Have you ever wondered how the delicate art of baking could intertwine with the journey towards mental well-being? Halima Mirza from Halima's Cake Artistry joins us to unveil the story of how her passion for cake design became a powerful form of therapy amidst life's challenges. From the artistry that adorns each layer of fondant to the entrepreneurial spirit that rises like a perfectly baked sponge, this episode is a heartfelt account of Halima's personal and professional growth. With an infectious enthusiasm for quality and creativity, she narrates her courageous shift from a dependable job to a sweet and uncertain path of self-employment, all while finding balance and joy in every buttercream swirl.
This conversation with Halima is not merely about the luscious world of cakes; it's a tale of cultural pressures, dream-chasing, and the bravery it takes to carve a niche in the competitive cake industry. As Halima shares her experiences of balancing parental expectations with her creative aspirations, we uncover the profound impact of following one's passion against the grain. The episode is sprinkled with wisdom on finding your unique cake design style to resonate with those who will cherish these edible masterpieces, and the business acumen needed to turn a love for baking into a thriving enterprise.
Beyond the glossy icing and the vibrant sugar flowers, baking emerges as a source of therapy and confidence-building. We wrap up this inspiring episode with a reflection on the significance of rebranding and the courage it took for Halima to embrace her name and heritage, ultimately leading to a brand that resonates with authenticity and pride. Join us for a conversation that's as rich and multifaceted as the flavors of Halima's incredible cake creations.
Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcast. Share the episodes and let's chat in the comments.
Support the Cake Therapy Foundation:
1. Cake Therapy - Cake Therapy (thecaketherapyfoundation.org)
2 Buy Me A Coffee : The Cake Therapy Foundation (buymeacoffee.com)
3. Buy The Book: Cake Therapy: How Baking Changed My Life https://a.co/d/76dZ5T0
Follow Sugarspoon Desserts on all social media platforms @sugarspoondesserts
Have you ever wondered how the delicate art of baking could intertwine with the journey towards mental well-being? Halima Mirza from Halima's Cake Artistry joins us to unveil the story of how her passion for cake design became a powerful form of therapy amidst life's challenges. From the artistry that adorns each layer of fondant to the entrepreneurial spirit that rises like a perfectly baked sponge, this episode is a heartfelt account of Halima's personal and professional growth. With an infectious enthusiasm for quality and creativity, she narrates her courageous shift from a dependable job to a sweet and uncertain path of self-employment, all while finding balance and joy in every buttercream swirl.
This conversation with Halima is not merely about the luscious world of cakes; it's a tale of cultural pressures, dream-chasing, and the bravery it takes to carve a niche in the competitive cake industry. As Halima shares her experiences of balancing parental expectations with her creative aspirations, we uncover the profound impact of following one's passion against the grain. The episode is sprinkled with wisdom on finding your unique cake design style to resonate with those who will cherish these edible masterpieces, and the business acumen needed to turn a love for baking into a thriving enterprise.
Beyond the glossy icing and the vibrant sugar flowers, baking emerges as a source of therapy and confidence-building. We wrap up this inspiring episode with a reflection on the significance of rebranding and the courage it took for Halima to embrace her name and heritage, ultimately leading to a brand that resonates with authenticity and pride. Join us for a conversation that's as rich and multifaceted as the flavors of Halima's incredible cake creations.
Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcast. Share the episodes and let's chat in the comments.
Support the Cake Therapy Foundation:
1. Cake Therapy - Cake Therapy (thecaketherapyfoundation.org)
2 Buy Me A Coffee : The Cake Therapy Foundation (buymeacoffee.com)
3. Buy The Book: Cake Therapy: How Baking Changed My Life https://a.co/d/76dZ5T0
Follow Sugarspoon Desserts on all social media platforms @sugarspoondesserts
Welcome to the Cake Therapy Podcast a slice of joy and healing, with your host, Dr Altricia Foster. This is a heartwarming and uplifting space that celebrates the transformative power of baking therapy. The conversations will be a delightful blend of inspirational stories, expert insights and practical baking tips. Of inspirational stories, expert insights and practical baking tips, Each episode will take listeners on a journey of self-discovery, emotional healing and connection through the therapeutic art of baking. There's something here for everyone, so lock in and let's get into it.
Speaker 2:Hello everyone, welcome back to the Cake Therapy Podcast, your slice of joy and healing. And, as we promise, we bring slices of joy and healing from across the globe. And today we are excited and we're honored to have Miss Halima Mirza into the place. To have Miss Halima Mirza into the place. She's the owner of Halima's Cake Artistry and she's one of my favorites. She's my favorite cake artist on Instagram. I remember DMing her and talking to her and I was like, halima, you're so dope. And she was like, oh, I didn't know I was dope, but I'm like her work is dope, she's amazing. She provides great feedback when you talk to her. So welcome to the space, halima, welcome, thank you.
Speaker 3:Altresha, it's really lovely to meet you finally after all these years.
Speaker 2:No, it's my pleasure. You know I like having conversations with cake artists such as yourself, because of what I found in baking. You know baking has changed and baking has saved my life, and I know that baking is so instrumental to so many other bakers across the globe. So I'm excited to dive into your story, to learn about you and your cake artistry.
Speaker 3:Sounds fantastic. I can't wait, let's go.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So first I typically do a mental health check-in, like how are you doing? Like we know of all these atrocities happening across the globe right now and I can recognize your faith and I'd like to see, like, how are you doing, alima, alima, what's your mental? You know what, what are you, what are you feeling in this moment?
