed at "cake" is the result. </span><br />
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(continued on 10/27)<br />
I've thought about things so much that my brain literally smokes from the friction inside. The scenario Carey and so many like her experience is so common, yet no one inside our industry seems to talk about it openly ( and this is why I am!) There are countless types of people, and countless pursuits or jobs (if you got to call it that) but in general for our industry most are pretty creative, some are very much so and it seems that as a creative type, we are easily mis-understood and even looked down upon for being "like we are". <br />
There seems there's a root to the problem:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">For many of "US" in the cake industry, the "business" started out as a hobby. Most of us decided to make a cake one day and decided we liked it and even found out that we had an aptitude for it... Many of us did them more and more frequently, maybe for friends, neighbors or co-workers, and at some point in the scenario it happened and we began to charge for our work ( this isn't how I got started, but it's a definite trend, and true in Carey's case) The problem is for many that family and even friends often continue to see it as a hobby, or something less then the hard work we all know it really is! Cake is a bitch of a job! I can't claim it any other way... I love to create things, and to wow clients, but rarely do I ever get paid an amount that really justifies the time and talent involved. If I have another customer claim they "would have paid much more had they known it was going to turn out like this" I'm going to go POSTAL! It's tough ( yeah I said that already) the hours are long and the reality is it takes as long as it takes to do it, and when you very literally pour yourself into the work as most creative people do, it is very commonly not understood by those with a more 9 to 5 sort of personality. They see it as a hobby or even an obsession in which we spend tons of time and endless heart into for little pay, and tons of stress. We do what we do because we love the feeling of creation. It is an art, and as artist, we are willing to suffer for our craft, even if the people we love and those who are sworn to support us fail to understand it. It's just another added "perk" of the job, to have a spouse or family criticise you because "you're not done yet" and in some cases point out how this isn't a "real business" because it's not practised like many are. We can't just quit at 5:00 because it's closing time! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Steve Jobs, started his empire by working in his garage with money he got from selling his VW with the intent of furthering a fledgling industry. He worked round the clock, and often lost more than he made, until finally making perhaps the largest impact on the world possible for a single person. We won't make billions on making cakes, but the drive behind it, the belief in one's self and the love of the creativity our job does include will continue to push us along. It's a tough thing to do to realize that the people closest to us may never understand it. I find myself trying to end with a suggestion or a technique good for straightening out the dilema, but again I'm as lost as you are... The only thing I can say with certainty that I've learned through my lifes struggles and from hearing so many stories from friends and fellow cake artist is BE HAPPY... Find out what it is (or who) that makes you happy and try like mad to do it.( what ever that is!) I've been through the toughest times of my life in the past 3-4 years, I've learned so much about myself, the people close to me and about life and happiness. I'm still in the thick of it, but I've realized that you have to be honest with yourself, forgive others while accepting your own culpability, and most of all try to find the good in the situation. I also suggest giving yourself a break! I've blamed myself for so much and sadly blamed others for far to much as well and finally coming to terms with that is a real spiritual awakening! Hoping that your family will some day "get" what it is that you do, may be a lost cause, forgiving them for it, talking to them about it and atleast trying to explain yourself is the first step to living with it. I guess the moral of this story is acceptance.... accept yourself, accept others, even if you can't see eye to eye. </span>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-935805595910143012012-09-24T15:54:00.000-05:002012-09-24T15:54:36.183-05:00for something greater than self... ideas, hopes and dreams. What a past few years this has been. well, really I guess I could say "life" as it's taken me this long to have even the smallest grasp of what this is all about and why people (including myself) do what they do... The past couple weeks have really focused my thoughts and perspectives about so much of what's happened in the past. It's made me look even deeper inside myself and given me a new stronger sense of purpose than before, and I've been feeling the need to share some of what I've seen and learned from all the ... I'll call it: "stuff" I've been through. OK, so this isn't a cake blog once again, but it is one about life, love, anger, understanding and looking into ones' self.<br />
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I don't need to go into the exact specifics of what has happened, or tell my life story to get my point across. I wont share too much about what specifically has been happening in the past few weeks or the time leading up to now, as it isn't all my story to tell. I will tell you what I've seen and what I've learned (or maybe just think I have ) about human nature...<br />
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It seems to me that we all are born with a need to prove ourselves. From the beginning we seek the approval of our parents. In my case that crusade really only recently became understood by me, and I've found many others who like me, are grown adults still trying to gain the respect and even just basic approval of their parents. I've learned that my own need to satisfy or prove my value to someone has dominated a very large percentage of my life. I'm not sure we ever really stop trying to please our parents, but I never realized how much of my life was modeled on that same subject. It seems no matter how bad I feel or how unrelenting the fight, I will try sometimes in vain to accomplish the task. For my own part, I never felt like I even came close to being who I was supposed to be for my parents. I never seemed to measure up, as to often when I thought I was doing the best ever, I found that she was the least impressed, or even worse, offended by me. This all to familiar course found it's way into many other parts of my life, and soon much of my life seemed to be a hopeless quest for happiness, where the prize seemed so far out of reach that only anger and sorrow could be found. <br />
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I don't mean for it to sound like I'm blaming anyone for making me feel like I did, as I know the need was my own, and the actions I took were made by no-one else but me. But for a long while, I was angry... I blamed the people I felt I couldn't please for my own problems and my own feelings of failure and low self esteem. I hate to admit even just how angry, and at times it really got the best of me. Only recently have I been able to look deep inside of myself and realize the value of both the good and the dark inside, the value of the experiences and wisdom gained even from the darkest and most painful times. I've even made friends with my need to satisfy and even to impress the people around me. I've learned that I can make a difference in my own and the people around mes' life, just by choosing to take on a positive energy instead of a negative. Does this mean no more worries, no more struggle? UHH, no... but I wish... I'm new to it though so maybe in time? <br />
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For now I spend my energy in the attempt to reconcile at least some of the past and plan for a brighter future... I've weighed and measured the pain and the anger I've experienced in the past, trying to understand it's root. I've found that there really is no value to the anger at all, anger and pain leads to fear and fear is rarely a valuable thing for me... Fear of dis-approval, of failure and of never measuring up, has cost me far too much. It cost us all to much. so why do it? Easy to say, not so easy to live, but I'm trying. We should all be trying harder to do that!<br />
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Much of the recent events have had me feeling rather down about humanity in general. I've lived through some very trying family issues associated with my mother, and recently with people closer to me, and I've seen and felt so much sorrow and pain, followed up by anger and even hate. I've been sickened by some of it so much that I can't stand to sit by and stay quiet. It makes me wonder:<br />
<strong>why are people so fast to cover pain with anger?</strong> I'm sure there are biological reasons for some of this, but as I put more faith in a persons power to reason this only works to a degree for me. Maybe the next step of human evolution isn't telepathy or super smarts... maybe it's a simple ability to control our anger... Why can't we recognize that " i love you... yes we have issues, yes things end, maybe we shouldn't be together, but because I love you let's do the right thing. " If there was ever love between people, why can't they see through it and realize that causing more pain on top of the existing pain has only the result of even more pain! I do believe that certain people have traits that don't mesh, and that some people will just by accident cause others to feel lessened, or just that they don't live well together. When that happens it is best to recognize it and move on, but does it have to be driven by anger and hate? I don't think so. but it happens most often.<br />
<strong>Why do people have a need to hate in groups?</strong> My own family was deeply divided when things came to a head here... I watched as well planned divisions were enacted that I sadly doubt will be overcome. When my mother and I quit working together I received so much anger and even hostility from so many of her "friends" and every time it made me wonder why? How is it OK for a grown woman, especially those who end their hateful emails with religious signature lines, to write a friends own son and tell him how much you hope bad things happen to him? I got everything from threats to boycott cakefest, to a nicely written email from a TV cake show host, in which she told me I needed to do some soul searching, and straighten up. This long time friend of my mother"s who had always greeted me with a hug and a smile, decided her best cause of action was now hate me because of the gossip she had heard, to a point where when she saw me next in a crowd of people, she grimaced, turned her back from me and ignored me when I cam to say hello. Why?? In all of my soul searching ( and I've been doing it veraciously) I have never found a reason to take that path, but I have sure as hell thought about it!<br />
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<strong>Talk the talk, walk the walk? </strong>I don't claim to have it figured out, but I do think I'm coming to some sort of an understanding with it. (I hope) I've seen way to many people jump to conclusions, point blame and even hate on a moments notice. For what? Many claim to be religious, yet act with complete contempt for people that they previously had loved... Why? I'm struggling more and more to control my own anger directed at people that don't think to stifle theirs! Why can't we all, even in the darkness of what ever negative event is occurring, realize that adding more negativity and anger to an already painful and trying task leads to nowhere but more pain. More negativity and more issues to resolve later? I think about the friends of my mother who were so quick to write me and to shun me. Where are you left, if my mother and I settle our differences? on that day, you're left holding a bag of hatred and regret for a man that you never really should have hated. You shouldn't have hated him firstly because it was not your place to do so. Secondly because as your friends son, you should support and love him, even though he has issues with his mother, your friend, and finally because hating him is just plain wrong! <br />
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This is just a thousandth degree of the things and situations that I've experienced lately. None of it seems to make sense to me anymore. It doesn't make sense to me because there is no sense to it! <br />
Divorces end with families placing blame, former spouses locked in battle over nothing really, hating each other with vigor and friends taking sides. Why? relationships fail because of what ever reason, and instead of moving on and supporting the people you once loved, you place blame, you point fingers and you say, this is your fault, while the people around them suffer. I've heard so many people say that their focus is on the good and positive role they can take, yet spend all their energy chasing the tail of hatred and revenge. I just don't get it...<br />
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Like I said I don't really have any answers... I have <strong>ideas</strong>, I have <strong>hopes</strong> and yes even a few<strong> dreams</strong>... My <strong>idea</strong> is that people should stop, look and listen before they jump to conclusions, and open the door to anger and hate. I struggle with it too, we all do, but I <strong>Hope</strong> that someday I and the people around me, and even that you will see that life is so much better when we say no to hatred. Say no to causing or furthering anger and pain and instead stand beside those we've stood beside before and to realize that they need you as much as you need them. My <strong>dream </strong>is that someday, all this will be behind me. That I'll get a bit more figured out and maybe the ones I love, my friends and family and myself will find happiness. I hope you find it too...<br />
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peace n love<br />
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m <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-4186198712835172242012-09-12T17:22:00.000-05:002012-09-13T11:49:15.023-05:00a busy couple days and a life changing experienceMy head is full of thoughts and ideas today so forgive me if i come off of point in this blog! In the past couple of weeks I've had some amazing experiences, been through some very painful moments and learned so much about my self and those I love and at the risk of sounding cliche, I really feel I've learned a lot about life in general. <br />
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It's actually sort of funny that the instant I wrote the last line about "life in general" i realized that though I feel like I've learned so much, I feel like gaining that knowledge comes at the expense of far more questions and even a bit of confusion! Let's start by talking about where I've been and why...<br />
<br />
August 30th 2012: I find myself sitting on a plane being asked to turn my cell phone off. It was a brutal moment for me as there were some serious personal issues at home that, short of walking off the plane, I was helpless to do anything about. I turned off the phone with a whirlwind of things on my mind. I was scared, angry and feeling very helpless, as I was facing a long flight from KC to Lisbon, Portugal, cut off from the situation and powerless to help resolve it. I wont go into the specifics of what was going on, but it was hard to leave, and even harder to imagine being gone for over a week with a job to do, all while things at home seemed so unstable.<br />
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Upon arrival I was greeted warmly by Francisco and Nelson, who were very happy to see me, and soon we were on our way to Obidos, a city within a ancient castle, and site of the event I was to take part in. I tried to forget the troubles at home and focus on the job i was expected to do and it became much easier with ever person I met. Teresa H is the head of the Association Nationale Cake Design, or as I think of it, the Portuguese version of Ices. There are some very big differences between the two, and I much prefer their version! I was blown away by the spirit and friendship that was shared with me. So many talented and excited people, all just wanting to learn and share their energy with me. I guess I was guilty of the typical American ideology, believing that we in the USA have a patent on cakes and creativity, but I quickly learned otherwise! I was very impressed and humbled by the quality and creativity of the people there, but even more so by the fact that there didn't seem to be the politics, the exclusivity and limitations I've frequently experienced at home. So often in the US, i meet people that believe they hold the keys to different techniques, styles or even believe they have the power to make or break others within our industry. ( and by industry I mean the general creative world of cakes) Way to often I have found people who claim to want to advance our craft, really stand for themselves and the perverse power trip they get from being admired. I've struggled at times with my own security issues, doubts and concerns about someone coming along and doing it better than me too, but I've never tried to convince anyone, nor believed that I knew "the way". I've found that there will always be someone better, and someone who does it differently than me, and in Portugal they seem to embrace this! Maybe it was the language barrier, but of all the people, things and emotions I came to love about Portugal, that was my favorite. The freedom to do what feels right, even if it differs from the instructed techniques or accepted "way" and the willingness of the people to so openly welcome outside ideas, even to embrace the difference was very refreshing! In my 8 days in Portugal I heard far more people refer to what we do as an art form, than I may ever have. That is how they seem to live their life. It's an art form, and as much as we seem to think we live to the fullest, I find myself wondering if we even come close to getting it right. <br />
