Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Hardman.
Jennifer, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story starts like many, baking for friends and family. I was working as a pharmaceutical rep in Dallas. Although science is my first calling, I was in desperate need of an artistic outlet. When my friends in a local band threw a birthday party, I decided “Why not make a cake like a Fender guitar?”. Requests for more cakes came rolling in until I had the thought, “if I ever had a child,maybe I could do this from home and make some money?”
Pastry school seemed like a logical next step. I began the pastry arts program with El Centro and also went to work hands on at Dallas Affaires Cake Company. Low and behold, I surprisingly became pregnant with a beautiful daughter who was born in 2011. This just so happened to be the same time the Texas Cottage Food Law was passed. In self fulfilling prophecy, it was legal to do exactly what I dreamed about and my baking business Custom Baker was born.
The business has grown steadily and so has my artistic ability including developing different skill sets like decorated cookies. However, there has always been more I wanted to do which brings me here today with CommunityBakers.com.
Creative home baking artists like myself are sprouting up everywhere and successfully growing their clientele — but just by word of mouth. In the age of baking reality shows, the love of baking and its artistry is at an all time high and consumers are on the constant look out for “custom bakers” like myself. Community Bakers is about connecting those dots allowing consumers to finally find us with a single click. My home baking business allowed me to be the stay-at-home mom I dreamed about and if I can help facilitate that to someone else, it is exactly what I want to do. I’m proud of what we are building with Community Bakers, putting amazing home baking businesses in the spotlight. I call it the ’home baking revolution’ because it is just that… a new and sweeping change happening to the baking industry. I love being a home baker and feel even more fortunate to be able bring the spotlight to so many talented home baking artists.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Ha! There’s no smooth road starting your own business. Anyone will tell you that, right?:) As a cottage baker, it is pretty much a one-woman show which means long hours and lots of juggling. In fact, one year I was up all night for three days with Easter orders. Unfortunately, that ended with me falling asleep at the wheel and totaling my vehicle! (thankfully after all deliveries)
A blessing from God no one was hurt but definitely a ‘wake up call’ in learning how to balance things. However, it is the tough lessons I learn baking that has pushed me even harder to build Community Bakers to support the cottage baker. I have been in the trenches and I know what it is like. We have plans to not just put them on the map but to connect them with suppliers and more. Of course, launching a start-up is never easy either. (There are always challenges like finding funding and the right people to bring on board, etc…) Now with two businesses, those struggles of balance are still there. You just have to keep your eyes forward, enjoy the journey and keep believing what you are doing. My passion for baking and love of sugar art hasn’t waned and right alongside the passion for my fellow bakers and seeing them succeed.
Community Bakers – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Well, with my own baking as Custom Baker it really is whatever the customer wants. However, I definitely shine with carved cakes and decorated cookies. I also do an assortment cookie box every year at Christmas- with all the classic favorites like gingerbread. No one else does a box like it and to boot it is hand delivered by elves!
However, the more important business is Community Bakers.
We are the first of its kind dedicated to the cottage baking industry. With 49 states with Cottage Food Laws now, it is about time. You can literally press a single button and see these fantastic bakers may actually be in your backyard and you didn’t even know it. As I mentioned, it is the “home baking revolution” and it is alive and well. With Community Bakers, we are ready to finally put it on the map.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Wow, that is a tough one. What is success? Well I think that question can be broken down a number of ways. Sometimes it is just a question for that day right? Did I get that cookie order done and delivered? Did I figure out how to carve out time to go on my daughter’s field trip? Did we figure out something new to add to the website or get a new baker signed up?
The point is, it is really about small victories.
All of it is a journey, my mother ingrained this in me.
Success is enjoying the journey not thinking the end-all be-all is the big goal at the end. It is not the station you reach. It is knowing you are moving forward however little or big and taking a minute to notice the view. But I’m human and have to remind myself of this lol… We would love and are working towards Community Bakers as a national name one day, but of course starting right here with the many amazing baking artists in the Dallas metroplex!
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.communitybakers.com
- Email: jennifer@communitybakers.com
- Instagram: Www.instagram.com/communitybakers
- Facebook: Www.facebook.com/communitybakers ; (my baking is www.facebook.com/custombaker)
Image Credit:
Rosa Poetschke Photography
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