Speaker 3:that's a really lovely question, actually very thoughtful, um, I think, as you said, I think it's going to be a very difficult few months for a lot of people. We are witnessing so much unfolding in front of our very eyes. You know, social media is so transparent nowadays you really can't miss what's going on. Um, I think there are a lot of people out there who are just hurting. To be honest, you know, we see what's going on. We are trying our best in our own capacity, to try and change things and, um, in our own way, we are trying to make a difference. Um, whether that actually makes a difference or an impact, I think we'll have to wait and see, but um, it's, I think. I think what's happening on a global level is very much on everyone's mind and cakes at the moment are secondary um, so we can pray for the best and um, yeah, I'm really pleased you asked me that.
Speaker 2:That's a great way to start the podcast of course, girl, like we're at cake therapy, we care about our baker friends. We understand what's going on and we have to recognize that people's faith are being tested right now. So you know, it's good to kind of check in to see how you're doing. Your website says that Aleema Cake Artistry is a beastful cake and sugar floor artist. Creative lead designer. Creative lead designer. You're in Nottingham, uk. All of that fancy stuff is on your website, right? So tell me like we see your cakes. They're majestic, they move, they're clean.
Speaker 3:Tell us how has been the cake season for you so far this year. Well, over the past two, three weeks or so, is that what we're're referring to? Um, yes, it's been a quiet start to the year in January, which is great. Um, there's always admin, there's always accounts and many other things to do. So, um, I always look forward to this time of the year because it's a case of looking forward to how I'm going to project the next year to be. What are my goals? What are my ambitions? How do I want to change things compared to last year? So it's a great time to actually wind down and kind of think about how I want this year to be different to the previous year. So it's been fantastic, a good start so far. Nice and slow and steady, which is what I like, but lots of planning and lots of things coming up over the year, so I'm excited things coming up in over the year, so I'm excited, yeah.
Speaker 2:So how was um? How was 23 for you in terms of cakes, the industry, how you know, how you felt you did in 2023 and um?
Speaker 3:yeah, it was a great year. I think every year I feel as if I learn more and more, and every time I make a cake, I design a cake, I work with clients um, there's always something to learn and pick up from, and I think I'm evolving as an artist year after year. Um, so last year it was a great year, you know um lots of inquiries, lots of great orders, had lots of clients who were very happy to just let me lead and have that creative kind of a lead, which I think is amazing. I think a lot of people would love to have that. Um, so it's been a really good year. Um, and I um I'm just looking forward to seeing what comes up next, but I'm very happy the way the year's gone.
Speaker 3:Um, one of the best things about being self-employed that you can kind of pick and choose, yeah, so I am careful about doing that. So I try not to overbook myself. I don't like to be too stressed out. I do too many. It's quality over quantity always, and that's always been my motto from the very beginning, and I just love the fact that I can kind of if I find a client comes to me and they love my work and they love my creativity and they're happy to go with my lead, and that's really the kind of client I'm aiming towards, as opposed to someone just saying here's a picture, can you make this? You know, it's not really the way.
Speaker 2:You know, I work so yeah, so you did mention like lots of lessons, like what was the biggest lesson you learned last year that's a good question.
Speaker 3:Actually, what's the biggest question I do? You know what? I think last year's probably the first year where I properly sat down and thought do you know what? If someone comes to me and they want to order something that I'm not happy with, I'll just say no or yes, I'm sorry we booked, and it. Actually people just say say that very easily, but it's actually very hard to do in practice, because when you are thinking about the financial aspect or actually one order is better than no orders it's actually very hard to run and say no, even if your heart's not into it.
Speaker 3:Um, so I just learned that you know, if I was going to turn my oven on, it has to be worth my while. That's the way I think about it from a creative point of view. You know, it's got to be a lot in order for me to want to do that work and for me, I like to share everything that I do on social media. So I don't want to be spending a couple of days or a week or so working on that one order. I don't. I can't show on social media either, you know. I just want to be able to share with fans and followers. So, um, yeah, I think learning to say no and just accepting that not every client is my ideal client which I've always said, even in previous podcasts and stuff that's always the way I've thought um, but I think that thinking actually does, it does take you very far, and it's's very important to stop and think about what your ideal client base is and to try and target them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I like that because I always tell people that I have to first feed my soul. In terms of like baking, I can't do anything that's not feeding my soul. So kudos to you for learning that lesson. Halima, you know, we see your cakes, we see your style. We can spot Halima's cake Once it comes up in the feed. We know it's you without even clicking to see. Well, for me, because I've been a fan of yours for a long time, so I know your cake when I see it. But tell me a little bit about who you are growing up, your family life, your Muslim background yeah, that's very interesting.
Speaker 3:You should say that, because a lot of people do say to me actually, when we see your work, instantly we know it's you. And I've always thought to myself what is it that they know about? I think it's obviously the style of my work and I've always thought to myself what is it that they know about? I think it's obviously the style of my work and I think for the longest time I didn't really know what my style was. But, um, it's just, it's amazing to me and it just sounds so honest. I think I'm thinking is she really talking to me there that she recognizes my style from my work? I just think that that's just, it's really special. People say that and it makes me feel like do you know what? I think I'm okay in this business that people will actually say that.
Speaker 3:So, um, in the background, so, um, I grew up in London and that's where I, you know, my family are um, parents originally from Pakistan, dad from India. Before the partition, um came up to this country when they were very um, young, had the dreams of working here, earning money, you know, kind of helping their family back home. Growing up, parents were not very educated but they were really keen to make me and my siblings, um to provide advice with education the best opportunities, make us go to university. You know all those sorts of dreams that parents have. So I went through the whole education system. I did accountancy at university, um, but never quite got into the accountancy field. It wasn't really my thing, although I was good at numbers. It just it, just it didn't excite me. So do a couple of jobs in London. Then I met my husband um, that was almost 20 years ago, um and then we moved. I moved up to Nottingham and then life just changed because it was like a completely different city, um, it's much smaller than London, so it's a completely different environment. It took me a while to get used to it, but I tried many different jobs up here and I just found that I didn't like everything. Everything was just not my cup of tea. Then I had children. I've got two children, a son and a daughter and then, while they were young, I started working at a university, and that's really where the whole cake business started, because I did a charity event there, um, and that's really how the whole thing started.
