Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Hilliard.
Stacy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My business actually started by accident. I had never had a desire to bake or decorate cakes and honestly didn’t even know much about baking. I had a friend who was making a cake and couldn’t figure out how to do zebra print. She was new to fondant and pretty stumped. I told her I could swing by and try to help. I went, we knocked out the cake, posted it on Facebook, and that was how I received my first order. About six months later, I was making enough cakes to quit my “real job” and do cakes full time. For eight years, I did hundreds of party cakes a year, but they really didn’t bring me the joy that I craved. In 2018, after the loss of my cake partner and best friend, my mom, I closed shop.
During that time, I put a lot of thought into how I wanted to run my business. What would make me happy? What would bring me joy? It was then that I decided to rebrand. I became Juniper Cake Company, specializing in wedding cakes. I headed out the door one day with cake tastings and came home with a spot as the primary baker for a local wedding venue. In 2019 I doubled my wedding cake goal. My 2020 goal was to double that and as of today, I am only a few shy from that. I now have great relationships with several venues and have made my way on to quite a few preferred vendor lists.
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?
The road has not been smooth. I have given up so many times. I’m a slight perfectionist. Too many times, I came to a point where I was not satisfied with my own work anymore. I would give up, beat myself up over it and take a little break to refocus and try to improve. Balancing a crazy workload and a family has been quite difficult. I am a wife and a mom of 3 with one precious granddaughter. There have been so many times that Ive stayed up for 3 or 4 days so I could get all of my orders completed and still make it to my daughter’s livestock show. Being a one-woman show means you’re pulling those 60-70 hours a week by yourself, but you still have to mom too. I always had my mom there to talk me off the ledge. Losing her has definitely been my biggest struggle. My workload has increased and my right-hand man is gone.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Juniper Cake Company story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a self-taught baker, specializing in weddings. I’ve grown from a home-based cake business into a commercial studio space. I think aside from making delicious cakes, I’m known for my personality and my desire to create the most perfect cake for my brides. I truly want each cake to be special and reflect everything she has ever dreamed of. I am mostly proud of the relationships and friendships I have developed with my clients. What sets me apart? With me, you aren’t just buying a cake. You are literally getting a piece of me. My heart and soul goes into every cake I design and create. I do not want your guest to just eat cake. I want them to talk about how amazing your cake was for years to come. I strive to leave an impression.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t really believe in luck. I believe you get what you put in. I have poured my entire being into this. I have given many cakes to charitable organizations like Icing Smiles. I have given away free wedding cakes, free birthday cakes to local children who have lost their parents because to me it’s not about a cake. It’s about giving someone something to smile about. It’s about bringing joy to other people. Giving with your heart and expecting nothing in return always yields the biggest blessings.
Pricing:
- Cakes starting at $4 per serving
Contact Info:
- Phone: 9038141042
- Email: junipercakeco.stacy@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/junipercakeco
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/junipercakeco/
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