Today we’d like to introduce you to Chana Shapiro.
Hi Chana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hello, I’m Chana.
I’m 25 years old and I was born and raised in Brooklyn! I had no formal education growing up, and I didn’t learn how to read or write until age 10. This is something that is difficult for me to talk about, but it’s a big part of who I am.
My upbringing was unconventional, to say the least, and without school, I needed some kind of activity to occupy my young mind. So I taught myself how to bake in my mother’s kitchen at age 6.
My first creations were supposed to be cookies, but turned out to be more like hockey pucks! As a child, I would even make my own baking books with made-up recipes and dreamed of having a bakery of my own someday. Baking quickly became a passion of mine and after trying out several trades, including make-up artistry, hair styling, and cooking, baking was always my number one.
I wanted to make my dreams a reality, so I created my first logo when I was 15 years old and launched my website in July 2020. With a lot of hard work and dedication, my skills got better and better and I wanted to share my baked goods with the world. Seeing how people would smile and light up from something I created makes my day and makes me the happiest person in the world!
If you take one thing away after hearing my story, it is that no matter what obstacles stand in your way, if you have a passion or a dream, follow it. It will lead you to happiness.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I had to figure just about everything out by myself. Everything from writing out checks, to setting up my website, to shipping out hundreds of orders at once. Picking up phone calls from my customers and big companies was very stressful and I’d have terrible anxiety.
It took a lot of practice to feel comfortable and confident. It was a bit of a struggle, in the beginning, to say the least. But at the end of it all, it has helped to shape the person I have become. I began as a young woman with low confidence who had nothing but a dream, and now I am a successful self-employed business owner.
I made my dream a reality. Through good times and bad, I pushed on. And it’s not so much the struggles themselves, but how one handles them.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What I believe sets me apart from other bakeries is that I go above and beyond in terms of the ingredients I use and customer service. I use as many organic ingredients as possible, even though they are more expensive. I put myself into my customer’s shoes, more often than not. I have deep care and love for each and every customer.
So I pride myself on selecting only the best ingredients I can find. Everything I use is carefully and meticulously chosen to not only be the best for you, but also the best tasting. In fact, I use apricot flavoring in my Italian Rainbow cake donuts, and I tested over a dozen different apricot flavorings over several weeks, before finding the perfect one.
I have tons of love for what I do, and a deep appreciation for my customers. And that I feel is what truly sets my bakery apart from the competition.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The biggest lesson that I have learned from my experience so far, is that the bakery industry itself isn’t nearly as sweet as the products they produce. It can be very cutthroat at times.
Everything from others falsely using my name to advance their own careers, to people taking my products and calling them their own. But I don’t let it bring me down. I refuse to give in. And I pride myself on being supportive to other new bakers and helping guide them along their own path.
There is room for everyone in this world. And everyone deserves a chance to achieve their dreams.
Contact Info:
- Email: Chanasbakeryny@gmail.com
- Website: Www.chanasbakery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chanasbakery/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ChanasBakery/
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/chanas-bakery-smithtown
Image Credits
Erica Price
