It’s all in the family

Last night, I watched Cake Boss on TLC for the first time.  I was watching the Olympics, got stressed during the men’s gymnastics high-bar competition, quickly changed the channel, and ended up in the most unlikely of places for me.

I will be very honest with you.  I tend to avoid these reality cake/pastry tv show for a couple of reasons.

  1. The subject matter is too close to home – I have enough stress running babycakes, and don’t really have the desire to let the stress continue when I get home by watching someone else try to deliver a wedding cake & watch them trip, drop the cake, freak out.  Thanks, but I’ll pass.
  2. I prefer watching murder shows…my favorite channel these days is Investigation Discovery.  (is this something I shouldn’t admit in public?)

But, last night?   Last night I had to turn the channel, and I met THE BOSS.

Four shows later, I was hooked.  Completely.  It was motivating, educational, exciting, hilarious & touching at the same time.  What struck me the most was the commitment of one family, the dedication to each other & to the business.  I love that, and my initial reaction was to feel wistful.  “I wish my business could be like that.”  In fact, when I sat down to write this post, I was thinking that I would write about how I need to figure out how to rope, entice, bribe or blackmail my kids to work with me, so that one day we too can all be one big happy frosting family.

What I just realized, however, is that someone should give me a dopeslap, because there’s no denying that Babycakes really is a family business – from start to finish.  It’s named after my babies, Jacob, Sam & Emmy, who are babies no longer.  Each of them was literally raised in a bakery, sleeping in a soft-drink plastic tray lined with a blanket or in their car seat in a quiet corner while I baked.   They sat perched  in the baby b’jorn while I did inventory, and later, happily helped themselves to cookies off the rolling rack that used to reside in my dining room until babycakes moved out of our house.  My husband, Eddie, is in charge of sales & marketing.  My father is my personal business adviser.  If we had a board of directors, he would be in charge, but since there is no board, he is a lone general trying his best to steer me in the right direction.  My mother, Marge, is my number one fan and my number one customer.  I kid you not.  It is her goal to see this business become a success, and she will buy every item off the shelf if she needs to in order to help make that happen.  My California brother often calls with his gift of business acumen, while my Maryland brother calls to check in, offer sound council, and to let me know if I ever find myself with too many brownies, I can simply send them his way.

And finally, again, my kiddos: now 15, 13 & 11.  They may not be at my side baking like Mr. Cake Boss, but they are with me each & every day.  Jacob made his official debut at babycakes this summer as a packager, and has yet to drop a box of cupcakes, unlike some other family members.  Who knows if Sam and Emmy will want to join me someday on this adventure called baking, but whether they do or not, there’s no denying this fact…babycakes may not be Carlos’ Bakery, I am definitely not Mrs. Cake Boss, but this little business is a family business & at the end of the day, that makes me happy.

(Tomorrow?  I’m getting my hair ‘touched up’ to cover all the gray that inherently comes with so much family togetherness… )

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Owner, Baker,
& Storyteller

You know that friend who has it all together? Yeah. That’s not me. What I can offer you instead are my experiences, insights, and passions. Pithy observations about making cookies. Wry commentary on running a business. Loving (if slightly sarcastic) parenting advice. And if that doesn’t interest you, I have dogs. Cute ones.

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