Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendra Ratliff.
Kendra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey began growing up in my Grandparents’ home. My Granny, Annie Jean Johnson, taught me how to cook and bake. The first cake she showed me how to make that is still a staple in my family today is her amazing Cream Cheese Pound Cake. This was the beginning for me because once I got a taste for baking and putting my “spin” on recipes, I was hooked. So my passion and love for baking were developed early in life. The business side came along when job loss affected my household in 2009. Being a single parent, you have to make things work. I began selling pound cakes of all flavors for extra money. I went back and forth with selling cakes for a few years. After the passing of my Grandmother, the matriarch of our family in 2013, I settled on the name “Jean’s Dream Catering and Bakery” for my business. In 2018, I was asked by a client to make a Minnie Mouse Cake for her daughter’s 1st Birthday! This order was special because it became the very first one that would take me out of my comfort zone of pound cakes! I have since graduated from plain old, but delicious, pound cakes to intricate fondant work on cakes, Tiered Themed Cakes, Wedding Cakes, and much more! I look forward to many more orders that set me apart in the near future.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One challenge along this journey is trying to balance and manage your time between working full time and being a single parent to a child with special needs. It is not easy, but VERY possible, and I thank God each and every day for allowing me to be here still and make it through all He has brought me through!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Jean’s Dream Catering and Bakery provide delicious food, a variety of cakes, and treats for any and all occasions. I specialize in desserts of any flavor. Just request it, and I can make it happen. I believe THAT is what sets me apart. I try to make my client’s vision come to life. I am most proud of my originality.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plans for the future include expanding from being a home-based business and growing to a place where I have a few locations and eager employees! I plan on employing teens with special needs who want to be a part of a working society/community as well as adults who desire the same.
Pricing:
- Cakesicles start at 40.00 per dozen
- Chocolate Dipped Strawberries start at $35.00 per dozen
- Pound Cakes start at 40.00
Contact Info:
- Phone: 682-777-0746
- Email: jeansdreamcatering@gmail.com
- Instagram: @jeansdreamcatering
- Facebook: Jean’s Dream Catering and Bakery
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