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I was everyday in awe by how friendly and open Teresa, her family and the Portuguese people were with me. I had friends at every turn, and a drink in hand every chance they got! It made the mess my life seemed to be at home, much easier to stomach, and I feel changed by it. I feel bettered by it, and that's a hard thing to come by these days.<br />
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Sept 9th Honor Flight Meet n Greet<br />
Having only been home a day Carey and I gathered all of the donated supplies and food for our first real event with Honor Flight. The luncheon was designed to be a meeting for all the veterans who were going on the flight and their families, as well as format to share information with Vets, families and guardians about the upcoming flight. We stayed pretty busy serving food, but afterward I got to chat with several of the vets about their experiences and their excitement about going on the next flight. As you may know, we are working with Honor Flight Network KC, to produce a series of short documentaries about their work, the experiences of these deserving veterans and the flights themselves. Most of the footage will be used to promote HFN, but some will be included in the TV pilot we are now in production of. It was a very emotional day as these men shared their excitement and very often stories about their experiences in combat during WWII.<br />
It made us want to download all of their stories, from memory so that we could share them all with the world. We loose on average 1000, of these veterans a day, imagine the stories of lives lived, lost forever...<br />
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Sept 11th, Patriots Day and the 11year anniversary of 9-11.<br />
What a day! Sitting aboard the plane with my new friend Jack and 50 more of the nations greatest heroes, I was excited! We had arrived at the airport at 4 am and in spite of the early hour the energy level of these men and women was outstanding! I'm so used to traveling with a younger crowd, I didn't know what to expect, but as we taxied out to the runway these veterans were full of energy, the youngest was 84, the oldest 94 years old! every window was filled with the face of a deserving veteran, excited to see the world outside, many were so enthralled by the world outside they seldom took pause to look away from the world below as we flew to DC. As I said, I'm so used to the more common crowd of modern travelers, most often the shade is drawn and very regularly the traveler never lifts the shade to see the world outside! It was fun to see these men and women enjoying something so simple that so many take so for granted today. We've become so accustomed to the modern age, we don't stop to think about what we're missing right outside our window...<br />
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The reception at the airport had me in tears... As we neared the terminal, the US Airways ground crews were poised to welcome these heroes. Fire trucks used their cannons to form an archway that the jet taxied under, while baggage handlers sped along side with their baggage carts covered with welcome signs and flags! instead of the normal orange cones, ground handlers held American flags and everyone on the tarmac, stopped and waved at the plane, smiling, waving and some cheering for these men. My new friend Jack had been on a Sherman Tank crew in the European Theater during WWII, and as tears filled his eyes he explained that he had seen nothing like this in his life. I was proud to accompany him on this pilgrimage.<br />
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After reaching the Jetway, Jack was greeted by several active duty uniformed veterans, soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen. They greeted my friend Jack as only another veteran could. Firm handshakes and solemn thank yous were presented, accompanied by some deeply meaningful salutes. As we made our way up the Jetway, we found that US Airways crews had come from all over just to decorate and welcome them. <br />
The most moving moment was as we got nearer to the terminal, as we could hear music and people cheering! My new friend grew several inches in his wheelchair as people shook his hand, cheered and thanked him for his service. People hugged him, patted him on the back and a member of the Veterans guard, a group of motorcycle riders that dedicate themselves to protecting the rights of vets, stopped Jack, bent over and excitedly handed him a small US flag and exclaimed: " way to go sir, way to show em! you guys really kicked some ass over there!" Jack burst into a sort of laugh, and tears filled his eyes. I could barely stand to push him through the crowd, as I didn't want it to end for him! We continued along as we were on a mission to meet our bus, but all the while people were stopping us, thanking him for his service and frequently giving him a well deserved and long overdue hug. I was proud to be an American that day more than I think I have ever been. Proud to be with so many deserving and sweet men and women, proud to have been allowed to share in the journey, proud to see the goodness and respect so many people showed to these veterans! Throughout the day we visited the memorials dedicated to these men, and all of them seemed so full of youthful energy and zest that I couldn't believe their average age was more than twice that of mine! many stories were shared and many memories brought back to the front of thought for these men and women. In a word, amazing.<br />
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Finally after each veteran had received mail-call on the return flight, which consisted of letters from family, local school kids and even senators and fellow veterans we landed in KC at nearly 10:00pm. 16 hours after we had embarked on our journey. Most of the vets felt like it was over, but much like they had received in DC, the good hard working people of KC came to welcome them back. I watched as once again the received cheers and handshakes, hugs and heartfelt thanks, and I couldn't help but notice the type of people who had taken the time to show these men the gratitude they so very much deserved. There were no doctors, lawyers or men in suits. Instead the halls were lined once again with even more of the veterans bikers groups each holding full sized flags, airport employees, and average everyday people. It seems to me just as it was then that the greatness of this country does not and has never depended upon the upper class and wealthy. It is founded on the everyday, hard working and sometimes down and dirty men and women, who often receive less of the "American dream", but seem to hold it closest to heart. In 1941, our greatest generation gave up their lives, their families and their way of life to serve our nation and the world in it's hour of greatest despair and need. Years spent from home under fire in strange lands, friends and family killed in action, lives changed forever and the freedom of the world preserved. They gave up their "today" to ensure future generations "tomorrow"... They have faded quietly into history. Their stories lost, and forgotten. The simple joy of looking out an airplane window, and a short trip to Washington DC their only real reward. But never did I hear a single complaint. These men and women know what price they paid, and the reward, though sometimes unseen, is the satisfaction they each share. The knowledge of a job well done, a nation served, and a people saved. WWII was won by the PFC. not the general. Most of the men on Honor Flight, were your everyday average "Joe" average Joe's who shared a common trait; uncommon valor.<br />
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We can't wait to continue working with them and to hold Cakefest in their honor. each flight is monumentally expensive, and even more important as time is now the enemy. Since the previous flight 17 veterans passed. 17 veterans wont get to experience the gratitude so due to them. Join with us to help get as many of them as possible the respect and gratitude they have earned.<br />
see you soon, at KC Cakefest...<br />
<a href="http://www.honorflightkc.com/">www.honorflightkc.com</a><br />
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peace n love<br />
mike<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-66826746739400303892012-08-07T16:48:00.000-05:002012-08-21T17:59:24.000-05:00"We Cant all be heros" (KC Cakefest 2013)We've been so busy since the last KC Cakefest that we've seldom had the time to really get down and dirty with the 2013 event, though we have been working on it all the while. We have been laying the ground work for the show and we finally have enough to really run with it! We've talked with some great veterans groups including the Tuskegee Airmen, Commemorative Air force and our sponsored charity Honor Flight! We're excited to work with all of them, and Honor Flight will be our Official charity, though we will do our best to help promote and further the work of all three in addition to simply trying to say thanks to veterans of all of our armed forces, with cake!<br />
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The 2013 show will be at the Exhibition hall of Kansas City's Municipal auditorium, in beautiful downtown Kansas City. This venue is a huge step up from our last event and we go from having 1,804 sq ft of vendor space to having a staggering 18,000! That's 10 times the space for vendors, family activities and cake related demonstrations! Additionally the space for the "<em><strong>greatest show in cake</strong></em>" is nearly 4 times as large! The Exhibition hall is an awesome example of art-deco architecture, and is perfect for our retro themed show! <br />
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The entire 2013 Cakefest is intended not just as a great cake event, but also a great "Feel Good" event in which we, as a tightly knit group of cake peers, come together and do what it is that we do best! We celebrate, and stand united in our continued quest to further the sugar arts! What a better way to show our thankfulness for the freedoms we have, and opportunities available to us in the greatest of nations? We owe our freedoms to the men and women who fought to provide those freedoms for us, and by doing what we do (cake) we can say thanks to the people who deserve it most! I think it's best summed up by the Will Rogers quote, Honor flight uses as their slogan... " <br />
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<strong><em>"we can't all be heroes... Some of us have to stand on the curb and clap as they go by" </em></strong></div>
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2013 KC Cakefest will include all that you saw last year, only done to an even higher standard! We learned so much from the previous event and although it was met with high praises, those of us who designed and put together the show know it wasn't half of what it could have been! This year, we promise to get it right! we will settle for nothing less!</div>
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Some of the improvements will include, More vendors, and a better flow of traffic within the new hall. More demonstrations with quality sound at each demo. More cupcakes! We'll do our best to not sell out as fast. We went through many thousands of cupcakes last year and our amazing group of cupcakeries, led by Simonie Wilson did a great job trying to please our sweets seeking guest! </div>
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The live competitions will have better lighting and sound, with a much improved video documentation service. We want the experience for our guest in the crowd to be as close to the TV experience as possible, but LIVE! We have a dedicated group of volunteers that will help ensure guest have a less stressful day, by providing knowledgeable information and support. In a nut shell, we plan to streamline the event so that guest can make the most out of their experience, and not be left wondering where to go. In addition to the weekends cake events, we'll be hosting some honored veterans, and sharing their story as well </div>
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We were lucky to have such great support for this past show, but we are even more excited by the massive surge of support we've encountered since then! KC Cakefest was un-like any other cake show, and this coming 2013 year it will surpass the mark and truly be what we dreamt it would be! There is so much to do and see that we can't even begin to list it all!</div>
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Very soon you'll be able to go to kccakefest.com and get all the info you need. We will be taking registrations for the cake show, volunteers and much more! We need your help and we'd love to see you at what's quickly become THE cake show of the year, and the best part is the meaning behind the event! Not only are we creating great cakes and having an unforgettable time, we're giving back to those who gave so much for us! </div>
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I have been honored in my life to have known many truly great American Heros. From Lyle Caspari, a customer of my fathers auto shop, who was a tail gunner on a B-24 on the missions to Ploieste, to a cake friend of my mothers who closed his bakery in 1939 when he was recruited to fly BF-109's for Germany, my sisters and I used to work for a very sweet man who served in WWI, WWII, and Korea. Even my Band teacher in High School, who fought in the Vietnam Conflict, and Mr. Whitehead, a US Marine/Vietnam Vet, who guided me through a tough time in my youth. I can't begin to list them all, as I've been blessed to know so many and even more blessed by the fact that so many of them took an interest in my life and helped to shape me into who I am today.</div>
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I was befriended, often as a little boy by so many and I will never forget any of them, for what they did and shared with me, and more so for the price they payed so that I could grow up with the freedoms we so often take for granted! I plan to share some of the stories in future blogs, and we will have a place to share your story on the new 2013 KC Cakefest website! </div>
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Remember to trek over to <a href="http://www.honorflightkc.com/">www.honorflightkc.com</a> to learn more about their mission</div>
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Peace N Love</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-67749431418762934462012-08-03T16:11:00.002-05:002012-08-03T16:22:32.708-05:00a sour taste in my mouth (cake taste vs sculpted design)in just the past few days a grooms cake I did has received a ton of attention. at last count nearly 700,000 people had viewed it and I got to reading some of the comments about it. <a href="http://www.reddit.com/tb/xezup">http://www.reddit.com/tb/xezup</a> This can be hard if you don't have a tough skin as many people will bitch and complain about just about anything! One of the most common comments was something to this end: " too bad cakes that look this cool taste so bad" It got me to wondering , "why in the hell do people assume that because a cake is a work of art or more specifically sculpted, that it taste badly?" <br />
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The answer is that for many decorators there is a trade off when it comes to doing sculpture cakes. Somehow within our group, the folks who are known for doing sculpted cakes have propagated the idea that sculpture cakes have to be made from some other sort of cake, and often that means the flavor has to suffer. I want to know who made up that rule! (I'd like to take them outside and beat them with a spatula)<br />
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We've all seen our TV counterparts ( ace and buddy) make cakes from pound and sponge cake. I once saw buddy pick up a sheet of cake with 2 hands on each end of a cake that had to be at least 3 foot wide. This cake didn't crack, tear or even so much as bend... I can't imagine that a cake with this sort of properties could possibly taste good. When we did our first Cake Off my mother got as recipe from an extremely well known cake personality for the cakes she uses on TV shoots. It was more of a dense bread than a cake, but in her defense this is a what she uses on TV only, she doesn't serve it. <br />
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This idea that cake must be "different" ( meaning more firm, harder and less moist i.e. more like a brick!) in order to be sculpted has even shown it's face just about every time I do cake classes and require my students to supply their own cake. I've had well meaning students show up with obscure recipes for "sculpted cake only" variations of what I can only describe as "a cake substitute", believing that this is what is required to make a cake sculpture. <br />
