Today we’d like to introduce you to April Krantz
Hi April, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My love of baking and cake decorating started as a little girl. I was either drawing cakes, coloring pies or sneaking into my childhood kitchen to bake a cake behind my grandmothers back (making a huge mess of course lol).
From there I started a job in high school at an Edy’s ice cream shop located in Altamonte Springs. They no longer had a decorator and I was up for the challenge and I taught myself on ice cream cakes. I began making cakes for friends and coworkers, but eventually stopped as college, marriage and children took precedence, but I found myself in need of cakes again. Faced with either purchasing from a big box store or picking up the spatula and trying my hand at a hobby that I thoroughly enjoyed, I gave it a shot with my daughter’s 5th birthday cake in 2015. My Little Pony is what opened up the doors to this venture and when I look back on that cake, I chuckle because at that time, you couldn’t tell me nothing! I swore I was the next master cake artist, but now? Boy did I have so much to learn LOL.
As time went on I offered my closest friends and family cakes for their special occasions which allowed me the opportunity to practice, get critical feedback and most importantly the confidence to keep chugging along while juggling marriage, motherhood and a full time job. When my 2nd daughter was born and my oldest now entering kindergarten I felt a calling to be home more, I was fortunate to have a job that allowed me the opportunity to go partime, but with being home more, it led to boredom which ultimately had me back in the kitchen caking some more lol.
I met fellow mompraneurs who took a chance on me trying to make it in the party world. These meetings afforded me opportunities to continue practicing my craft and build my portfolio to what it is today.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Biggest challenge? There isn’t enough time in the day lol. I genuinely thought I could continue maintaining a stride of raising my girls, clocking into my job and having a healthy marriage, but cakes kept a knocking! I was growing out of my kitchen, no matter how hard I tried, there wasn’t enough counter space that could be built lol. I did the best I could with the square footage I had but something had to give. I hit a point where I knew if I wanted ACK to take off, we would have to sell our home to find a more accommodating space for my growing business. The big question was, how were we going to offer showings and open houses while orders continued rolling in?? Do I put a pause on my thriving side business and hope it’ll resume to just as busy when the dust settles? Insert Covid-19…
While the lockdown happened and we now worked from home, that was my cue to get the ball rolling. On March 19th we listed our home not knowing if it would sell, if social distancing would forever change “the party scene” and if there would be a need for a bigger kitchen; I didn’t know what I was facing, but that was a gamble I was willing to take. Our home sold in two days and we closed on our second in roughly three weeks. It was a whirlwind but ACK now had a much larger workspace, but no orders lol. I slowly opened my oven doors to orders as social distancing lightened up but my next challenge was my part time job. I loved my job dearly but I was growing out of that mindset of sitting behind a desk; even if it was part time, my heart was at home in my kitchen. In August of 2020, I said goodbye to Corporate America. I’m sure people thought I was crazy to leave a steady income in the midst of a pandemic, but with Faith, the constant reassurance and support of my husband, and abundance of orders rolling in I took a chance on myself and my business.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about A Custom Kreation?
A Custom Kreation is my business name, but also what I create; a custom creation for your cake or treat needs. No two cakes I make will ever be identical as that design will always remain with the original recipient. While I’m happy to work with inspiration photos, I always like to customize it to whatever the client wants, giving them their custom kreation 😉
I pride myself on the fact that I am self taught and built my business from the ground up. I never went to culinary school, took a decorating class or professional training. Behind each cake is a mom/wife who spent countless hours practicing her piping skills on parchment paper or weighing ingredients to perfect another recipe. I took a chance and held myself accountable, and looking back I’d take the “whisk” again 😉
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
That’s a very difficult question because I believe it takes more than just luck to be a self made business owner who has gotten where she is based on hard work and dedication. But that doesn’t go without saying that this journey has had its share of ups and downs, friendships that have came and went, and an occasional curveball that life has thrown my way. “Bad luck” sounds wrong, the way I see it, luck is luck; it may seem bad on the front end but looking back, I was lucky things happened the way they did 🙌🏼 Windows need to be shut to bust open more doors!
I have been blessed with an amazingly supportive husband who has believed in my dreams even when my vision may have been “hazy”. Incredible daughters who have the patience and understanding that their mom may not work the typical 9-5pm schedule, but chose this path for them and gave them proof that your hobby can become a real life dream.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/ACustomKreation
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/ACustomKreation
- Other: ACustomKreation@Gmail.com
Image Credits
Professional Self Image Promo Shots – That First Moment Photography
www.Thatfirstmoment.com
