What Do I Do Every Day?

The most popular question I get is: "What do you do every day?" Well, that is hard to say, because every single day is different. That might change a bit once the new store opens and I have a more set routine, but probably not.

Essentially I wait on customers, put together and frost cakes, frost cupcakes, make flavored buttercream, make ganache, tidy up, do paper work. This AM I got to spend some time on the phone with Verizon. Really, it just depends on what needs to be done. I realize this will not be a very satisfying answer for people who want details.

Yesterday, I drove to Tysons Corner (got lost), programmed new employees into the computer system, drove to the Shirlington store (got lost), waited on customers and learned paperwork duties, etc. Saturday I took a food sanitation and safety class. Fascinating stuff that class.

Every day is completely different from the last, so I can't say what I do every day.

The one thing that is common to every day is that I get to know a different fascinating person in every store. The people who work at CakeLove have fascinating career histories. The woman with whom I worked with last night, had a successful career as an accountant. Lived and worked in Hong Kong for 20 years and decided she wanted to come home to the US, retire and do something interesting and fun. She is brilliant, organized, great with people and a fabulous teacher. Instead of sitting at a desk, she wanted a job where she could be more active, do something fun that people loved and enjoy her life.  She found all that at CakeLove and she is loving her job. 

The recurring theme I've found is people want to have a happy life and the traditional track people are expected to follow isn't delivering it. Surprised? I'm not.

I LOVE My Job

Working at CakeLove is so awesome. Yesterday, I got to learn how to assemble and frost cakes at their flagship store at 15th and U St. NW. I trained with this awesome, talented woman named Leslie. She primarily speaks Spanish, I English, but it didn't matter when you're speaking the language of cake. She is a fabulous teacher and a true artist. The cakes she makes are stunningly gorgeous and she can whip them out in record time. Me, I was slow and my cakes not so pretty. I hope with practice I can be half as good as she is. Leslie is my new role model. 

The other thing I have noticed is I am a much nicer, calmer person. I'm a kinder driver. I'm more relaxed. It just goes to show me that I was living my life all wrong. Being part of the toxic DC environment where everything is about a power struggle, manipulation and nastiness really is not for me. I have more energy even though I work harder and when I come home after standing all day long, I am still excited to walk Walter (the cutest, sweetest dog ever) and do all my administrative work I have to do for CakeLove. I need to sleep less and I'm happy. I almost forgot what it felt like to be happy.

In fact, I even forgot that there was a primary yesterday. I turned on the news and heard that horrible screeching voice of Hillary Clinton and saw the repeat footage of her trying to pretend like she is an Every Day Jane. Seriously, doing shots and drinking beer out of a mug? Who does she think she is fooling? But I digress. It was so awesome to realize that I had completely tuned out the disaster that is the Democratic Primary. I really don't want to watch as the rich, white, powerful try to screw the candidate who brings young people, independents and African Americans back into the party.  I still am hopeful that the super delegates will do the right thing and ensure that the guy who has won the most states and has won the popular votes gets the nomination. It's not that hard. It's called the Democratic process. No wonder people outside of DC are sickened by politics.

Ah, the irony of the guy who likes to think of himself as the first black president wants to steal the nomination from the REAL African American who has actually won the nomination. It would be funny if it wasn't so sickening.

Don't Try This at Home

Thanks to the Food Network and the era of the celebrity chef, it seems many home cooks aspire to careers in the food industry. Those folks on TV make it look so easy, but let me tell you that owning your own business is a ton of work.

It isn't just making butter cream and cupcakes. This is a business with employees to manage (more later on how awesome it is to be part of a small business that is creating jobs in the community. A rare thing, especially in the George W. Bush economy), the paperwork of life to keep on top of, ordering supplies, managing product and product flow so customers have fresh, high-quality products, but we're not wasting food, etc, etc, etc.

Admittedly, the folks at Cake Love are Type A over-achievers who would undoubtedly throw themselves whole-heartedly into whatever they were doing. Now they're working like crazy for something they love. And let me tell you to make this business succeed they work their behinds off. They work crazy long hours, they're always available, they juggle a million things at once. They're not just standing in the kitchen whipping up yummy food. Although they do that, too.

I must admit, watching them in action has made me think a couple of times "oh my god, what have I just gotten myself into?" Not in an I-wish-I-hadn't way. Not at all. Just in a "holy crap, do I have a lot to learn and am I going to work harder than I ever have before in my life" realization.

So really folks. If you do habor dreams of owning your own food business, you're not going to be goofing around in the kitchen in that Paula Deen happy-go-lucky way. You're going to be doing a ton of hard work and a lot of it out of the kitchen.

So Much Excitement

The most striking thing about people's reactions to my great news about joining Cake Love is the level excitement. People are just so happy for me. Most of these folks have heard me talk for years about my desire to work in the food industry, about my obsession with collecting cook books and baking. They've eaten the food I've brought to parties and gatherings and have probably wondered why I just didn't take the plunge already.

One comment that has been repeated most often is "that takes so much courage." I don't know that I agree that this is a courageous move. I'm much more afraid of being unhappy than I am of earning less money or doing something completely unknown. As far as I know, we only live once and I just can't imagine anything worse than spending my life doing something I don't care about. What could be more depressing than looking back with regret at chances at happiness not taken? How sad would that be?

Sure there is the odd DC person so obsessed with power or money or other wrong priorities that they just can't understand why I would leave a "high-powered, well-paying job" to work in a bakery. I can't really say here what I think when I hear that, since I'm trying to keep the swear words to a minimum. Suffice it to say, I don't have a lot in common with those folks and getting away from people like that will be icing on the cake in my new life.

Life is Short

Everyone who knows me well (or maybe even just met me 5 minutes ago) knows that I adore food, baking and have long aspired to work in the food industry in some way. I finally decided that I should just apply for a part-time job at the coolest bakery around, Cake Love (www.cakelove.com) to test the dream.

I went out to a Cake Love job fair a week ago prepared to be a dishwasher, cupcake froster if I was luckly. Met the fabulous Warren Brown (who doesn't just love his story?) and other members of his team. It was the first time living in Washington DC that I had a passionate discussion about pie crust (The best way is all butter. No shortening. Really, people. And don't buy those frozen things. That's just gross). I bet these folks would even understand my desire to be an organic farmer and not look at me like I have three heads when I say it. It's all about the best, freshest ingredients.

But I digress. Much to my surprise and delight, I was offered the job to be the general manager of the new Cake Love that will be opening soon out in Tysons. WOW! When someone offers you your dream, you can't say no. (You can, but then you'd be an idiot and I'm no idiot!)

This blog will chronicle my adventures living my dream. Stay tuned. I think it is going to be great fun and lots and lots of hard work. But is it really work if you love it?