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The following paragraph is bound to rattle some cages as there is a huge rift within our industry between those who scratch bake and those who use a pre-made or "box mix". scratch bakers market the practice as being better in many ways. "Fresher", "more pure" and better tasting than the alternative. Scratch bakers insist that their product is better because of the time and labor involved and people can be very addimate about it, but this isn't a debate about which is better! We use a mix... Not because I believe that scratch bakers are wrong, or that base mixes are better, but because it works for us! I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've heard from clients that we have " the best cake they ever tasted" all of them assume that we did it from scratch, but really we relied on the millions of dollars that the suppliers have spent perfecting their product and the fact that most of the public palate has become accustomed to the taste. We juice it up a bit, but essentially it's the same "Betty Crocker" mix you buy from the grocery store! ( I'm so going to get emails from scratch bakers telling me theirs is better! and also from those who claim they don't like "box mix", but in all the years I've done cake I've never had a client complain about the taste, not ever! Companies like "Betty Crocker" and Pilsbury spend millions of dollars, and do tons of research and focus group testing to determine the best and most marketable product. I don't know any scratch bakers that can do that! ( but of course yours must be better , right? LOL)<br />
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Getting back to our original topic, there is no difference in the type of cake that we use in sculptures then there is in any simple round or tiered cake, nor is there any justifiable reason for there to be! <br />
If a decorator has to rely on a different mixture, whether scratch or box mixed to create a cake sculpture then there is something wrong with their technique! <br />
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Cake is a terrible medium in which to make a sculpture. This is because it's soft, gives over time and has very little strength in both the crush direction or in tensile strength. The better the cake in taste even, the worse it is at "holding up" under the load of fondant and butter cream. Gravity is the biggest adversary, and many a cake has failed because the Earth's pull was stronger than the structure inside the cake. Perhaps this problem is why the false idea that cake must be firmer and by default yuckier (is that a word?) in order to be successful. Let's work on changing this perception!<br />
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I live often hours away from most of my delivery locations. To get from my bakery to the highway requires driving down my bumpy driveway to the often rutted and washboard filled county road. From there I have an hour at least before I reach my closest deliveries, and I can tell you being in the car, bouncing and getting warm takes it's toll on even the best engineered cake designs, yet to date I have never lost a cake to our enemy, gravity. This is because I understand that no matter the type of cake, it has limitations. These limitations mean that I <em><strong>never</strong></em> go over 2 layers thick without support (unless the third layer is very small), I always over engineer my support and I refuse to rely on "rice crispies" as a structural element! Additionally it's important to remember the slope and length of the surface your covering in fondant. Fondant is <strong><em>heavy </em></strong>and it will only allow you to hang it so far before it will rip your design apart! The more vertical the surface the more likely it is that the weight will become too great and the result is a cake that your client will not appreciate, or even worse as I saw first hand on a TV show, cause the cake to crumble and fail all together. I don't have an exact formula for what constitutes "too much" of a slope or length, but if I feel any doubt about a cake holding up as I'm putting it together, I change the way I'm doing it! <br />
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Seams are another place of likely failure. Just as a sidewalk will crack and fail at the joints, so will your cake. Sidewalks are designed with these stress relieving seams so that the larger area doesn't crack and fail. Intentionally adding seams to fondant is essentially the same as adding relief joints to your cake. It will crack there and you will be very unhappy! If covering something tall (say a building) in fondant, I always make sure that I use a single sheet large enough to cover the entire piece including both sides. It has to be done quickly and preferably with help. The moistened butter cream cake ( meaning I misted it with a spray bottle of water) is covered with a single sheet of thin fondant. My rule of thumb for fondant thickness on any design is "only as thick as it must be to cover the imperfections in the butter cream"... When I'm using fondant on any design from round to crazy sculpted, I seldom smooth the cake entirely. Often I have fondant structural elements under the final layer of fondant that serve as a sort of skeleton (covered in my DVDs). These elements work just as a real skeleton or formers and give extra definition to the shape once covered. The fondant covering must be thick enough to hide these, yet thin enough not to wipe them out and add extra weight. It's something you learn by trial and error, but generally it's between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick.<br />
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Finally the biggest "trick" to creating sculpted cakes that look as good as they taste is to <strong><em>not let</em></strong> the cake do the work! Many cake sculptures don't really require much structure to stand up, such as cars and such, but more complex designs should be thought of as miniature building projects. I design my cakes so that the cake really is only a filler and the structure does 100% of the work. Many of my structures look just like a building under construction. They have a solid foundation, a main supporting pillar and several "floors" ( cake boards) and the cake only occupies the empty space in between levels. I've done many competitions both on TV and off and I can tell you that I've had some strong comments from the people who dispose of them afterwards that they are flat out hard to destroy! <br />
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The "foundation" support of the "Ultimate Cake off" swimwear fashion show cake</div>
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Note how the finished basic structure looks like a building under construction. I only use PVC pipe as a spacer, never as a structural element! It's been cut to 4" lengths to space each "floor" and to cover the iron pipe supports. In this design Dawn foods sheet cakes were used and each level was essentially a large sgeet cake!( or several mated to gether anyway)<br />
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we used over 200 sheet cakes!</div>
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Here's the finished structure. We were only asked to provide 200 servings of cake so the questionable elements such as the tall spires and front gate didn't justify being done in cake. The potential for failure and the 9 hour time limit dictated that we do them in foam. They spent several hours disposing of this cake after our Cake off Victory! They tried to tip it over even to no avail!</div>
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The finished cake from our championship cake off episode! </div>
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Another fun competition winning structure. you can see in the left corners of the lover level the additional PVC spacers used to keep the corners from sagging. This was repeated on all 4 corners. The roof section was for the mock up of the design. The castle was part of the competition element and started life as one that can be purchased. I cut it up to suit my needs obviously!</div>
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The finished product. We won with this design and we were the only design that had actual cake in the design! We actually finished this one quite early as the design really is quite simple</div>
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Cake sculptures don't have to be tricky or a cause for worry. It's all in the planning and pre-cake work done before you ever start carving cake. Both of the designs above used essentially grocery store sheet cakes bought on location to avoid having to ship so much cake! I could have used angel food cake or whipped cream to fill the spaces as the structure honestly does all the work! Admittedly, it would be a chore to serve all of these cakes, as the structure causes some difficulty, but when a client pays you to create something of this magnitude I feel it better to peeve the caterer who cuts it than to show up on site with a cake that has disintegrated in the back of the delivery van! I've seen it happen to others and it's a very sad sight indeed!</div>
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We're working to finish a DVD that includes all the basics of structure building and even some fondant work too, and it will be out in the next couple weeks. So, go build something already!</div>
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just make sure it taste as good or better than it looks!!!!</div>
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Peace N Love</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-51500611153837915882012-07-23T23:07:00.000-05:002012-07-23T23:19:09.401-05:00sometimes from failure comes opportunitySome of you may know that since my first few times on TLC, I'd been courted by a handful of production companies who work with various networks. At one point things were very heated and I had a small army of people all of them focused on getting me on TV. I had agents trying to recruit me, marketing professionals working for me and even ( and this was the dumbest thing I ever did) hired an overpriced "PR" firm. The PR firms job seemed to me to be to hype things up and make up titles for me like "ultimate cake artist" and basically, bull shit their way through everything! For a while it seemed like things were really going somewhere, but all the while I felt lost. I felt like I was trying to do something that wasn't really me. I don't mind putting on a show, look at Cakefest, but when the pressure leads you to consider being something you're not ( or at least pretending to be) it'll eat at you, and it really ate at me! At one point I was straight out offered a show. The network explained that they really wanted to work with me and all I had to do was take on the moniker of "king of chocolate" and call the cakes I created, sugar art instead of cake, and use chocolate more often.... WHAT? look at my work and if you find chocolate on any of my designs, it's because I was eating a Hershey's bar and got messy! I would be lieing though if I didn't say that for at least a moment, I didn't considered it. The opportunity to do something great, make an actual paycheck and pursue some of my own desires to create something good and positive, briefly overpowered my need to be honest. But, hey... That's TV... and I've gotten smarter since then!<br />
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In the last couple weeks, I almost let myself do basically the same thing. Things are heating up right now and if you've read any of my other blogs, you know that several TV shows are casting (or have already cast), and out of the blue, I was offered spots on 2 of them. I hate to admit it, but I even briefly accepted one of them, only to get smart and later piss of the producers by backing out. It wasn't a good fit for me. I struggle to see how it could have been a good fit for anyone really, they offered very little, and by design they intend to make things very tough and drama filled. The real kicker was that it was yet another re-hatched competition show. Exactly what you've seen many times before, even with similar themes, but with a slightly different twist. I've seen way to many people accept the prospect of TV without really considering the possible outcome. In reality, I know way to many people that wish they hadn't let themselves become involved. There really is a degree that you must settle and sell out to do these shows, and I hate that we are all so willing to do it for the 30 minutes we get to be on TV, and I'm included in that group!<br />
I've bitched and moaned so much about TV that you would think I'd avoid it all together, but truth is I love shooting shows. (ok, so I'm a bit of a show off) I love what opportunities I've been given because of my silly little role on these silly little cake shows. I get to do what I love to do and that is to be around really great people! To create things like Cakefest and to get to share my work with people at charity and educational events is one of the greatest gifts I've been given and I'm very thankful for that, but TV also has an after taste! And it can be <em>really bitter...</em><br />
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So as they say when one door closes, another opens, and here we are. I've decided to stop complaining and give this idea of ours one final push! We've been asked for ideas and pitches for the type of TV show you all know I've been saying needs to be done. A show that is up-lifting, with as little negative or contrived drama as possible, and one that I'd be really happy to watch myself. It's not that there aren't a few shows out there that are positive, but few celebrate the very core of what it is that we as HUMANS do, and what it is that I've become a sort of expert at... Celebrating life! We want to celebrate the celebrations, the love between friends and families, the very core of what makes us human! Even when things seem dark and cold there are bright flashes of genuine good out there that are too often over looked, and we need your help to find them! <br />
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We are looking to you for help! We need you and we want to hear about what you're doing for someone. A friend recently told me of a older gentleman he met standing in tears outside of another friends restaurant. He was standing next to a brand new Mustang convertible, and explained that he had just retired that day and had come there with his wife for dinner. It seems he had always wanted a Mustang, but could never afford to buy one for himself, a story many could tell, but his family surprised him with it and I can't imagine the emotions stirred inside that deserving ol' guy! Why wouldn't everyone want to share in that story? What are we celebrating here? A dude getting a new car? NO! It goes far deeper than that, by sharing his story we share the story and struggle of so many really good hard working people just like him. Maybe we don't all end up with a sweet new "stang, but damn it we ought to! Even deeper than that is what really drives us all internally as humans; Love... In my line of work I get to see some really beautiful manifestations of love. I'm there to deliver a cake usually, but sometimes a guy comes along that reminds you what the core of every celebration is really about. ( see my "<a href="http://mikeelderonline.blogspot.com/2012/06/when-reality-isnt-real-enough.html" target="_blank">when reality isn't real enough" blog</a>) Sometimes people love someone so much they buy them a car, or close off an entire neighborhood to surprise them on their birthday, but usually we just love em! We all love somebody, and maybe just by watching a silly TV show about celebrations and love, we can be closer to them? Maybe we can come to understand that we all have so much to celebrate even when it seems we don't? There is already too much negativity and drama in the world today, lets find a way to change that, even if just 30 minutes at a time!<br />
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So, I'm asking for you're help. If you're planning something, even something much more simple than giving someone a car, give me a call or email. We're excited to hear about what you're doing and with any luck at all, we may just be able to share your story! All I can promise for now is that we will have a chance to pitch the show to several networks, but we intend to keep a completely positive spin on it and even if the networks don't have the use for something good, we plan to do episodes as web cast.<br />
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A good thing is always worth doing, even if nobody ever knows you did it. It feeds the soul, lifts the spirit, and gives us even more reason to celebrate! Celebrate with us!<br />
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Peace N Love<br />
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mAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-85845958179504346382012-07-09T19:34:00.000-05:002012-07-09T19:34:03.973-05:00What's the plan??A friend of mine that I've worked with in the past recently found out that she can't continue doing cakes. It's nothing terribly serious but it keeps her from doing what she's done for many years. It got me to thinking, What's my plan? <br />
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You all know my stance on our industry... It's tough, the money sucks and the time involved is ridiculous!, But since I'm still booked for a good chunk of the near future, I'll still be doing cakes on atleast a part time basis. My clients come to me and expect me to help them choose the right cake for them. They put their trust in me, and as my reputation is good they rely on me and have faith that I will deliver what I promised I would. but what if I can't? <br />
