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?