Speaker 3:But it's amazing how, when I was younger, I never used to bake any cakes. I had no interest in baking whatsoever, um, in fact, the only cakes we would ever eat from home were the cakes my mum would bake us and bless my mum, but they were not the best cakes. Yeah, she never really followed a recipe not really mum's fault, but she couldn't actually read recipes, um, so she couldn't actually follow a recipe, actually see what was meant to know. She used to just use an estimate of what would go in there flour, sugar, eggs and that kind of thing. So, but I used to love her cakes, yeah, um, when I came to the cake industry, I always thought to myself you know, I would love for my mom to taste my cakes and just give me some feedback, which she does now, which is lovely, but unfortunately she's diabetic. She doesn't have a little bit here and there, which is great, um, but yeah, I mean, from a faith perspective and I've always been I I grew up as quite a strict Muslim.
Speaker 3:Our parents brought us up to pray regularly, to fast, to do all the things that you know all good Muslims would do, and I think we've been very lucky because parents, although they grew up back home, we came over here. Well, we were born over here and we were always taught to just make mistakes in order to learn from them. You there's nothing wrong with that dad was a big believer in that. He was like you know. We can tell you um countless times. You know you shouldn't do something, but if you feel like you need to do it, just to learn from it, go ahead and do that, and that's that's the way we kind of grew up. So they were very open-minded, they're very, um understanding of us, um, and they would always give us a lot of freedom. At the same time, because we grew up in a very religious environment, we knew where our boundaries were and hopefully that was instilled firmly enough inside us that we would never make mistakes that we would live to regret.
Speaker 2:But you know, everyone's life is different, so everyone's life is different, different, I totally agree with you, um, because, like it, you know my. My question to you, uh, would have been like did you bake when you were? A kid and I'm like no tell me what is it about that event that you did that made you decide that this is a thing that I could actually do?
Speaker 3:I love talking about this, by the way, because it just takes me back, you know, because it was almost 10 years ago when I was at this university and it was a charity event, so they were just like it was for cancer research, for Macmillan, and um, I just wanted to. I said, look, I'll bring some cupcakes in, and I hadn't baked cupcakes for a very long time.
Speaker 3:I mean, I'm not a baker so I looked for a recipe on the internet for right, I'm going to bake these cupcakes, I'll take them inside and we just that's my contribution over and done with. But when I went inside there were some students I knew from um, from the university, and they came up to me and they just went are your cupcakes really, really delicious? I mean, if you ever make cakes outside, you know, just let us know. We would love to buy them from you and I was like wow, they must have been really good if they're saying that.
Speaker 3:And at first I thought to myself are they just being nice or do they actually mean it? And then I think I mentioned I might be making some more cupcakes and they were actually very genuinely interested. So it kind of got me thinking that at the time I was working in the university library. It was a lot of hours, it was quite far from where I, where I lived. I just thought it's it. You know, it's a lot of work. I thought if I could perhaps think about growing well, entering the cake industry and seeing how I could grow as an artist and see where that would lead me.
Speaker 3:That image is in market research and have a look at the local bakers. I had a friend who was a baker as well and what I felt was up in this area there were lots of young couples who were probably going to get married, you know kind of, and they want to have like really fancy wedding cakes, elegant, quite modern in design, quite artistic and I thought at the time no one was offering that. There were some people offering cakes and other designs, other styles and, of course, the market for everything, but I thought that niche was missing. So that was my target market. At that time I was like this is what I want to do. But of course, when when I started, it was very basic cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, that kind of thing, um, and the business just grew from there and the more I did it, the more I loved it. I loved it so much that eventually I had to give up the job at the university because I mean, at the time I was being asked to demos, I was being asked to teach, I was being asked to do so many things I couldn't say yes to because I was still working there. Then I had the cake business.
Speaker 3:But I remember, you know, tricia, I used to come back from work quite often quite late in the evening, around 10 o'clock, and on many occasions for the first couple of years, I would have cake orders on. I would come back and work on my cake orders up until three or four in the morning sometimes, and that was quite a regular thing, and I'd go to sleep and then wake up around 7 am. So three, four hours sleep, it wasn't enough. But day after day it was grinding me down. You know it wasn't helpful and I realized that it took me a long time to realize that. To be honest, I finally got to the point, after doing so many years of cakes, that I just realized that actually I probably could give up the job and not have to worry about the financial aspect or anything, um, and just make this business work, and that's what I did eventually.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I never looked back you know what kudos to you for realizing that you couldn't sustain that. But then I want to touch on the fear that you mentioned that you could actually survive without that nine to five. Isn't it amazing how we often question ourselves. It's the thing that we can't live without working for someone else, and the fear of that we're not going to be able to afford this lifestyle that we dream of for ourselves and for our children yeah, it's.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a very real fear, to be honest, for a lot of people. I mean, thankfully I'm in a position where I don't have to really worry too much about financial things. I do it more because I really enjoy this business and if I take on orders, you know, I don't have to worry about will it be earning me enough money for me to pay my overheads for the week. It's not like that. I think I'm in a very unique position. But at the same time I think if all your life, all you ever known, is working for other people and that's the norm, to then suddenly drop that and say, well, actually I'm going to work for myself, it's like whoa, that's a completely new field.