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My friends medical issues got me to wondering. A question I've never been asked by a client is "what happens if you can't make my cake? I have on the bottom of my order form a disclaimer that states that I'm not responsible for things that are out of my control; weather, riots, power outages and etc. ( I also limit my liability to the value of the cake, for what it's worth) There is no mention of a plan, nor have I given much thought to the scenario of what happens if I become un-able to do your cake. Some weekends it wouldn't be a huge problem, as birthday cakes are not such a big thing that the customer couldn't just order somewhere else, but weddings, and bigger corporate cakes? And what happens if it's very short notice? What if on friday morning something happens that keeps me from accomplishing the work at hand? How would my clients even know their cake wasn't coming? What's plan "B" <br />
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Our industry is a very unforgiving one. If you take your car to a mechanic, and a week later the repair fails, you have it towed back. You go to your doctor and she can't quite figure out what's wrong with you, she prescribes a pill. If you get well, great, if not you come right back and pay her to prescribe yet another pill, but cake clients are not so forgiving. The nature of cakes is they are for an exact occasion and needed by a finite time, or they are good for nothing. A wedding cake can't be delivered after the ceremony, nor can any cake be used for it's intended purpose, once the event it's for passes, so, in a sense there is no better late than never, late is as good as never. In my day to day operations we plan ahead! We start our deliveries early so as to allow time for problems. If I have a flat tire, the extra hours I planned for deliveries allows for that. I try to allow enough time before the absolute delivery deadline to allow me to make repairs, fix errors and on occasion find my way to a unfamiliar venue (not that I've ever been lost!) Some of the other issues are out of my control; like a venue staff that in spite of the fact that they knew I'd be there needing to drop off a cake by 11:00 aren't ready with a covered table until after 1:00, or a traffic jam created when some guys Jetta burst into flames (true story)... These are things I plan for and when the van is full of cakes, I worry about every saturday, but still I have no solid plan for an issue that keeps me from being physically able to make a clients cake. <br />
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In my friends situation, she called me and asked if I would be willing to do them for her. This seemed like a great plan until she tried to explain the facts to her clientel. Besides that fact that brides are rightfully worried about finding out that the cake artist they had chosen, is passing the work on to someone else, there are other concerns as well. In this case my price is higher per serving than hers, so I agree'd to honor her price as I hate the implications of trying to raise the price. First it looks bad for her, and secondly it's really not fair for the client. It also can be seen as though I'm just sticking it to them, because of something that is out of the clients control, adding insult to injury, so to speak.<br />
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My point to this blog is to point out a potential land mine for all of us. It's nice to imagine that our clients would understand, even be greatful that we found an alternative decorator for them, but after dealing with the current situation, I've found we can't expect that. What are the legal ramifications of not being able to or for some reason beyond our control failing to deliver the work we promised? Imagine a bride who, having failed to recieve her cake, considers her entire wedding ruined because you had the nerve to have a heart attack as you strained to pipe the design on her cake the night before. Can you even blame her for being upset? Well, maybe but in truth her wedding was damaged because of something that you did have control over and if we fail to plan for the worst, we may find ourselves not only out the money lost because we didn't get to deliver the cakes, but being sued for damages as well.<br />
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Maybe I'm the only one who thinks about this stuff, but it would seem logical that no matter how small the business or how few cakes we do that somewhere there should be a "worst case scenario plan"in place. Maybe in a metal cabinet that says "break glass in case of emergency" or tacked to the wall but we should have some sort of plan. <br />
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I know conventional cake person wisdom says "do it no matter what", but I've had clients call in a panic, and explain that another decorator had taken their order, often many months before, only to call the week of and back out for some reason. Relating it again to my former profession, cars, I can tell you that even as an individual, if you agree to a sale and back out, you're in big trouble if the buyer wants to push it. What if you agree to sell a car that's worth $20,K, for 5 grand, shake hands or even take a deposit for it. Then later that day a guy pops up and offers you 10K, twice what you already agree'd to! do you screw the first guy and sell it? I know of people who have successfully sued not for the 5K they were spending, but for the full value of the car, You could end up owing the first buyer twice what you got paid because you wanted the extra cash. can the same be true for cake? Could you end up owing them, or at least being sued for the value of the party, ruined because you didn't do the cake? <br />
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My friend contacted me well before the decision was made to have me actually do the cakes. She went over the designs and I can rest asured that the clients will get a great cake, and i have no problem doing them, yet when she contacted her clients, many of them did freak out even though a plan was already in place to accomplish the goal of providing a great cake. Some have calmed down after talking to me, while a few are still worried. (if you're reading this and this is you, FORGIVE ME! we've got you taken care of!) <br />
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For now I'm off to tweak my contract a bit and include atleast a provision in it that covers my butt if the situation ever arises!<br />
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Peace n Love!<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-48683214513568709232012-06-30T00:26:00.000-05:002012-06-30T00:52:01.727-05:00has reality Tv killed cake?I've been as many of you know who read this blog on a tough and deeply spiritual road since entering this industry. (most of my life really) Unlike most in this field, I never wanted to do cake, yet now I can't get away. Easily enough I got into cakes to try to please my mother. That failed obviously because I haven't spoken to her in over a year now. before all of that, I was an enthusiastic cake guy, who, when approached with the possibility of Tv shows featuring me doing cake, I saw it as an opportunity that would be life changing. Well... It was life changing, but is it all good? it even makes me wonder, has it been good for the industry in general? <br />
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I can't complain to much as I do on occasion get to do some really great stuff. It could be argued even that you wouldn't even be reading this blog if it not have been for the time I've spent before a camera. But has Tv created a business opportunity for me to make a living off of cake. The answer is apparently shocking to many. NO. As you may have read in a previous blog, there is a rampant disease among cake artist in which they fake it. Fake it sounds bad and maybe I should just say they ( and I've been guilty of it too) allow people to believe they are more successful than reality proves. I've rarely been paid enough for a cake to say it was lucrative. More often than not I barely break even and if I'm truely honest, I could make more per hour flipping burgers. (not to mention I'd have scheduled hours, days off and benefits, none of which I have now)... The Up side of what I do is that I do love the people side of it. I love that in writing this I feel as though I'm chatting with you. You are in a sense my own personal private shrink. My sincere hope is that by sharing my own struggle and story with you that you and I both might grow in some way. I absolutely love to see and meet new people. I honestly believe that I can feel the energy of those around me and for the most part, the energy with cake people is amazing! So, as an industry of artist, sharing and learning together, we can't be beat. But TV has changed the way the world, and many people within the cake community view what it is that we do. <br />
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As the bonified 3 time winner of Cake off, I'm supposed to be, or maybe atleast I'm supposed to feel like I am a successful champion. So it can be said for many of the others who, like me have had success on TV shows. The appearance presented on Tv is of success, and so the pressure to be successful in reality is intensified! And so, in my opinion anyway, many of "us" (TV personalities) put on a continual show long after the cameras have stopped... I've been flat out disgusted by some of the B.S. that has been said in public about what we do. I had one fellow cake off winner tell me proudly and publicly, they regularly get over $1000.00 for car cakes. I've read articles from another where they claim that they frequently do cakes that cost more than most people's car. I don't buy it for a second, but the fact is, many of the people who hear it will believe it, and when they quit their day job to persue a glamorous money making life as a cake shop owner, they will be greatly discouraged when they find out that to 90% of the public thinks anything over $100 bucks is Crazy! expensive!... If success on Tv translated directly to financial gains in business, than I as the supposed champ of a series should be at the top of the price and income brackets, and I wish I was! I know fist hand that I'm not the only one that expected it to change my business for the better only to be sadly disappointed by the sting of reality ( and I don't mean the TV kind of "reality")<br />
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In the begining Cake TV was about cake and you could actually learn something from watching it. It wasn't because the producers wanted it to be educational, as I can assure you they're far more interested in it being entertaining than anything else. Many of the general public and most all cake enthusiast watched and loved the work portrayed on TV. This gave rise to litterally thousands of new and budding decorators/artist and increased the demand for great cakes. But as things seem to do on TV, they get repeated, and copied, and spin-off's come from everywhere, until the shows are so diluted and empty of real content that all the producers have is the drama. The drama in most cases is completely made up and contrived, or at the very least inflated by the powers behind the scenes. The belief is that you can make up for the lack of valuable content with a quirky or sometimes rude even mean cast member. After so long and so many shows there are litterally hundreds of "TV Celebrities" now in the cake world. Add to that the general concensus that being on TV gives you the magical power to get paid more than most people's cars are worth for a single cake, and the idea that being on a show makes you somehow better and more successful and there's trouble a brewin'! <br />
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It's becoming incresingly difficult for established bakeries to get enough for cakes to be profitable. Why? Well, perhaps in part to the attention garnered by TV for cake and the alure of being on TV, new decorators have popped up everywhere! Everyone believes that it's a magical land of sugar coated cash, where time and leisure abound. But with so many new and often extremely underpriced cake people out there, the market is litterally flooded with cake. In addition to that is the perception by would be clients that cake making is easy. People have no concept of the cost and time involved, and have even less respect for the talent and skills required to do top notch work. They see huge magical works of art seemingly produced in a short days work, editied into a drama packed hour. The demand for these cakes is great, but the willingness, or more importantly the lack of understanding of the value of them isn't enough to justify the customer spending what it should take to buy one. It's a tough situation and one I'm not sure is correctable.<br />
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How do we change the mindset of potential clients and make them understand the value of a cake. "Yes it's a thousand dollars, and at that price I get to be paid $3.00 an hour to do it for you." "I get to spend 30 hours creating it, spend hundreds on supplies, drive an hour to your event, where , there isn't a table set up yet, so I get to wait an hour for the friggin staff to find the right table and cloth." "We won't even go into the fact that I was still working on your cake at 4am, when I should have been at home friday evening watching a movie on the couch with the kids." No customer will ever consider that when they ask for a cake, as they just can't begin to understand what it means to do what we do. Add to that the "supermarket" mentality, that for a buck twenty five a serving you can have some 16 year old kid scribble "happy Birthday" on a sheet cake and be satisfied; we're all in trouble.<br />
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It may not be all TV's fault though... Maybe we've all gotten so good at producing the stuff we've seen on tv that it's just not much of a surprise to the client any more? Could our increase in ability and skills be the reason why the general public is seemingly not impressed enough to shell out enough cash to make it worth our while. In spite of the chance that it might sound like I'm bragging, I get told all the time when I demo that I make it look really easy. I frequently do demonstrations where in an hour I make a sculptured cake in the form of something a visitor in the crowd asked for.<br />
I've done this so many times and it's always something different. But is it a good thing to make it look too easy? Maybe by doing so I'm reducing the percieved value of the finished product? Could we be improving ourselves out of work? I got to wonder... When I do cakes for clients I always go above and beyond on their cake whether I feel the price justifies it or not. Maybe that too has hurt the value. <br />
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I'm left with 2 choices these days, and everyday that passes makes the decision that much easier. Continue to loose money doing cakes for sale, or focus instead on spending my time in the more valuable and definately more enjoyable persuit of sharing. I've always been clear that inspite of the trouble with cake for myself as a non-profitable business choice, I love the art side of it and even more so I love sharing my talents and experience with others. I absolutely love to learn and everytime I teach a class I learn something, gain friends and have a great time! I hope it doesn't sound like I'm bashing the industry of cake. I'm only giving my own personal view of it and as they say the views and perspectives expressed may not be that of the producers and it's affiliates! It is a tough industry. If my saying so and admitting my own troubles within it helps someone else feel a little less like they've failed or just haven't figured it out, then it's very worth it to me. I am after all the "Black Sheep" and it's my job to do and say the things that those who demand you "Not look behind the curtain" would never fess up to. We are all in this together...<br />
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peace n love <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-64804215822581939672012-06-28T00:38:00.001-05:002012-06-28T01:02:10.247-05:00dangling from a cliff. It's quite a thing to believe in something... ancient egyptians believed their god Ra, rode his chariot across the sky on a daily journey lighting the earth below... Not exactly the way we know it to be today but a cool way of looking at something we take forgranted... in ancient China, say 500bce, Taoist believed that women posessed an endless amount of "Yen" while men had only a finite amount of "Yang" which is the essence of life. It was believed that men should never give up "yang" without first obtaining plenty of "Yen", this basically meant that Chinese men spent lots of time making sure they had very happy women , uh, on their hands ( wink wink). Failure to satisfy their women (multiple times) would lead to a loss of Yang and certain death, but I'm pretty sure they make pills for that now.<br />
