Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffaney James.
Hi Tiffaney, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always enjoyed being in the kitchen, both cooking and baking. I used to watch my great-grandmother make tons of pies and cakes for events. When I got to college, I would always decorate cakes and cupcakes for friends’ birthdays, usually ideas from Pinterest and cakes from the box. I had graduated from UCF a year prior to stumbling into my gift. I was still figuring things out career-wise and had to get creative with saving money and still affording the things I enjoyed. In 2015, I decided I wanted a really fancy birthday cake, I figured I could figure it out from YouTube-like I had strategically done with almost everything else at that time in my life. I found a couple of recipes and bought a bunch of decorations and tried it out. It was a strong C- effort, so I didn’t use it, but I did really enjoy the experience and decided I’d keep testing and trying. I’d trick my friends into business meetings/brainstorming by having them come over and try the flavors I was working on. Those same friends encouraged me to sell my cakes and named my business. My best friend surprised me with my Kitchenaid mixer, that I named Delilah, and out of all that encouragement, Tierz of Joy was born. Fast forward 6 years and I have learned to work with different mediums as far as decor, like fondant, molding chocolate, sprinkles, and sparkles. I’ve taught myself practical application through many a trial and error. I’ve learned and taught myself so much and have never attended a single class. While I am very proud to be self-taught, I am going to start attending classes just to expand my knowledge base even more and network in my industry. Everyone works differently and it’s helpful to see others in action and learn new methods and the reasons for them without always having to trial and error. I now make wedding cakes, birthday cakes, cupcakes, cake jars, sell slices from time to time, and varying chocolate-covered treats. I am also working on creating content now for TikTok and Instagram.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been smooth at all. I have had to learn to slow down, take breaks, and give myself grace. Believe it or not, cakes can be hard to bake and build, not to mention they can be very fickle. There is a lot of math, chemistry, and engineering that goes into designing cakes. I would stress myself out so much and obsess about perfection, all while still trying to learn techniques, causing myself so much anxiety. Once I started selling items, I was working ALL THE TIME. I worked my full-time job 50 hours a week and all the rest of my free time was dedicated to baking. I was overcommitting myself and not considering downtime. It made my hobby, that I once found peace in, become a hassle. At another point, I had considered moving back home to Jacksonville, to save myself some money while I went back to grad school, so I was on a month-to-month lease that did not provide physical space for me to work on my creations. Even now, I am a graduate student that works full time as an HCM tech consultant, so I have had to really learn to manage my time and be patient with myself. I have definitely gained so much insight over the years, my time management skills are impeccable, and I’ve learned so many tricks to help me avoid mistakes that were so time-consuming to fix back when I first started. Also, I now have my own space, so I am much more organized, able to move more freely, and generally am just happier when I am in my zone.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a self-taught home baker and treat maker. I make cakes that are beautiful and delicious. I do not like to limit my customers’ imaginations. Any flavor they are looking for, I am willing to test and make. Many times, I’ve found that clients tell me “pretty cakes don’t taste great,” or “great tasting cakes aren’t always pretty.” Mine are both beautiful and incredibly delicious. I use fresh, quality ingredients and I do everything as a one-woman show, so I have complete control over each flavor, design, and its quality. I put so much love and care into every detail of what I do, which I believe, shines through the overall final product.
What does success mean to you?
I have a couple of layers of success related to Tierz of Joy. Each design individually is a success if the client loves it and if I feel proud and confident in what I have produced. As long as all parties are pleased with the outcome, it was successful.
Overall success for my business looks like having a positive reputation, being able to inspire others, and being able to share what I have learned over the years with others, so that they can avoid mistakes I’ve made. Of course, making a decent profit from my work helps too but a lot of feelings are shared and transferred through food, so seeing how happy I can make people by sharing something that I love and have created is my biggest indicator of success.
Contact Info:
- Email: Tierzofjoy4@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/tierzofjoy?utm_medium=copy_link
- Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMR8BTw5U/