Speaker 3:It's like, how do you work for yourself? How do you do the accounts? How do you manage? It's just the whole concept is very scary. Of course, the whole, the whole idea was quite frightening at first, but the more you do it, I think, the better you become and as you become more experienced, you learn so much from yourself, from other people, that you know as well. It's just, it's part of life. It's like a. It's a, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it definitely is a learning curve and it does take you some time to get to that place where you're comfortable enough to walk away. So it's good. So were you doing anything creative before? Like you're an accountant, that is very not creative, okay.
Speaker 3:No, it's interesting because actually, after accountancy, I decided that I definitely did not want to do any more of that. It's interesting because actually, after accountancy, I decided that I definitely did not want to do any more of that. It was just boring to me. I thought, no, I made it for my dad because he had this dream I'd become an accountant and it was really to fulfil his dream, to be honest.
Speaker 3:But dad passed away several years ago and I think he's never seen me going into the cake industry. But I think if he was alive today, I think he'd be so proud of me achieving this um, because he would have been, you know I. He would have said you know, I know, when he puts her mind to something, whatever it is, she will go ahead and she will achieve it because she's so headstrong. So that's one thing I really miss. I wish he was around to actually physically see this business um, this studio that I'm sitting at the moment, and just what I've managed to do over the past few years. I feel very lucky, but I feel a bit sad that he hasn't been around to see that I've completely forgotten the question.
Speaker 2:Yeah, were you creative? Have you always been creative?
Speaker 3:prior to, I think I had an artistic flair when I was at school, for sure I used to love doing things that were a bit different. And I was at school, for sure I used to love doing things that were a bit different and I was always very artistic. But growing up it almost felt like I think you just kind of feel like being artistic. It felt it was more like a hobby. If you want to do a job, you want to work somewhere, you want someone to pay you a really good salary, it has to be functional, something that everyone else is doing. I don't know what it's like in your culture, I'm assuming like very similar to ours. But you know the big professions like doctors, teachers. You know this is what's pushed to us.
Speaker 3:Um, and I just knew that I had no interest in science. I didn't want to do any of those things. Um, and I never actually thought about the cake industry. It just never occurred to me. To be honest, it was more of being up here in this city and I felt like things were different here. Before I was here, I used to work as an immigration officer and it was the best job I ever had.
Speaker 3:I loved it yeah so you can't get any less creative than that.
Speaker 2:You know, you just follow the rules and the thing about it is um, it is the same. In our culture we're taught we can be.
Speaker 2:To be able to just strive or live a successful life, you have to be a lawyer, doctor, indian chief, you know what I mean something that is fully functional and I think most of us are are led into professions that our own parents dream of um for themselves. We're actually like living their dream for them. Yeah, absolutely, and it really there's a cultural connection and a cultural context, and it's mostly from these developing worlds that our parents come from um because they know the struggles that they had to endure to get us to where we are. So I can understand you doing accounting because you were told you could be a great accountant, and I could understand you not even looking at anything artistic, because that's frowned upon like what kind of career is that in in my culture? I figured, yeah, it's similar to yours definitely.
Speaker 3:I completely so many things you said. They just sounded so familiar and I think definitely we have the same culture of backgrounds and I think, like you said, I think if you really have a struggle to get somewhere, then obviously your perspective will be completely different. But we are lucky enough to have the best of both worlds so we can have the culture. We also have so many, just just so many great things living in the West I think that we take advantage of. I think sometimes the parents don't quite understand the two. You know the dynamics between the two of them understand the two.
Speaker 2:You know the the dynamics between the two of them, so I can't blame them. Yeah, it's an interesting dichotomy, um, of trying to merge both worlds for our parents who are the?
Speaker 3:immigrants right and that kids are now living, living the dream.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly interesting life, how those? For some people, their happiness is more important than your own. Yeah, absolutely Absolutely. And the thing is we find ourselves wanting them to be happier than us. We just go along to get along. That's what it says. You know, people say we go along to get along. As we were preparing for this, alima, we were listening to another podcast where you talked about that. You always felt like there was something missing as you were doing accounting. Is y'all prepared? We are over here. Yeah, you always felt like something was missing. Talk to us and our listeners about the void that you felt and how this process of baking and you're doing a job, you're doing your, you know your career, education or whatever you know.
Speaker 3:You just carry on, just do things you don't ever stop to think about is this actually what I really want to do? It becomes a very practical thing because financially, it's paying your bills, you know it's working along with the whole family environment, it's fantastic, you know everything's great, and you don't actually really stop very often to think hang on, is this what I really want to do? Um, so I think at some point when I was doing accountancy, I mean, I knew very early on, I think after we have three years at university over here, after the very first year, I realized this is not for me. I don enjoy it.
Speaker 3:But I actually wasn't brave enough to either speak to my dad about this or even accept myself that it isn't right for me. I thought is it easy for me to give up now and just not go to university, which would be a complete taboo, that would not be the thing to do or change course, which is quite scary, and I wasn't sure how dad would react to that. So it just didn't make any sense. I just thought I'll just, I'll just carry on and just do it and then by the end of year three, when all my friends were going on to do professional accounting qualifications, I was just like there's no way I'm gonna go and do that. It's just not me.
Speaker 3:And I just knew, I didn't know what was missing, but I felt this just wasn't where I wanted to be and I wouldn't be happy. I didn't spend another four or five years studying. I was fed up of studying by that point. It was such hard work and I was like I don't want to be doing this anymore. I want to have a life. So, um, that's when I just I left university.
Speaker 3:I thought, right, I'm gonna start looking for a job, um, and eventually a job um, with a home office which is like um you know you must have heard the home office um, yes, of course, and um, I absolutely loved that job. It was the best thing ever. I met people from all the different countries. I learned so much about situations and what was going on. Um, you know it was. It was a fantastic thing to be able to say to people yes, we want you assigned in this country or we don't. It was just amazing. Everything about it was fantastic. So it was all going well until I left to come to Nottingham and then it was like wow, I'm, I'm back at step one again. I have no idea what to do, you know.