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We all have beliefs, and we all have a strong tendency to stick with them. The toughest and most persistent beliefs are the ones we have about our selves. We all live lives that are touched by others, and in many cases we judge the people around us by our own personal beliefs. As the "Black Sheep" I've been the subject of frequent judgements, both in my family life and within our industry. I've witnessed some pretty jaw dropping judgements and many of them were from people that had no right or reason to make them in the first place. However, having heard them, the logical thing to do is question them. I've been on a spiritual ride in the past several years,(let's say decades) many of the things I believed about myself, I found weren't as I thought they were. It's a very hard thing to do to look into yourself and take a real measurement of your own character. It's so much easier to look to the external and blame the situation around you, the people influencing you or some other force for your actions and feelings, but truth is, the fault is primarily from within. This isn't to say that outside factors can't shape who you are because they do, but in the end, if your will be strong enough, who you are is very much in your own hands. It's a concious decision and it can't be made without a real accounting of the facts. I've always believed in doing the right thing, yet I've found myself in the past to be living an angry, bitter life. I've always considered myself to be open minded and non-judgemental, yet at times I was happy to blame others for my plight, and refused to even consider my own part in it. No matter how able I seemed to be and how capable I was percieved, always there seemed to be self doubt. It's an awakening of sorts to realize the power you have over your state of mind.<br />
The other day I watched a show on Travel channel, where 3 American base jumpers traveled to China to jump into a huge sinkhole/cave. The most interesting part was the shear fear on the face of the guy who seemed throughout the show to be the bravest of the group. As he dangled from a wire high above the jagged rocks below, shaking with fear, I wondered if he could make the jump.<br />
shortly after, he threw his legs up over the wire, unhitched the safety clasp holding him securely to the cable, and he was off. The camera mounted on his wrist, which previously showed the look of doubt and fear, now only showed joy. Tears filled my eyes as my daughters and I watched on as he landed safely. All I could think about was all the times in my own life that I had been affraid, and all the times to come in my own and my young girls lives when we would face fear. I realized that though I often believe myself strong and even fearless, I too often shy from the things I'm fearful of. The decisions and actions that should be taken, but aren't because an easier option was available. The conflicts and even the people I avoid because it's easier to turn away. The joy of a life lived knowing I conquered my fears, and faced them head on with courage lessened because I took the safe route and let fear determine the direction. I was proud to hear a simple "wow" come from my oldest daughter, as the jumper described his definition of courage and I hoped it would go to heart. "I have all the same emotions anyone does standing on the edge of a cliff or dangling from a wire high above what could be my death... I want to run away, I want to turn back... The difference is I choose to jump." maybe by being the most affraid he had proved to be the bravest?<br />
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And so, I find myself daily standing on the edge of my own version of some remote cliff, or dangling from a thin wire stretched above an incredible void. I want to turn back. I want to run away and do the thing that is easiest. I only hope I have it in me to make the leap. I am willing to believe I do. Courage is the resistence to fear, not the lack of...<br />
Will you jump with me?<br />
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Peace N Love <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-11205944545116427182012-06-19T22:59:00.002-05:002012-06-19T23:28:57.666-05:00sometimes it's hard to be the blacksheep I believe strongly that your outlook on life depends very largely on how you want to see it, or even how open you are to REALLY seeing it. Often the hardest thing to do is to really look closely at yourself and find an un noticed truth. Sometimes I get stuck in a rut and start to get caught up in self pity, and I don't like it. ( it could be so much worse). I really can't complain too much about the events of my life. I'm healthy, I have beautiful kids and the love of many really great friends, but always on my mind is the troubles within my business, my finances and more so my family. <br />
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I've been proud to be the black sheep of the cake industry... No formal training except what I picked up from my mother, no real regard for formality or conventional ideas of "how this or that is done", and I've always tried to be myself in spite of the events that happen around me, but I'm not only the Black Sheep of cake, I had plenty of practice long before that. <br />
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For as long as I can remember I've felt like my families Lil Black Sheep and I can remember from a very early age feeling as though I just didn't quite measure up. I was the only boy in a house with 2 older sisters. As they shared the same interest and such my sisters always seemed to bond with my mother better than I did, and that never sat well with me as I was helpless to solve the problem. I tried everything I could and was dieing to feel of value to my mother, but it seemed I always came up short. I got older, and the situation varied, but always there was the problem that she and I never really saw eye to eye, and I really can't say why that was, but no matter how old I got, it seemed I still needed the validation of her approval, and it was never there when I needed it. So, as she was getting older and arthritis taking it's toll, I got involved with her trying to help her with her cake business. I can't even tell you why it ended up being me, as my sisters always had more interest in cake than I and had worked previously in a bakery with her, but as I recall my sisters were to busy with their own families, and such, so I felt like it was a great opportunity to finally seize my chance to satisfy her and earn what I felt was deserved... respect.<br />
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I had a full time job and was married at the time and my oldest daughter was very young, but when my mother needed me, I came up and worked late into the night, often staying overnight to deliver the next day. I liked doing cakes and the extra money was great at the time, and for a short time she seemed genuinely happy to have my help. We worked together for years, with none of her clients even knowing I was responsible for sometimes all of the work done on their cake. Frequently we would work on the same cake, finishing individual tiers and putting them together on site. Even though it stung a bit to have people compliment a cake I had done and receive none of the credit myself, I figured it was worth it as she seemed at least at the time to be to a small degree happy. <br />
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Much time has passed since those days and so much has happened. the situation between my mother and I degraded so badly that she and I haven't talked in several years. She and my dad divorced and my family feels it right to place the blame on me, and I've never understood that. It would seem that all of my intentions of making my mother proud of me by doing well in an industry I had previously no interest in, failed miserably and instead she began to despise me for it. I've been blamed for trying to steal her thunder, and even for stealing her bakery it's self... I've heard stories that I kicked her out on the street and left her with nothing, and that I planned to do so in some maniacal scheme, and all of it hurts me to the core. <em> </em>Why are people so flippin' fast to believe the worst? You got to wonder...<br />
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It's been pretty quiet since my mother moved back to Kansas City, every now and then I'll get a nasty email from one of her long time friends cursing me for what they THINK I've done, but for the most part I've focused on my family, my self, and trying to do something good all while trying to make a business out of a loosing industry. (OK, don't get me wrong, I love the art possible in cake but as a career choice, It's a bitch) sometimes it's so quiet that I almost forget the dark secrets that lay below the relative peace of my daily life, but sometimes things happen that stir the waters.<br />
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My Dad, came out to the shop today with a letter in hand and a dazed and almost tearful look on his face and handed me a Fathers day card with a message written inside. ( this is one of the few communications he's received in the past couple years from my family) At first it seemed as though they were explaining why he was to blame for them not talking to him, but then they made it clear. It wasn't my Dad, it was "<em>the brother</em>" ,it was me. The thing that struck me at first was that they couldn't even bring themselves to write my name, as though it was a cursed word, and one that mustn't be uttered for fear of who knows what? The letter went on to describe that in an attempt to raise her own boys into men, she couldn't let them be around someone who's goal was to bring those around them down. I was dumb founded. First off I couldn't imagine how it is that you can do anything when you haven't had a word with them in what is sadly years, but mostly because much of my own personal peace comes from the idea that my life is focused on good. I whole heatedly believe in doing the good things, because they're good! The most rewarding thing in my life is feeling like my actions, even my silly blogs like this one, might help someone. That by sharing myself and my struggle with others that it will make them ( and me!) feel less alone, and even better to inspire and be inspired! .When I look back at my life I want to truly believe that it was lived for some valuable purpose. so how could this be?<br />
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I've come to the conclusion that some people need a focus to point their blame at. That sometimes in life when things go to the contrary of what was planned people need to be able to point to the cause, even if the cause isn't the truthful one; for my family, I am that person. The only thing left to do is to decide whether to fight against it or simply accept it, and I've become comfortable with the latter. I know who and what I am, and it does not in any way equal what they'd like for it to, but at the same time, I feel my purpose is to simply accept what ever they need to place upon me for them to be happy and content. I hate it and it sure as hell isn't fair, but for my own family, this is what they've chosen for me and I can live with that. <br />
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So what now? Well, being the black sheep of my family and my life long quest to please my mother isn't all bad. I learned to sew, cook and much more... I learned to make cakes and found out that my greatest love and joy comes from sharing my experiences in life with others through cake. I have found that I have a deep inner strength that may never have materialized had it not been so. I've learned that I can work harder and longer and for less than most people would bother, all in the belief that someday, some time, maybe never, but hopefully so, it will all be worth it ( and it already is!) Most importantly I've found out that being myself, in spite of what happens around me is always the best action. Just recently Carey and I were talking about time machines (don't ask why) and she asked me if I could go back and change anything, would I? my answer... NO. Do I have regrets? Absolutely, but sometimes the bad things we go through open our heart for the things that come later. It's when we let those negative things close the door that we are lost, and for now my door is open, my heart is filled only with the desire to live and share. And so life goes on...<br />
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I know this is supposed to be a cake blog, but life is cake and cake is life. We share our selves and our lives through cake(food)... We celebrate stages of life with cake and as I share and celebrate my life with you because of cake, it is only fair that we get to know each other, and my own history, struggle, and story, no matter the hurt or joy is a valuable part of that cake! Life would be a much sweeter if we shared it a bit.<br />
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Peace N Love<br />
mikeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-65936996970456142012012-06-18T14:47:00.000-05:002012-06-19T09:22:53.853-05:00when reality isn't real enoughFather's day weekend... and what a weekend it was too. <br />
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Last week I had an order for a 40th surprise birthday party for a girl who is fascinated by the whole "movie star lifestyle"... Her husband made her think he struck out for her 40th and all the while she was mad at him, he was planning what had to be the best surprise party ever!<br />
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I did a good sized cake (made a little on this one even!) and I'm pretty pleased with it. This is what happens when a client says "hollywood.... GO!")<br />
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I hate to admit it, but I had (very falsly) built up an image of the client as an over the top rich guy with more money than sense, with a need to show off. When Carey and I arrived at the party site ( their house) we were surprised to see that much of the neighborhood had been closed off and large white tents were being put up. There were search lights on the lawn and a large red carpet leading under the tents and to the front door of the birthday girls home, and men frantically working to get the the bars, photo booths, and DJ area set up in the short time allowed. It was quite a sight, and obvious that this was not your average party, and I've been to tons of them to know!<br />
As We set up the cake in the house's beautiful kitchen, a very nice guy in athletic shorts and a baseball jersey came in welcomed us and thanked us for the work we had done. It was our client, and he was very down to earth with a jersey that matched his sons team uniform... He told us to help ourselves with anything we needed and couldn't stop thanking us for the cake. My invisioned image of this guy was very wrong, and he continued to show it all through the evening. It turns out he's a very hard working small business owner, who just flat out really loves his wife. (even if every guy at the party did have to hate him a little , just for setting the bar so impossibly high with his wife's party!) In short, the party was awesome, the guest all good people and the host was tops. It was an honor to be at the party of such good people. <br />
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After finishing out my fathers day on my sailboat, with the kids, I get back to the shop and just this morning one of the production companies that I chat with sends me an email ( and I realize that by writing this I may be burning a few bridges, but so be it...) Now, over the last few years this production company has created a bunch of the "drama TV" you see on various networks, and I've been talking to them about doing something "good and up-lifting". Today I got this as a reply. "<em><strong>Love your ideas and direction, but it isn't what the market calls for" ... " today's TV viewer wants more real life drama, and expects something exciting and unusual".</strong></em> The email goes on to explain that they're interested in producing several other shows, and looking to cast them, and wondered if I'd be interested in what is basically cookie cutter reality TV. ( again sorry... I just heard a bridge ignite)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lH6m_Dm9G7M/T9-FdWgVyOI/AAAAAAAAAFE/N82JltEuIJM/s1600/hollywood2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lH6m_Dm9G7M/T9-FdWgVyOI/AAAAAAAAAFE/N82JltEuIJM/s320/hollywood2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qtn7UBSJzfI/T9-EdfyP_AI/AAAAAAAAAE8/iwH4ZJ0ZEdg/s1600/hollywood1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qtn7UBSJzfI/T9-EdfyP_AI/AAAAAAAAAE8/iwH4ZJ0ZEdg/s320/hollywood1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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We worked for a solid week on the event and we were inspired by what we saw on Saturday. The party was great but the people there we even better, topped off by the love this guy had to have to do what was done for his unsuspecting wife. The ass chewing he took all week for "not having" a party for her, and the shear number of friends that showed up in black tie, none of whom tipped her off. That's LOVE. That's the type of thing I'd watch over and over. And as we stood in the client's packed home, sweating from the combined heat of all the people inside, teary eyed as he proclaimed his love and admiration for his wife, I couldn't help but feel lucky and as if I had been improved by the spectacle. I felt so inspired that I wanted to share that type of love for life with other people and it donned on me to email the very production company that beat me to the punch, and tell them this is what "REAL LIFE" looks and feels like. It's not about the big party, or the homecoming of thousands of war hardened veterans or what ever other event in our travels on earth... It's about the love of each person in the room. The life they share with each other and with me. I feel this everyday and try to think about it as often as possible, yet it's lost on those who decide what you get to see on TV ( and supported by the fact that people watch it)<br />
