Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Martin.
Hi Kara, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story is built on the shoulders of giants. I come from a long line of risk-taking, dream chasing, entrepreneurs. My grandparents immigrated from England, the war-torn country of WWII only a few years prior, to “cross the pond” in pursuit of the American Dream and the hope of a better life for their family.
My baking prowess was fostered and flamed from a very young age. I began baking weekly box mix cakes for my dad and believe me, his sweet tooth knew no rival. He especially loved strawberry cake with 2 helpings of icing smeared on top. He was my biggest cheerleader. He shipped me a surprise Kitchen Aid mixer to help give me the kick-start I needed to take my own dream-chasing risk.
It is from the roots of my grandparent’s construction company, Gentle Construction, and the never-ending encouragement of my father, that my cookie dream was born, Gentle Confections, named in honor of their legacy.
I create stunning and scrumptious custom-decorated cookies and teach others how to decorate and gift dazzling sugar cookies to share with the ones they love. I believe that sharing sugar cookies is a beautiful way to give a gift that says:
You are loved. You are seen. You are valued.
It’s all about family and community. This whole Gentle Confections cookie dream enables me to care for my family and inspire connection with my local community through cookie decorating.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wanted to throw up when I got the call. My brother was on the other end. He told me I needed to come home. The news wasn’t good.
For a little over two years, my dad valiantly fought his battle with an extremely rare, highly aggressive cancer. This was the phone call I knew one day would come. I just didn’t realize it would come so soon. I wanted at least 30 more years!
It is all still a blur. The call. The flight. The drive. Somehow, I ended up in his hospital room.
The doctor gave him 2 weeks. 2 WEEKS?!
I got 12 days.
He was 64 when he passed away. I was 33. The reality that most of my life will now be spent without him is never lost on me. I feel it daily.
My Dad was larger than life. He was loud, excitable, and the greatest man to ever live. That is not an exaggeration. He lived a Rockstar life! His funeral service was proof. It was standing room only and we were verging on the max occupancy of the church.
I don’t share this to boast about how amazing he was, well ok…maybe I do. I share this with you because in the end when our short fleeting life ends, isn’t this what we all hope for? To know our life mattered? That we made a difference?
My greatest obstacle has been overcoming the loss of my giants. All three of my heroes have now since passed and I venture on this path with the understanding, that life is an epic tale of the memories we make, the people we meet, and how we make them feel.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I inspire the lost art of IRL, “in real life”, connection through cookie decorating classes. Gentle Confections is the best cookie decorating community that teaches you how to create and gift beautifully crafted sugar cookies with the people you love, even if you’ve never baked before.
And guess what – You don’t have to be a cookie decorating expert to create amazing-looking cookies to share with your family and friends.
If:
• You desire to learn how to make professional-looking cookies but don’t know where to begin.
• You’ve tried to learn by watching YouTube videos but leave with more questions than answers.
• You’ve always wanted to figure out the secrets behind getting cookie icing to look and taste amazing.
• You can’t wait to wow your loved ones on special occasions and holidays with your cookie decorating skills.
• You’ve been desiring to dive into a new hobby to call your own.
• You want to have fun learning something new with your kids.
• You think cookie decorating just sounds like fun!
Then Gentle Confections is the community for you.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
My Dad wasn’t a celebrity, nor did he do anything earth-shattering that the history books will later record.
He simply lived his life well. He loved those in his life deeply and made it known.
He was a man who had never met a stranger. It was his passion to grow relationships. He loved people. It showed in his final goodbye.
When I look back at my life, I don’t want to be defined by my regrets but by the relationships I built.
If you feel that same crazy, wild passion carousing through your veins. I know you. I get you in a real and profound way. We come from the same cut of cloth, two peas in a pod. We, the dreamers, battle against the shoulds and coulds.
I should choose the safe path…I could choose to risk sharing how I feel.
I should create a predictable schedule…I could throw caution to the wind and plan on a whim.
I should keep my thoughts to myself…I could create something that expresses my true self.
Though we are tempted to run from each side of the should/could spectrum, I am here to remind you of something: you only have one wild beautiful life to live.
My Dad didn’t count telling people how he felt a risk. He showered them with love in words and deeds. His safe path was always to make it known that his friends, family, and even acquaintances were valued and mattered.
When I began to live each day with the understanding, that life is heartbreakingly short, I realized my power to make decisions that’ll leave me looking back on a life well lived and hopefully equal a Rockstar life for me as well.
My dear, what if, starting today, you lived like this was your last year of life? What would you do? What would you say? What memories would you make?
What relationships would you build?
So, while you may list all the reasons you should something, I beg you to find reasons you could live the life of your dreams surrounded by family and friends who know just how much you love them. You owe it to yourself…and your one wild, beautiful life.
How will you share it?
I suggest with some sugar.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gentleconfections.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gentleconfections/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GentleConfections
Image Credits
Jeff Belcher