Speaker 2:So yeah, you know, I had um Sona from Lima Cakes on the other day and when you listen to her podcast you see some parallels in your story. So yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So it's interesting, it really is interesting, how bakers become bakers and people change from going to university and then transitioning into this art form. You started working at the office and you moved to Nottingham. Do you feel like your cakes? I said, oh my God, creating these breathtaking cakes, cakes of yours, halima. Have they now helped you to fill the void?
Speaker 3:yes, they really have. And even saying that it makes me smile because I say to my friends and other creators and people that I know um, I just feel so, so blessed and lucky. I don't say that lightly, I really from my heart. I mean it to be able to wake up every morning and to be able to choose to do a client's cake and be able to do what I love in making flowers things I I feel like I really have so much passion for and I feel like every time I do something I want to make it even better next time and I have that vision in my head and hopefully a lot of clients will come and give it and say to me look, just do whatever you like and that's fine. So I get the chance to out on clients cakes as well. It's the most amazing feeling ever so. The void is definitely filled and I knew it a long time ago. But initially it felt like it was a struggle because I felt like prices I wanted to charge, people didn't want to pay. That's how it felt, and also I didn't quite know how to find my way in this industry. I was very new and I had a couple of cake maker friends and initially I just kind of copied what they were doing in terms of, you know, pricing and how they would design their cakes. So I thought, well, that's, that's the way to be successful. And they're doing quite well.
Speaker 3:And then, after a while, I just realized I wasn't finding that satisfaction that I wanted. I look at some people, um, not so far from here, and look at their cake and just think, oh, my god, this is a dream. This is what I actually want for myself. Yeah, I didn't know how to get there. Then I just thought you know what? I know, my work is very feminine, it's very floral, it's this is the kind of work I like, and I thought I'm going to start investing and thinking about how I can improve my skills. How can I start to learn the flower making? Then go into Google, onto YouTube, practice flowers and do lots of things like that just to try to.
Speaker 3:And I also found, just by practicing not only was I learning so many things, I was picking up lots of skills, but it was also helping me, as you said, to find that voice that I was looking for. And the more flowers I made, the more I was like like this is where I really want to be. I think I really love working with flowers, so that was one of the things. And then just having clients saying to me, look, you know, we've seen this cake design, could you do anything similar? And I'm like, wow, that's really creative, I'd love to do something similar, but not the same, let's change it up this and that it was just an amazing feeling. And I, even now I wake now every morning I'm just like you know what. I just feel so lucky to be able to just make cakes and just kind of, you know, um, just be creative when did you find that confidence to say, let me change it up?
Speaker 3:that's a good question. Um, it wasn't at the very beginning, because the very beginning was about survival. It was about entering into, actually being noticed. So initially it was like getting the name out, as people knew that I was making cakes. I would say the confidence came after I did the very first wedding cake for my friend.
Speaker 3:Um, I remember just saying to her look, I'm not going to charge you anything, I just want to do it for free. And, um, I just want to have a chance to do a wedding cake. And she was like, okay, I said, but I need to pay my expenses though, because it will cost me a lot. So she paid some of the expenses and I went to the wedding. I attended it, set the whole cake up. It was a massive five tier and that was my very first wedding cake.
Speaker 3:And I remember sitting at the wedding and looking over and thinking, wow, that five tier has stood up and it's still standing after all these hours. That that must mean that you might, you must, know a thing or two about doweling and how to stack a cake and all that. So it just that. That's when it really struck me. I thought you know what, if I've got the basics right. Hopefully, in terms of structure, I've got the basics right in terms of flavor. What's stopping me from pushing myself to really target this niche market? That I want to, and I felt that it was the right time and also there was a gap in the industry to do that.
Speaker 3:So when, I started creative cakes and and these sorts of things. I felt that I started to get noticed and people contact me and say, look, we love your work. And the funny thing is, initially, when I used to make cake, people would always send me pictures of other people's cakes. And I used to, I'd be fine with that, I'd be okay, um, and I would, you know, quite happily say, well, let's change it up here or there, and they'd be okay with that. But it kind of got to the point over the years where people would then start sending me pictures of my own cakes and saying this is the cake that we love. And I'm like, wow, I've now become that kind of inspiration for them, which is amazing. And I say to my clients even now look, even I love that cake, but I wouldn't repeat it. I want to change the design, I want to do it completely different. And they're really nice, they're lovely. So I think at some point it just kind of clicked and yeah, Share with our listeners.
Speaker 2:There are some newbies on here. You know who are new bakers and we have talked about survival, from moving from surviving to now becoming the reference for cakes to now becoming the reference for kicks.
Speaker 3:Jenny actually, I have to say, because I think you know what People always say. I think it sounds very cliched, so I don't want it to sound like that, but I really do mean this I think you have to really develop the confidence in yourself and your skills before your clients will develop that confidence in you. I had a student just a few days ago. If she this, she'll know who I'm talking about. Um, but we were she's saying to me you know, how on earth do you, did you start doing wedding cakes? And I want to do so many designs and I just don't know how to do them. I said, well, when I first started doing them, I would do lots of display cakes like from made from styrofoam, but I wouldn't go into my social media and tell people they were styrofoam cakes. I would pretend they were real cakes because I wanted them to know. A client actually ordered it. Yeah, but before we get to that point, you have to be confident enough to know that if a client orders a cake that looks just like that, you can actually recreate it. We don't be creating in some kind of false sense of reality that in a display cake it's perfect, but in real it's not so, um, you know, when I said that, she said, oh, that's where I'm going to go back and I'm going to go in practice. And I said, yeah, just make sure you do that. Any designs that you really want to do, you want to push your creative skills, try them out and display cakes and really make mistakes, learn from that, share it with your followers and this is what they will be inspired by.