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According to "reality TV" experts, real life is multi-millionaires doing cakes while fighting with family. It's people wrestling gators, and tiny people having too many kids. Over the top brides and spoiled brats with mother's who try to live through their children. Where are the good people? Where are the good causes? Why can't we produce something that makes the viewer stop what they're doing and just let someone know how much they love 'em? Why not spend our production talents for something that makes people feel closer to each other? This world is so small and if we listen to the people in charge full of troubles and bad stuff. I believe ( and I think if you stop and look long enough, you may too) that the world is filled with good people, some of them work hard everyday, with nothing else in mind but to show the people they love most that they care, love and are inspired by them...<br />
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Why in the world can't the executives at these super networks see that? maybe we should start a show where every week we take the network execs' and ask them to do silly stunts, eat aweful things then ask them to produce an uplifting emotion in a viewer.... the ones that fail get voted off? <br />
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I don't think I'd be watching, but it could be interesting? so... for now, I'm moving to the swamp, hiring some little people, having a bunch of kids and making cakes! Hollywood here I come!<br />
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Peace N Love <br />
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MikeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-90976447161764073442012-06-04T22:13:00.003-05:002012-06-04T22:36:27.295-05:00Fake it?--- or face it? I say embrace itHey All! my last Blog was a real surprise for me and over 2000 people have viewed it in 24 hours. I've recieved calls, emails and fb messages about it and I wanted to talk some more about it as I've thought a lot about it, and heard many words of wisdom. ( we could do this forever!) Like the title says there's so much mis-information out there about the real blood n guts of doing cake as a money making business. So many people ( and you know who you are) do fake it. "I'm working on 10 tv shows, writing 15 books and doing cakes that cost more than your car every week" Yeah right! I won't deny that I do get lucky and get to do some fun stuff. But if it wasn't fun, it wouldn't be at all worth it as too often I end up in the red afterwards! Yes, I get to travel and meet great people, but with 3 kids at home (who I honestly prefer their company most days) bills and everything else, how can I justify spending money my family needs, to do what is essentially a selfish thing. Doing cake and loosing money doing so because it's fun ( and I seldom find it fun anymore) is just all around bad business. Believing that because you love doing it and enjoy the rewards of creating something artistically valuable doesn't mean that customers will see the same value you know is there! We live in a world that is very much dominated by the lowest dollar mentality. There is always someone willing to do it a a little worse for a lot less, and when a client doesn't understand the difference, we all loose! You simply cannot explain to a customer what it is they will be getting. Not in terms of a finished product or in terms of value (value as in what it takes to make in time and money) I love that the 2 most comon statements I get from customers are 1: "Wow that much, just for cake!" when a price is given and 2: better yet still, and an indicator of the communication breakdown between client and decorator is " wow... I had no idea it was going to look like that!" after a cake is delivered. Not meaning to sound coy or arrogant but you would think that after looking at my work, clients would have a pretty high expectation, yet people are always amazed at what I deliver. (well, usually) I would expect that they'd look at my past work and think, "I bet my cake will be awesome",( which you'd hope they'd be willing to pay for) but too often all that's on their mind is the cost. The problem is, that your clients simply can't be expected to understand what you intend to do for them. They can't be expected to understand the work involved or forsee the finished product. Nor can they understand what you'll often have to go through to finish the task for them. Would you ask your auto mechanic to stay up all night changing the spark plugs on your honda? If it's 5:00 on friday and he strips the threads on one of the cylinders, do you figure he's going to stay around all night, most of saturday trying to get your car back to you. No. Not unless he's got cake decorator blood coming out of his busted nuckles! The very nature of our industry means we far too often have to put family, life and freedom aside to do what we wouldn't expect from just about any other professional. <br />
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I've got a shop with very low overhead. I have essentially no real rent, and all my other cost are low. I frequently have people aske me how to go from a home bakery(hobby) to a actual bonified place of business. They see it as a great and magical world of freedom where clients will beat down the door and be willing to pay for the work we pour our heart and souls into. They see the "famous decorators from TV making it look so great and awesome (fake it til they make it) They figure that with more of the same hard work and determination they've already gotten accustomed to at home, that they'll soon be doing what they love. I've talked to so many friends that own shops, and I really can't think of one that will say it's a worthwhile investment.<br />
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Now I realize there seems to be a really negative and almost spiteful tone to my latest blogs, and I don't mean for it to be so, it's just that if I am to be truthful about my experiences and what I've learned in the past few years, it's not all pretty. I have recieved so much feedback from really good hard working people that truely felt they were alone in feeling the same way I do. Men and women who believe in something that's good, yet find little reward. People that believed as I did that they were doing something wrong! It even donned on me that I too was guilty of faking it a bit too. I've never claimed to make a fortune or to do uber expensive cakes, but I've been afraid to admit to myself as well as my peers that it's been a constant struggle. Sometimes it's feast or famine, other times it's just famine... So you wonder, why keep going? <br />
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I'd be lieing if I said I haven't decided to quit a bunch of times. when I'm falling asleep behind the wheel of the delivery van on saturday evening and I haven't been to bed since thursday night, it's hard to keep your resolve... As I mentioned in my previous blog, I've done so many things in my life. Most payed the bills and some payed pretty well. I ran a hotrod shop where I had to deal with bitchy customers, and deadlines, but I could close the door and go home and the customer would have to wait til I opened again. I don't like doing cakes for a living... It's litterally the toughest job I've ever had and finacially it has bled me dry. The worst part is loosing money while working harder than ever, and feeling like I'm failing my children. Not only do I work 24/7, but when I get away, I'm stressed out and really only thinking about what I need to do at the shop instead of focusing on what really matters ( my kids/life/love) <br />
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I'd be lieing too if I said there wasn't a huge up side for me as well. The fact that over 2000 people read my last blog in a day, is a incredible honor for me. To have someone tell me my work, or my words inspired them or lifted their spirits, made them feel less alone or even helped them blow off some of their own steam... I don't take that lightly and again I feel very very lucky. It wasn't until I found my place in the cake world (what ever that is) that I learned to love people. I had always been interested in people, but frequently I had a pretty negative feeling towards most of them, and never really had cause to get to know to many of them. But cake changed so much of that for me. I realized that I really genuinely LOVE people. I absolutely live to look into the eyes of someone I've never met before. It makes my world feel much warmer and I'm much more at home when I can make someone smile, laugh or even just get to say hello. To stand before a group of people that wants to watch me do what it is that I do with cake is the greatest high. To feel like I've shared something of myself with them, and they've done so with me... I just can't explain the feeling, it's beyond words. I changed more in the past few years than I ever dreamed of. so essentially what I'm saying is thank you... you the reader... you are the reason I will continue to press on. Sitting here trying to figure out what to do to survive makes you feel very alone, having so many of you to share it with makes it tolerable! I'll be doing what I must and making some serious changes around here but I plan to stick with it as best I can. I'll be changing the way I do business, in an attempt to keep my sanity, and I'll probably be writing more of these blogs and focusing on what (and who) I really love. I plan to share more, and try to get out more. Maybe by doing so I'll find some of the answers I've been looking for. <br />
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Please understand I'm not trying to discourage anyone from following their dreams, and trying to do what they want to do. I'm a hopless romantic and believe that doing something good, really truely good will eventually pay off. I'm still here, still kicking and screaming and determined to do as much as I can and see as much as I can and hopefully with your help add some degree of value to the world! I feel like I'm very close to living my dreams and ever so often I get to and I hope you do the same!<br />
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I have to thank my frind Ruth Rickey for the final words of this blog, they ring very true for me, and I suspect for many of you who will read this:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>"it's hard to wait around for something you know might never come; but it's even harder to give up when you know it's everything you want"</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Peace N Love!</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>mike </em></strong></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-56026621475210195672012-06-03T16:00:00.001-05:002012-08-03T13:52:42.951-05:00"Drama.... give us drama..."Ok, so as many of you may have heard there are a two or three new TV shows out there that are looking for new people/ contestants. I have a few words of advice! ( for what it's worth)<br />
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I know first hand just how much Tv can do for you, but I also know what it can do to you. <br />
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TV can be a great thing. I've been watching it while I clean up. (I'm a sucker for Science Channel, Morgan Freeman's "Through the Wormhole" marathon!) I also owe it, or rather my work on it for much of my success these days. I don't for a minute believe that because I was on TV I'm bigger and better than anyone, nor do I believe that without my talent and hard work would it have been of value to me at all, but there is no denying it... Tv has been pretty good to me. I like to believe that my skills and abilities in addition to my Tv work are what land me gigs where I get to travel and share my love of being with people, and do demos and classes. I really do love to meet people and get to share even a little bit of our time on Earth together. I feel lucky everytime someone signs up for my classes or attends a demo, and the best of all being our work on KC cakefest, where over 8000 people attended an event that we put together! Would I have been able to do this without TV? I don't know... probably not. So If this is the case why would I have any feeling against Tv at all?<br />
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It's a tricky subject... To many who would like to be on TV, the idea of scoring a role on a show is the Holy Grail. They believe that because they do great work that being on a show will make it for them. They believe that once you're on a show something magical happens and life becomes somehow better. But its more complicated than that. <br />
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Many of the producers of TV shows these days are not interested in your skills and abilities as a cake artist, but rather your abilities to entertain. This ability to entertain doesn't necessarily come from your ability to make cakes well and quickly, but from other possible sources. I know this first hand as I have shown up on set and had it explained to me that they plan villains, hero's and even loosers and winners on a show. That's not to say that the shows are totally rigged because they arent. But it does mean that if the producers think it would be good TV to push something to happen, they will try like hell to do it! During one of my shows I was told a certain person would be the episodes villain. I was surprised ( and nieve), but it quickly became very clear that the deck was stacked against them. The producers set up a situation well in advance to create the outcome they wanted. We as the cast of that show played it right into their hands, and sadly fell pray to their work, and I've regretted it every day since.<br />
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It would seem the answer to be simple. Just don't give them what they want... But in reality TV there are at any given time dozens of cameras rolling shooting even when you feel you're not being watched. It's very easy to catch something they can use, even if they do it out of context. So, if honesty matters to you, be very mindful if cast. Even when your guard is down, and things seem safe. don't believe it is.<br />
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Another tip, and one I learned the hard way is don't think you have to give them what they want. Yes it will piss them off, but weigh the options... A pissed of story producer or the next several years of your life regretting what you said about someone, or yourself on international TV. They will push you to say things you're not really feeling, or convince you that there is hope of bigger better things in order to subdue you, but the best policy is "to thine own self be true" <br />
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Finally, be prepared and don't try to do too much! Now, I've never done a run through of any of the cakes we did on TV. But I did design them so that there was one major component, then several important ones, but not all of them were 100% critical. below that is the final detail stuff. for example the sandcastle cake. Obviously I had to have the sandcastle done. I made it as simple as possible, like a model kit. Simple pieces built, then stacked then finished, as easily as possible, yet it was the key piece. Second to that was the cool details like the umbrella, surf board and shark. That's really just 4 things that had to be done. we could have left out any one of them and still looked great. Then finally the details. These were designed so that we could have worked for days. the more you get done, the better, if not, no big deal. The idea is to plan for failure, but by doing so avoid it. Get a few things done and we could atleast have a finished piece, get a few more, great piece, a few more still and awesome! on that episode we were essentially done early, though we continued to add details til the end. <br />
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And to close, if you're still looking to try out for one of these shows( I have links for a few) you'll need a video. My advice would be not to make a how to video of yourself doing great work, but one thats fun and entertaining first, even if you don't touch cake at all. if you're silly, act silly... If you're goofy, be a goof. if you're hardcore and serious. well... try to be hardcore and serious! think of a fun way to mix things up and make the casting people laugh. Tell a story about something you care about, have fun!<br />
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Remember TV is temporary. You can't expect to change your life because you did a show. It won't define you and it won't last forever.<br />
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I know a ton of "TV cake people" many of them tell me the same thing. It didn't really change things much. I personally run into a lot of problems where potential clients see something on TV and want it. This should be great except that their budget is at walmart level and their taste is at price is not an object level. It's a funny thing... You'd expect Tv to increase the cost of your cakes and make people willing to pay for them, but in many cases I have people that shy away from me because they assume they can't afford me ( you know cuz I'm busy making millions!) It actually can give people the idea that you're above their budget. ( and I rarely am!) <br />
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Have a look at some of the trends in Tv too and you may want to reconsider. Next Great Baker season 3 is casting still and they claim it will be "the competition will be fiercer, the weekly challenges more cutthroat and the judging no-holds-barred". that's straight from the TLC website! <br />
