Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Cruz.
Hi Christian, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have always had an interest in the culinary arts since I was a young child. I remember when my grandparents would babysit my siblings and I after school and on weekends and my grandfather would always have the Food Network playing in the background. We always enjoyed our favorite show, the Emeril Lagasse Show, and the Food Network Challenge. Watching the Food Network Challenge was when I was first introduced to some of the cake artists that would serve as an inspiration for my current business. I looked up to Duff “Ace of Cakes” Goldman, Buddy “Cake Boss” Valastro, and Bronson Weber, just to name a few.
Fast forward to about 15 years later, after an attempt at a “normal” career in sales, I decided to rekindle my passion for culinary arts and match that with the creativity and business savvy I learned through my Marketing Degree and my career in Business to Business sales. In 2017, I enrolled in a cake decorating class at a local craft store and began to create cakes for friends and family for practice. Eventually, people began requesting cakes weeks and months in advance and the cakes got more refined and the orders started to get larger. I officially started my business in 2018. I speacialize creating cakes that are both designed beautifully and baked to flavor perfection. I am always up for a challenge, whether that be with daring designs or with new and exciting flavors.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I believe the journey of an entrepreneur is rarely a smooth one. I definitely hit some speed bumps that slowed me down and some roadblocks that caused me to change tracks. In the cake business, you are selling a product and a service together. This is reflected in the pricing. A lot of times I found myself lowering a price, and losing money, because I thought the client would not be willing to pay or the client was very firm about a lower budget. It took me a while to learn how to properly price to ensure that I was going to become profitable, while developing value propositions to justify prices to clients. This is how I was able to turn this expensive hobby into a business. While I still have room to grow, I have become much more confident in my skills and this has led to more fair and effective pricing. Another struggle that I had to personally deal with was learning how to protect my business’ needs while trying to provide a great service. In the beginning, I would accept orders via phone, email or direct message. People would submit various details but I found myself having to reach back out multiple times for things that were missing or parts that need clarification. It was causing me to get confused and sometimes I would miss key details and it would cause issues upon delivery. I refined my order process, made my website more user-friendly, and created an order form that covered everything necessary for me to create a quote and later fulfill an order.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in creating cakes and treats that serve as a beautiful memory for years to come, and that will provide delicious enjoyment for clients and their guests. We create everything from cake pops to four-tiered wedding cakes. I like to push the envelope with design and flavors. I specialize in custom event cakes. I am most proud of a recent wedding cake I made. It was a four-tier white wedding cakes with silver and teal accents. Being able to bake and design the cake to the exact specifications of the client was a joy. What I am most proud of is that the structure held up well and the cake remained upright and flawless until the bride and groom made their first slice. As a home-based bakery, I often find myself having to do a lot with a little and this cake made me feel more legitimate and more settled in my skills and professionalism. What sets me apart from others is that my cakes taste as good as they look and I am willing to go above and beyond to ensure that the client is happy with their treats! I always say “Bake the World a Better Place!”
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I have had a love hate relationship with luck my whole life. If you would have asked me 5 or 6 years ago, I would have told you that I had the worst luck. I was stuck in a career I hated, in a city that tested me everyday, and feeling incredibly lonely. However, as I began my journey with the cake business and aligning more of my life with my passions and the things that I am drawn to, I find that luck has little to do with it. I find that as I align myself with what I truly want, opportunities begin to present themselves, people enter your life and things begin to change. It is up to us to be prepared to meet those opportunities and take them as far as we can to help us succeed. I also find it important to hold the door of opportunity open behind you for others to fulfill their dreams as well.
Pricing:
- 6-Inch Cakes, starting at $75
- 8-Inch Cakes, Starting at $100
- Cake pops & Cakesicles, Starting at $36 per dozen
- Chocolate-Covered Strawberries, starting at $34 per dozen
- Two-Tier cakes, starting at $150
Contact Info:
- Email: Christian@cruzgotcakes.com
- Website: Www.cruzgotcakes.com
- Instagram: CruzGotCakes
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cruz-Got-Cakes-110301320537378/
- Tik Tok: Cruzgotcakes