Speaker 3:So, um, I think, over the years, it's just a case of when I started to become more confident in myself and I had people coming to me and saying it's really funny, because when I first started, I wanted as many orders as possible I think everyone does right but then obviously it changes after a while and it got. People would actually say to me oh, thank you for your time. But you know, um, we just feel as if the price is a bit too high, it's a bit out of our budget, and I said, okay, I'd always think to myself I don't mind being known as the expensive cake maker, that's okay, because they love my work. The thing is, I'm just out of their budget. It's not that I'm expensive, they just can't afford me and when I started changing my mentality I thought do you know what?
Speaker 3:I don't mind being told that you know I'm too pricey or they can't afford me. It actually felt like an honor to be told that, as opposed to you know, can you price much so? And so it's like no, it's not really the kind of work that I do, so it took a while for me to get the message out. Then, I think from my work and from the orders I would get, people began to realize slowly that if you wanted like an inexpensive or cheap cake or you know kind of supermarket style cake, she probably didn't have to go to yeah, you know, as I'm watching, I'm watching, I'm seeing your cakes behind you, right?
Speaker 2:I want to talk a little bit about your cake style and your target audience. I think both things speak to each other. To be honest, when I look at your cake, I knew who your target is. How would you describe your own personal cake style?
Speaker 3:so I would say it's um, I love toiletries. I love them to be elegant, refined, um, artistic, artistically creative, um, and just something which is quite memorable, I would say. So it's quite a fine line between classic and do something so out there and artistic that people might be a bit alienated by. So I would love to to push the boundaries even more, um, but I think it's a bit scary sometimes. So it is something that I would love to do more of um, but I need to find the right clients for that. So, um, but at the moment I'm very happy just making very floral kind of inspired cakes, just really classic, beautiful, elegant cakes.
Speaker 2:That's really my style yeah, so how do you think this style of yours does inform your target audience? Then, right, and how is how important it is to actually speak to this target for you?
Speaker 3:um, for me, the actual style that I do actually represents me in a lot of ways.
Speaker 3:So when I'm speaking to my audience, I want them to know this is the style of work that I would create. Um, they can come to me with the styles if they want to, if that's what they like, but I would always send them ideas of what I think is important and what I think would look nice as well, because I want that cake to look as elegant and as memorable on their special day as they want to, and I know about styles and trends. So when someone comes to me with a cake that I just really don't like look of, I'm very happy just to be honest and say look, this really isn't my style. You know, I wouldn't do that. And as soon as I start sending them pictures or ideas, suddenly they're like oh wow, we love that actually. Yeah, it's great. What you find a lot of people is especially if they're not in the cake industry they haven't seen those amazing designs and stuff that we probably have seen and we're probably very inspired by ourselves.
Speaker 3:So obviously it's our it kind of duty to inform them and educate people as well, which is amazing, um. But I think in terms of style, I really feel like the more people see my work, the more they understand and can see what my style is. I don't feel like I need to go and kind of explain it to people. They literally just come and have a look at my gallery and they're like they know exactly what kind of work I do, um, and it's just amazing that people can you know, they can see that work and they love it so much and they contact you. I just think this whole industry for me has been a real confidence booster. It's been amazing and, um, I love working with my clients.
Speaker 2:How important is it for you to to teach and educate?
Speaker 3:That's actually a really good question, because when I first came into the industry, um, one thing I struggled with a bit was I didn't want to work with buttercream at all, as in that buttercream on the outside of cakes, right. So I I feel as if I was one of the first people who introduced ganache in this area. Right now. Ganache was something especially to my client base um, people were not familiar with it was something completely new. And I remember when I client base um, people were not familiar with it wasn't a completely new. And when I first mentioned it people were like, oh, what's that? And there's almost this kind of feeling of, well, we're used to this. And I was like I understand what you're used to, but this is the way I make my cakes and it tastes delicious, don't worry, but it's just this. It's just so stable.
Speaker 3:There are so many things that can go wrong with buttercream and we're lucky in this country we have, you know, cold weather, and warm weather is fine, but for me, even in the day, it's just too risky. I don't want to spend that much time on a piece of artwork that can suddenly they drive that down the road or they get to the venue and we don't have air conditioning everywhere, you know, it's just so risky. So I was kind of very set in my ways about what I wanted to provide and I remember it was a battle. At first. People didn't want to know. They were like, no, but can't you just do buttercream? And I was like, no, you know, this is the way I do it.
Speaker 3:It took me a while to be very firm and say this is actually what I'm going to be providing and if you'd like to order, that's fine. If if not, then you know you're very welcome to the felsberg, that's fine. Um, people got the message eventually, and now I I've noticed everyone is doing ganache in the local area. So, whether they admit or not, they have learned a few tricks, I think, along the way, um, and I think obviously we all inspire each other in many different ways. So, yeah, and you learn as you go along.
Speaker 2:You know everyone learned yeah, massive learning curve, yep, and you can't not learn right, if it's, if you're an artist and you're in a space and you're seeing all of this new knowledge on the forefront, you're going to adapt and you are going to to, I would say, be inspired by. You know these great bakers out there. So I lead a foundation I probably talked to you at the top of the conversation. It's called Cake Therapy. It's the Cake Therapy Foundation for Girls and it specifically speaks to marginalized girls. The therapeutic aspect of baking, like I mentioned, that baking like literally changed my life and in conversations such as this, I see, where you know, baking has been this kind of instrument to a lot of cake artists. They speak, you know they share similar sentiments about baking. How has baking impacted your life?