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so go on TV and be insulted by an over the top guy who's lost sight of what it takes to do what we do. be a part of the "cutthroat" and stab your friends in the back. If you win you may even get the prize and be required to limit yourself to working with buddy any time they see fit. Lucky you!<br />
Most of the decorators I know, although underpaid in comparisson, are far more talented. <br />
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Good Luck and be true to you!<br />
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peace n love<br />
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<a href="http://www.auditionsfree.com/2011/tlc-casting-cake-boss-the-next-great-baker/">http://www.auditionsfree.com/2011/tlc-casting-cake-boss-the-next-great-baker/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-91343110514633871942012-06-03T15:05:00.000-05:002012-08-21T18:08:55.682-05:00Fake it til you make itI've been trying to write a blog about cake, but I can hardly stomach the idea of it today. I don't know if it holds true for everyone who does cake, but for myself and from the people I know, cake is a very bad career choice. I am not writing this blog to try to discourage anyone from the industry, but only trying to give an honest open account of my experiences. ( MY EXPERIENCES) I get asked all the time by people and often from parents with interested children about how to "get into cake". and there is no correct answer for that as there are as varied an amount of ways as there are people in the field! There is a perception that since I've done some TV and I do get to do some cool cakes and travel, that it translates into cash in pocket and, well... It's just not that way.<br />
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We've all heard of starving artist. Common is the idea that artist struggle to persue their craft in the light of debt, health and time constraints. For many years now I have tried to put together a business that is rewarding both from a financial and personal standpoint. I'm begining to think it's just not possible! <br />
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It is possible (though difficult!) to run a bakery in which you make money. It's very hard to run a bakery in which you make money and yet have time to enjoy life as well. The problem is as we all know the industry is very deadline driven. Very few clients would be ok with the fact that you didn't do their cake because it was five o'clock on friday and you wanted to go hang out with the kids ( like normal people do)... Instead, in an attempt to get enough work to pay the bills, I fill up my calendar (when I can) which in turn means my Thursday, Friday and Saturdays are extremely busy. The rest of my week is usually spent cleaning, planning, answering emails and basically trying to get more work. The deadlines and time constraints involved with working in a perishable medium like cake means we don't really have much control over when we get to work, unless we don't mind serving old cake of course. <br />
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This last friday was the first time I can remember being done with cake while the sun was still up. I spent some time with my son flying model airplanes and it really felt weird. I had to check and double check to be sure I hadn't forgotten something. The free time was great but comes at a cost; I spent more money last week than I earned. I was still in the bakery everyday from morning til night, but no money was made... this is a problem.<br />
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There is a ton of "fake it til you make it" in our industry. So many of us are in the same boat, yet many feel a need to inflate ( or invent completely) their success and I think it builds up a false idea of what's possible, and what's really the norm. This industry is very tough! It demands a ton of skill, knowledge and even more time. I've worked in many jobs from CPR instructor to auto mechanic , race car driver to roofing, and I can tell you all of them are tough, but none of them are as all consuming as cake can be and most of them pay far better too! ( btw: that's another place many people inflate their success... price. it's never enough) As I mentioned before there's always the problem of rock hard deadlines, but it's also true that to most people, anything over a hundred bucks, is a lot for a cake! We all know how much goes into our cake, and how much time we spend planning, creating not to mention stressing out about them. In addition to the time is the actual cost. Our cost aren't just the materials, but the time and fuel to go get them, the utilities required to bake them and the tools needed to finish the job. Add to that time and money spent training and learning as well as time for emailing, answering the phone and having consults, the cost add up very quickly! I don't mind admitting that last week I brought in only about $500.00 total. I worked easily 60 hours spent about $80.00 on gas and another $30-$50 in food while delivering and getting supplies. I spent $130.00 on fondant, and another $100 on other supplies. This leaves a profit of $140.00. That means my per hour labor cost is about $2.30... Yet I had to try and explain to customers why their Firemans helmet Grooms Cake was $250.00... I had to worry about problems and failures with the cakes during delivery, and as we all know, we have to worry about whether the customer will be satisfied. We all worry about that! Some of the cakes I've been proudest of and often gave the client the greatest deal on are the ones that get the complaints. In my case it's often that they don't think it's big enough, or even worse when they complain about silly petty things! I once did a last minute cake for a client who's original baker cancelled a 4 foot long cruise ship cake 3 days before the party ( she had booked it a year before) I stayed up all night doing it, and I was tickled to death with it. I found out days later that she wanted money back because she felt the color I had airbrushed the water around the ship clashed with the blue of her party. Really?? ( she even wanted me to pay for a flourist she hired to cover the water with flower petals!)<br />
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This is one of those cases where I feel like I need to offer the answer to some of these problems, but I honestly just don't know. I try every week to find more time in each day. I struggle to do what I'd like to do and balance that with what I can do, and very often I end up only doing what I must.<br />
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All I can say is you must find a way to make it worth while and in my case I have the truely great people I have met because of cake and the ones yet to come. I love the friends I have now and I don't mean that in a general sense. I LOVE them as they have given me strength and courage to continue to press on in spite of the difficulties associated with our industry. If it weren't for them (you) I'd be working on something , well, something else? <br />
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next blog... How I make millions doing party cakes that cost more than your car! ( oh wait, that was a dream I had once)<br />
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Peace N Love<br />
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(update 8-2-2012)<br />
<br />
This blog really struck a nerve and I'm actually proud of that! Truth is I really do feel like so many people blur the line between good marketing and flat out mis-reputation! It's one thing to want to appear as a valuable and effective business, but when it comes to our piers, the denial of the truth and the flat out fabrication and act performed by some folks really worries me. We are all part of a very small industry. I believe that what's good for one is usually good for us all and to deny the problematic issues in our industry builds a false image of the succes possible for people considering it as a career. I love cake people, but as an industry there are many people painting an unreal image of it. I admit that even I myself was guilty. In part because I felt my own actual success depended upon how people percieved my success, but perhaps mostly because I didn't want people to know that I can barely survive on the work I invest so much time in. I hate fear more than any other emotion and admitting that I have great (often impossible) difficulty making it within this industry was a real accomplishment for me. I really hope with all my heart that my story will shed some truth upon the industry and even more so I hope that it atleast helps those struggling and looking for the cure to feel like they are not alone! You are not alone! and we're in this boat together!<br />
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again...<br />
peace N love ! <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-10849582936151336422012-05-14T23:35:00.000-05:002012-08-21T18:10:50.045-05:00Gettin' it up and keepin' it up... why?Shame on you you dirty minded lil' blog reader, for thinking what you're thinking! This blog is about doing cakes, how I got into it and why we're crazy enough to keep doing it! It's my honest story and<br />
my views on the industry and what I've learned about life from my travels in it!. <br />
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As some of you know I got into cakes by accident. My Mother is a renowned decorator and many years ago after moving closer to home in KC, I started helping her do cakes when she got busy. I don't know why she called on me to do it, but many a friday night was spent in the basement of my childhood home making cakes. I liked it but mostly it was yet another attempt to make my mother happy. I did every sort of cake, and even though I was a novice, I don't mind saying I had a knack for it, and very soon we had more and more orders for the style of work I prefered. Maybe it was purely coincidence, or maybe it was that people were seeing and in turn wanting my work, either way I was spending more and more time after my day job as a mechanic, in KC working on cakes sometimes all night.<br />
My Mother had won the Oklahoma Sugar Arts Show in Tulsa Oklahoma several times, and one friday as she was finishing up the work on her showpiece, I decided to bust out a cake that had been rolling around in my head for a few days. That evening I made a 1950 ford woody wagon, with a surf board and cake on top, and the next morning we were off to Oklahoma. I hadn't had any interest in the competition at all at that point, but rather only in making something I wanted to make and since I was going to the show (I think it was my first time there) I figured I might as well bring something...<br />
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That silly little cake got an unimaginable amount of attention and was part of the reason why TLC contacted my mother and I to audition for Cake Off. Originally when we were making the video the intent was for it to be her audition video for the show. They had asked us to do the video together, and it turned out that I was the one that producers had chosen to be the lead, I'm not real sure this sat well with my mother as she had always been the one people came to and maybe I'm wrong but it seemed to hurt her ego a bit that I had been asked to lead. I was proud to have been asked but even more surprised by the reality of shooting a reality TV show and the strain it can put on people and relationships... The first episode was a pirate show and my plan was to create something that a man who truely believed himself to be a pirate, would appreciate. I didn't want to do a childlike version, but more of an off scale model type of cake. With the aid of my mother and my sister Tammy's amazing character modeling skills (which we practiced only briefly before we went to the shoot) we won. At the time the deciding vote was the clients. This made it easier in my mind to plan. <br />
The second episode was a dog show. And it was in planning for this that tensions between myself and my family got tougher. I was having a really rough time in my personal life and working on the show with my sisters and mother was tricky as they didn't feel like I was really doing enough. It's easy to see actually how they could feel this way as they weren't used to working with me (My sisters didn't work in cake at all at the time) My style is pretty frustrating to those who don't understand it. My brain is a wierd cross wired silly little place... My head is full of dozens and sometimes hundreds of tv or movie screens. I can go through the process of creating things, like cake, countless times in my head before I ever take action. Even during taping, when you're asked to perform as you decorate, I can play a version of the goings on in my head. I can even fast forward a bit and try to anticipate what's going to be asked, or what's going to happen (no I don't think I can see the future... but I knew you were going to think that!) It gives me a bit of breathing room when I'm put on the spot and must speak or act. (It's also confusing as hell!) So, as I was planning and doing my best to try to live up to my own standards and still trying not to let my sisters and mother down, my apparent lack of action irritated them! <br />
When we were asked to come back and do a third show, things really came to a head. They had already voiced thier opinion that I was not taking it seriously, and even went so far as to claim that I was taking too much credit for the previous success we had. Things had become increasingly dark at home and when they felt I wasn't doing enough they tried to take over. As I had said before I had done that third show dozens of times already in my mind... One of the toughest things was we didn't know who the client was or their style. So in my head I had devised a series of ways of customizing the design to please the unknown client. The design was a sand castle, part of the design included spires with sharply pointed cone roofs...Partly because I didn't like to do too much work before taping, and partly because I had planned to use the roofs as a point of customization I felt we could choose the color or design on set to suit the client, and we ended up doing so during the show as part of the client twist ! At the time I had gone against what my sisters and mother wanted and refused to finish them here, before heading to California. I remember being in the car on my way to get supplies, when my dad called and told me they were fed up and had decided that my design was to complex and they had chosen to get the spires done now and I'd just have to accept it. I called them, admittedly upset, and told them to stop, and that even though they didn't understand it I had a plan. It wasn't 15 minutes later that I recieved another call from Dad in which he explained that they had told him to call me and tell me they quit. My sister was already heading home and my mother was steaming mad. They felt that they needed to teach me a lesson, and I guess this was their decided plan of action... less than a week before we had to leave to film the episode.<br />
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As anyone who's seen the final episode knows, I had a new team for the shoot. My friend Michelle agree'd immediately and she recruited Karen, who I met for the first time at the airport! Jamaica was brought in by the network to finish up the quartet. We met as a complete team for the first time in the lobby of the hotel at a small table in the lounge. I only had pictures of the structure as the supplies hadn't even arrived from the shipping company, and since the events delayed me a bit they wouldn't arrive until half way through the move in day on set! Using only the pictures I had taken and my explination of how it was all to work, we devised our plan and without any real problems we finished early and my team performed as if we had rehearsed it a million times! I seldom had to turn my head to explain anything, or check up on their work (well, unless the production crew asked me to in order to build their story) It was awesome and I was very proud of them all, yet it was bittersweet, as I really felt like my own family was almost pulling for me to loose. So I'd learn my lesson... Additionally the production staff used the situation to their advantage and some tense moments happened on set.<br />
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After all the shows were done it was right back to work. It's not the life changing event many people feel it is. I can thank my appearances for much of what I get to do now, traveling and teaching, but in the following year and a half things got worse and worse, and the differences between my mother and I grew too great, until litterally in one day it ended... I've heard all sorts of stories about what happened from all sorts of places, but none of the stories are accurate, to any valuable degree. I'm not going to explain that part, or share the details of the split, it serves no purpose in this story, but I will share what I learned from all of this... <br />
