Today we’d like to introduce you to Madeline Guzman.
Hi Madeline, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
For as long as I can remember I loved being in the kitchen. My aunt would babysit me as a small kid (maybe like 5 years old) when I was bored, I would take all of her pots and pans out on the kitchen floor and pretend I was cooking something. I would also love to play in my toy kitchen and make fake food out of playdough. In high school I took a few culinary classes, so when it was time to decide on what I wanted to study, I had to choose culinary school to study baking and pastry. I graduated with an associate’s degree in baking and pastry and a bachelor’s in business management. After graduation, I got a job as a decorator at a cupcake shop and worked there for almost 3 years. I started getting tired of doing the same thing every day and not being able to do what I truly wanted when it came to decorator cakes. I really began to lose my love for this art. I decided to leave the job, possibly at the worst time because covid was on the horizon not knowing at the time what a big mistake I had made. Covid hit and I had no job… so that’s when I started Something Sweet Bakery and really dedicated myself to it. I am growing my business more every day and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The journey has been relatively smooth so far, I am happy with the direction and the quick growth of my business. The challenge for me at the moment is balancing my time between my full-time job and Something Sweet Bakery. I am wearing all of the hats as of right now, so finding time to do all of my duties is a challenge at times.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in 100% buttercream-decorated cakes. I do not like to work with fondant, and I don’t think I am very good at it, so I decided to just not work with it at all. I am most proud of how far I have come. My cakes were not always the prettiest but with more and more practice I really am proud of my work. I believe what sets me apart from others and what I’m known for is my buttercream. I always get compliments on how light and not too sweet it is. I think what sets mine apart is the fact that I get my vanilla extract from Dominican Republic which provides a delicious flavor. I love that I can say that my cakes are freshly made from scratch. My most popular flavors are red velvet, carrot, and chocolate.
What matters most to you? Why?
I would have to say the quality of my work. Just because something looks nice from the outside does not mean the inside is going to match. No matter how pretty it looks, no one is going to order again if it didn’t taste good. I also focus on my customer service skills. It matters to me to make the customer feel comfortable communicating with me and be able to trust me to make what they want for their celebration.
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