Speaker 3:Halima, yeah um, I think it's had a massive impact on my life. I'll tell you one thing about baking is that not only is it therapeutic and it's it's it's amazing to kind of get lost in that world and you can put all your worries and concerns aside because you're just focused on that one thing. The other thing it taught me more than anything was um, it just gave me so much confidence because when I would create something from scratch, I had a vision in my head. I would draw a sketch, and to actually bring that to life and then to see a client based on that, that was amazing, that I had the ability to actually do that, and the more I did it, the more amazing reactions I got them. I thought do you know what? This is something which is really good for me, because it makes me feel really good about myself and to physically see a client's reaction. You know, it's a really special moment that we share.
Speaker 3:Um. So I say, for me it's been therapeutic, it's been, um, I think, on so many different levels it's really changed my perspective about life, about the way people are, the way things are. I mean the fact that cake can bring so much joy to people, because it brings people together when it comes to many celebrations and weddings, you know, um, that cake represents so much to a lot of people, but, I think, in the same way, when we make it as well, it represents our soul and and heart and soul in so many different ways, um, and we try so hard to make it perfect. So, um, I would definitely say, whether it's baking, whether it's anything else, definitely find something that makes you happy and just on time. On that, you know, I think that's really important. Mental health is a massive issue nowadays with a lot of people, so, I think, if you can find something that you really enjoy, I think you know definitely that's a good thing to do yeah, do you still enjoy after almost 10 years of baking?
Speaker 3:absolutely. I have always said if there ever comes a moment where I stop enjoying this, this business, I will, just because no point in doing something in life. Life is too short. You know, um, my kids are growing up, they're now teenagers and I feel like I don't want to spend a moment um doing something that I'm not happy with, I'm not enjoying. Um, I feel like when I first started, I took on too many orders.
Speaker 3:At that point I wasn't enjoying it. It was more a case of I need to get known. I want everyone to know that I'm what I'm doing. It was more about, like I said, survival. It's now got to the point where, thankfully I think I'm very lucky I just had just created a website. It's up and running now. Obviously, I'm on Instagram, facebook and word of mouth it's. It's amazing how I don't make that many cakes at the moment, but word of mouth is get around. I do receive a lot of inquiries without really doing much, so it just goes. When you put the hard work and effort in, it does come back. It takes a while sometimes and it might not work according to your rota, according to when you think people should start inquiring, but just put the work and effort in People will start inquiring, and it's an amazing feeling when that happens.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And look at you now. Right, Look at you now. Let's talk about entrepreneurship because, you know, cake therapy wants to teach girls, marginalized girls, how to bake right. We want them to use it as a tool to respond to their own traumas, but we also want them to be able to use it as a vacation where they can monetize. So let's talk about entrepreneurship. This is, you know, like I mentioned, this is, like the main, one of the main focuses of Cake Therapy. You established your cake business in 2014. This is the span of time you know, a great mark of success. I see you as a successful business owner. How has your entrepreneurship journey been? And speak to the struggles the struggles from the beginning to now okay.
Speaker 3:So starting off with absolutely no financial kind of like you know kind of money to actually start with, I had no money. I was like, right, how am I going to make this? I didn't ask my. I had no money. I was like, right, how am I going to make this? I didn't ask my husband for some money. I was like, no, I want to do it by myself, you know, because of I'm misindependent and I want to prove to him I could do it. So I remember doing a cake for a friend and just charging absolutely nothing, um, for it and just feeling afterwards I spent so many hours working on that cake why didn't I charge enough. I just didn't understand it. But I knew I just want to get out there, I want to get my name out there. And you know, feedback was great. It was fantastic.
Speaker 3:I think, over the years what I've learned when it comes to just being an entrepreneur and just just being kind of, you've got to be quite goal focused. So when it comes to the first year, second year, think about where you want to be, but be realistic as well. I mean, I can't be top of my game after year one or year two. I can't start teaching after doing this, for after for a couple of months, you've got to learn the skills and make mistakes.
Speaker 3:Now, talking about making mistakes, I have, honestly, I've spoken about this in a previous podcast as well but I feel when I've made mistakes I learned the most from those mistakes and it really changed me as a baker for the better at the time. It could be so destroying if you get negative feedback or you were saying to me well, the design isn't quite much what we were discussing, or you know whatever the feedback might be, and and everyone out there gets negative feedback, whether they admit to it or not, and we know this because you can never appeal to 100% of the market, right? So when I go out there, that the whole of the people and the whole of the market in Nottingham they are not my customers right, they're not going to kind of like my work.
Speaker 3:Some will like my work, some won't, some will not a taste of it, some won't, some will simply not be happy with the prices and some people just say, well, I think so-and-so's cakes are better. Fine, I'm not trying to compete for everyone out there. I just want just a few people to understand what I'm doing, to like what I'm doing and place an order and I'm happy with that right. So in the past, whenever I've received negative feedback whether it comes to the taste of a cake or the way a cake looks or I've never had any structural issues but those sorts of things I found that initially they're very difficult to hear because it feels very personal. You know, like we said before, you put your heart and soul into this. This industry and every cake is like a new project and we do try very hard. But we do sometimes make mistakes and I think the most important thing about when someone gives you feedback is to actually stand back. Take a day or two if you need to, but sit back and actually think to yourself is there any justification in what they're saying? Were they right or were they wrong? Some people will simply complain for the sake of complaining because they are used to it or they want money back or whatever the reasons why it might be. So the customer's not always right in this instance and obviously you should have a system in place. If they have a certain issue, they should come and bring back the cake, or whatever the situation might be. Um, you should have some steps to be able to follow so you can establish whether what they're saying is right or wrong.