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I never wanted to be a cake decorator... Many days I still don't, I got started because no matter how old you are, or how many times you seem to fail at the task, we all want to please our parents. The only way I could think of was to try and help as best I could. This story isn't even about cake, it's about realizing that sometimes things happen and all one can do is learn from it and move on. I learned that on any given day, I can really only do the things that make me happy. The best way to make myself happy is to do the things that feel right to me. Some of the things are easy, some are hard, but only by being true to what I feel inside of me can I then turn that energy outward and share it with those I love. It doesn't feel right to me to be looked to as I often am because of a silly TV show, yet if it is to happen what feels right to me is to show the same kind of love and energy with whoever it is that honors me in that way. I have been so lucky to have met so many people, all of them so full of love (I can't think of a better word) and so happy to share it with me. The more I feel it the more I want to share it and build upon it. I have the truely wonderful people around me now to thank for that!(you all know who you are!) I've found that eventually I had to forgive myself for the things I couldn't do, the people I couldn't satisfy and focus on the positive! <br />
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So... Why CAKE? I can't say that as a career, the act of making cakes is a good one. seldom do I make enough to really justify the hard work and even keep bills paid. The hours are long and the stress levels are high. There's always a deadline and then even after the cake is complete there's the worry about an unhappy customer. (I'm starting to see a trend here... I think maybe I have a need to please). like so many cake people ( and other professions too) I pour myself into my work. It's a sort of expression for me and sometimes I even feel guilty charging for it, but when you're asked to create something for an event, or person that inspires them, that brings joy and happiness, it brings the same energy to me... It feels right and even if just in a small way, I've shared that energy with that person or group andI feel lucky. I feel like payment was recieved.<br />
I get to travel and meet so many excited faces. Even a silly thing like a competition, when the viewers are allowed on stage to watch me work, or in a class when I get to share my techniques for doing my work, it's hard for me not to want to stop and chat, and meet them. The single greatest thing I learned from my experiences in the world of cake is that we're all in this together. Cake is by it's nature a thing that makes people happy... Being a person who makes them means that I get to share in that happiness with them. Many a day do I dread having to make yet another cake, but never will I get tired of the great people I meet because of it! <br />
Thank you cake for that.<br />
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Peace N Love Friends!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-80678463594288452272012-05-11T23:05:00.001-05:002012-05-11T23:06:47.616-05:00I'd like it like this, But crappier please!Mike: "Black Sheep Custom Cakes"<br />
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Caller: "I'd like to order a cake. I want to feed 100 people... I want it really cool, sculpted, with lights and sounds and 4 foot tall please."<br />
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Mike: " Be happy to do that! That'll cost you about $X.XX delivered." ( Realizing in his head that the cost and time involved in the cake as well as the risk for such a design barely justifies the price asked)<br />
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Caller: "OH... well, can we do it for 50 people? What would that cost?" <br />
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Mike: "Umm.... well I could make it a bit smaller, but it's still about the same amount of work for me., so the cost doesn't go down that much."<br />
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Caller: "OH... well what if we do it for 25... do you do cupcakes?"<br />
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This seems to happen so often my head spins. Once again we can thank reality TV for inflating the expectations of our customers while providing them with no clue as to what it really takes to make a cake!<br />
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For those of you that are wondering what I do, here's my thoughts:<br />
The above scenario is very common, but also common is the mind set now that since a client is having "other deserts" The need for a full sized cake is not as important to their wedding or event (seems to happen more with weddings).<br />
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Let's think about this.... When people come to a wedding, they expect to see a bride in her pretty dress and a decorated venue. After that they expect to see the cake. Every wedding I know of usually includes the cutting of the cake and a ton of photos of the bride and groom with the cake. Do guest show up wondering what the desert bar looks like? Can you imagine the bride and groom standing next to the bowl of red and blue Skittles or brownies? What a memorable pic that will be!!!<br />
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When faced with this scenario, I usually explain that if they called me looking for the 4 foot tall sculpted fire breathing cake, but because of the price decided to do the sheet cake with plastic dragon figure, they're not going to be satisfied! In the same light a bride may not think as far ahead to her wedding day, when her little cake fails miserably to impress anyone (herself included). But hey atleast there's a bowl of skittles and M-M's with the monogram on it! I find that clients usually agree once they've thought about it. We very often seem to forget that we are the ones with the experience in this field, and we can share that with our clients to make the experience better for them!<br />
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My job is to make people happy and I can't allow myself to cut corners in an attempt to reduce the price to do that! We all have our standards, and when we let the customer talk us down from them we'll end up with un-happy customers! It's a bit of a paradox as I will sometimes end up not doing the cake, but atleast I can sleep at night knowing I did my best. Never ever do I buy into the dumb it down so it will be easier to sell! I do cakes of every level and degree of complication, but most importantly I have to be satisfied with them when they leave the shop! <br />
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Well... With 2 more cakes to do I best get back to work! I've got a cake for Rockfest tomorrow and regular stuff too!<br />
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Peace N Love Friends! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-60632839398242437552012-05-09T22:32:00.001-05:002012-05-09T22:33:10.872-05:00Reality TV and "Super Hero syndrome"In the past few weeks I've been contacted by two different production companies about two completely different shows. One is a newer show I'm not supposed to discuss and the other was Next Great Baker. It got me to thinking about the past few years and the rollercoaster ride they've been. ( believe me, I could go on and on about that, but I'll get to my topic) As many of you know I've done three "Ultimate Cake off'"s, a small christmas special and thats about it.... I'm fortunate enough to have won all 3 cake off, s and I can't deny that my appearance on them is at least part of the reason why I'm asked to do events, why I am able to call upon so many talented people to do KC Cakefest, and on occassion, I even get an order out of the deal. I can't really even say I'm proud of the work we did on TV, and I don't for a second think it was all of my own doing. But most of all I try to remember that it didn't then and doesn't now define who I am... <br />
I can tell you first hand that reality Tv for the most part is total bullshit. The producers of said shows have a very narrow and limited scope of ideas and believe that there is a very small window of choices of subject and story line that "sells" to todays TV watching market. The term repeated so often is "DRAMA", which to a modern day TV producer apparently means people in uncomfortable situations, being pushed to the brink ( and frequently far past it) with little emphasis on whether the person/ people have any real talent, the story is relevant, or whether or not there's a mili-amp of positive energy produced inside the heart and soul of the viewer. I'm offended by the idea that the only thing that we the people want to watch or take part in is a version of Jerry Springer, combined with baking, or beauty pageants, or what happens in a swamp. Don't get me wrong, there are a few shows out there that actually have a positive vibe to them and rarely if ever have the negativity that stains TV today. Shows like Man Vs Food, Mythbusters, and... well... it's hard to think of them as they're so rare, But I like both of these shows! <br />
Man vs Food is a pretty cut and dry show. The always enthusiastic host Adam, travels the country searching for challenges in diners, delis and resturants, and always ends with him undoubtedly shortening his life by downing a massive sandwich, steak or pancake! The idea is simple, but what makes the show great is the constant smile on Adam's face, the local flavor and good people he meets, and the fact that even though the show is ultimately about him taking on some sort of glorified Hotdog eating contest, it gets deeper than that due to the good natured people he gets involved with. He samples not only the local food, but gets to do even better... meet great people.<br />
This brings me to my first point. I've done Tv shows, and in the following years I've been courted by this production company and that. I've had people dedicate large amounts of time and energy into "making it happen" for me. I've been approached with show ideas that on the surface seemed really great, only to find them hollow and essentially a clone of some show I've already seen a million times, just with a different spin. I've come to dred the idea of casting agents, producers and networks, yet I owe so much of my "success" to them. Would I be where I am today had I never done TLC? The best part of the last 2-3 years has been the people I've been lucky enough to meet. Many of them I would never have met, had it not been to three measily wins on TLC. I've traveled, done exciting events, the best and proudest being hosting KC Cakefest, and all the while meeting new, really great and energetic people. I"ve never felt like I was worthy of the excitement people have for you when they've seen you on TV. Even though it's been a while, I still get it. Just the other day at WalMart, I was on my way out the door when an elderly lady in one of those loaner wheelchairs asked me if I could help her. I stopped and as she requested, pushed her through the theft detectors, past the greeter and to the side so she could wait for her husband who was parking the car. At first I didn't think anything of it, but as I pushed her along, she said "Thank you Mike"... I know you're a celebrity, but I didn't want to sit in everybodies way." I was just happy to help a very sweet old lady, but the fact that she knew my name and thought so highly of me really did make something inside glow. I chatted with her for a while and shortly after her husband arrived. He told me how much she used to like to bake, and how she's been to my website. I'm still excited to have met them and as I walked out of the store I couldn't get over how excited she was, and in turn how good I felt. It's that type of energy that I live for. To share a moment with a stranger, to feel the bond of energy if only for as long as it takes to push a wheel chair. I felt and still feel very lucky.<br />
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And that brings me to my second point ( yeah, I have two! LOL) In the time since TLC I've met and spent time with so many of the people that have been on different TV shows. Many of them I'm very proud to call friends, some are a bit harder to "get", while others look to their Tv appearance as some sort of magical event that changed them at the molecular level, and these are the ones I have a tough time with. They seem to feel like the TV camera beamed some sort of radioactive radiation at them, or maybe they were bit by some crazy venomous producer, that transformed them into a super hero, flying over mere mortals bakeries, flinging buttercream at those beneath them with a ZAP, BOP, BOOM! They've convinced themselves that they are better and more interesting than anyone else. Their opinions are no longer such and are by nature of their super powers undeniable facts, and no one can say otherwise. Ater all, They were on TV! What the hell?? <br />
TV is at best a fleating moment. Yes the ride may take a while to come to a complete stop, and sometimes you may catch a ticket to yet another ride, but the idea that it defines you at the place it matters most or creates a super hero out of you.... No. (I wish!) I may be goofy, but I feel that inside me is the little Mikey that used to ride his bike barefoot on summer vacation wearing nothing but his shorts. That used to sword fight with sticks at the bus stop, and best of all looked at the world with wonder and amazement. I try very hard to keep in touch with him, after all, he created me. As an adult ( yuck) I do what I must. I work. I pay bills, I'm a dad ( which actually plays well with the inner youthful Mike) but I always try to look at myself from that point of view and my inner child says "yeah, you did some TV, now what?" Perhaps it's logical that the things I do that are the most rewarding are the things my three kids enjoy most and are most impressed by. I love to talk to people, learn and try new things. I'm still trying to find my place in the world, and maybe someday I will. I'm not concerned about not really knowing where I'm going... I've got some exciting ideas and plans, and the journey will be a blast, although every now and then that Mikey inside me does ask, "are we there yet?"<br />
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Peace N Love Friends! I'm off to decide what to do about my latest TV goofiness. To do or not to do? thinking not...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489703759613830798.post-84392119110496679792012-04-30T15:40:00.000-05:002012-05-18T01:00:26.505-05:00who's the expert here? Wedding consultsRecently, my partner Carey and I had a discussion about this... Carey had talked with one of our clients and couldn't get them to come up with a cake design. After talking for a while I realized that everyone has a different style of meeting clients and designing cakes. Some have a menu of cakes and brides to-be order cake #4 off the list. Others ask clients to bring photos of the cake they like and they copy that cake for them. It's easy to miss that your style of doin a consult can determine the style of cakes and types of cakes you get to do. We all have our way, but my thought is that there is only one cake expert at a consult... And it sure as hell isn't the client! <br />
I used to work with my mother, and she had a style of taking several photos of cakes the client wanted and combining the pieces and parts of several designs to make a single "custom" cake. As a result I ended up helping produce a ton of cakes with dots, diamonds and stripes, with quilted patterns and pearl borders. I realized that even though we were meeting with a client and "custom designing" their cake, the designs reflected our style of consult. Since I started woking on my own I have found that the style of cakes I get "asked" for has changed.... Is it because they're just asking for something different, or is it that my own style of meeting with them has changed? <br />
When I meet with clients, I frequently look at the many cake pictures they've gathered, I look at the dress, sample their invitations and try to get a feel for the personal style of the client... Many have settled on some sort of design they've created from what is essentially their first and only attempt at cake design. Why would we as cake designers be satisfied with that? Who's the expert here? As cake people we understand what it takes to make cake. We all have ideas and techniques that with a little thought could be just the right touch for a clients wedding or event. Our job as the cake designer is to help them get what they want, even if they don't really know what they want!<br />
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In a short amount of time it's pretty easy to get a feel for a clients personal taste. Most of them are drawn to a certain style or theme, the next step is to interpret that information and create something that they will like and that you as a decorator wants to do! It's much easier to work on a cake when you feel like the design is your own and especially so if you can talk a client into letting you do something you've been dieing to do. As we all know when we want to do a cake, we usually go above and beyond! Very rarely do I have to do dots and diamonds and I'm very happy about that! My customers are always excited to see their cake and proud to know it's truely one of a kind!<br />
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Finally don't be afraid to say no. Many times I've been asked to do a design that I know won't look right. Or it may be that a client wants a design thats done in fondant in the photos but they want it in buttercream. Again it's important to explain that your experience is that the combination doesn't wok. <br />
so in short: <br />
Don't be afraid to tell the customer what they want. be the expert!<br />
Listen to them and design something that fits the bill, but is unique and pushes the design envelope.<br />
let them know that their design is just for them and not just a copy or combination of copies.<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194029384718127199noreply@blogger.com1