Speaker 3:But there have been times people have said to me certain things about my sponges and cakes. I thought are they right? Actually, I think what they might be saying. There might be some validity to that. You know, is it just me or? And then actually it's really made me think about how I do my work and the process involved and if I could change it to make it any better. So sometimes you might lose a client in the process. Sometimes you might actually keep that client. It just depends. Yeah, don't take it personally. Try your best to just understand that not every client will be 100% happy with you all the time. They have any issues or they have any problems, try and see if you can resolve it. But if you get a gut feeling from the time a client places an order and it's a negative feeling and you feel the client's not right for you, I would urge every person out there to just go with your gut feeling and just say, look, I'm sorry, I don't think it's going to work out. I think we should. Perhaps you know, perhaps you look for someone else, and I've done that before. I have no qualms about doing it because I think it's important. I'll tell you the story. Actually, um, I don't know if the client will see this or not probably not but, um, I had a client came to me once for a wedding cake and she messaged me before and said look, you know, we love the style of your cakes and designs and everything and we would love to have a wedding cake from you.
Speaker 3:I said, okay, fine, so I arranged for a consultation before she came. She said to me you know, sometimes we have cakes that we've seen at venues and sometimes they're slanting or they're not perfectly straight or they don't look quite as refined as they do, you know, in in, you know in people's studios or whatever, and we don't want that. So it kind of set me back a bit. I thought, okay, that's a bit strange, and then said to me um, and would you, would you negotiate the price? And I went no, I'm sorry, I don't negotiate prices, right? This is when I was coming out of the phase of understanding that I now need to establish a niche and just learn to say no to people if it doesn't feel right, it doesn't go to the gut. So she came up with a consultation, her and her sister, and we sat and had a good old chat and chased the cake. So I was very happy. But as she left she again mentioned to me about the price and I said look, we have spoken before and you know I don't negotiate prices. And she was just insistent and it just left me feeling do you know what? I don't think I like this client. I think we're going to get get along, because I think she would always look for a reason she's already mentioned some cakes are not perfect enough for her.
Speaker 3:So after she left, I sat down, had a really good long think about this. I spoke to my husband. I said you know, this client doesn't seem right for me and he just she doesn't feel right. You have to send her a message and just say to her look, I don't think this is going to work. You know, maybe she'll look elsewhere and I found that really difficult to do. But I thought, do you know what? I think I'm going to have to do it and I did. Yeah, I must have just said look, it was lovely to meet you and your sister. You know, it was really nice to have you over.
Speaker 3:I don't think our relationship up I didn't say relationship I don't think this would be the right kind of union in terms of you know, the cakes. I think I don't think I'm the best cake maker for you, um, and you know, um, in your search and looking for a cake maker, and I think you know I left it at that. I remember she replied, she was very cross and she said I'm just looking for a wedding. I don't want to marry you or anything. I don't want to get into a relationship, I just want a wedding cake. And then she's blocked me and I remember feeling like, oh, that's not how we want it to go. She didn't understand my message and it made. It makes me laugh now because I think you know it was fantastic, it was good riddance. From my point of view, it was fantastic. She got the message. She blocked me. If she hadn't blocked me, who knows, I might have, you know, kind of had a weak moment. Oh, I'll just do it with her, yeah let me just make her a cake, all right.
Speaker 3:Every new baker out there, or an existing baker, an experienced, whatever you can get the gut yeah.
Speaker 2:Just go ahead with. Definitely follow your gut. So I've been following you for a long time. You know I keep telling our listeners that I've been following you for a long time because, because I have been, yeah, and you've gone through a rebranding, yes, um, you know I was gonna. You know since, since I've been following, tell me a little bit about that, why you rebranded, and share with our listeners the importance of rebranding once you see that you need to.
Speaker 3:That's an interesting question. So when I first started, honestly I didn't take this cake business very seriously. My husband sat down with me and we were discussing cake pages, cake names, how should I start? And he literally just came up with a name, a random name. It was cake dishes pops. I don't even know how he came up with it and, honestly, I was that uninterested in this whole concept. I just thought, oh, it's not really going to work. I didn't have much confidence in myself, um, so he just created the name. I just thought, oh, okay, I'll just go along with it. So it was fine, it was kind of fun, playful, fine.
Speaker 3:But over the years what happened was I would always get people saying to me do you do cake pops? Because obviously it had cake which is pops at the end of it. And it got to the point where I'd been asked that all the time and I got really frustrated because I was like cake for me personally and because of kind of I did them quite simple, quite straightforward, um, but they don't. There's not a lot of financial kind of um profit in that and for me I don't want to be doing cake pops. I certainly don't want to specialize in cake pops and I certainly don't want people contacting me thinking that's all I do. But it took me a while to realize, oh my gosh, you know my name is actually hindering me. I've got a couple of very good cake and just in the they did say to me you know, um, your name sometimes might might imply that you just just do cake pops, and I knew it's the back of my head for a very long time. I'd want to rebrand and honestly, I couldn't find the right name. Um, I think there was a lack of confidence as well. I just felt that if I did change my name, would people know who I am? Would they recognize me and my, you know my, my work? It was just a very scary time and I wasn't sure if I should do it or not. But yeah, I finally took the plunge. Um, I think. Uh, it wasn't my husband this time, I don't think I asked him, I thought he's not the right person to um consult with um.
Speaker 3:I was just discussing, I think, thinking about cake names, spoke to a friend of mine who also makes cakes and we kind of brainstormed a few names and as soon as the name came through, I was like this is so me, when I think about Halima's cake artistry, I'm like I see my work as a form of art. The floral work I do, I spend a lot of time and effort on that Intricate design, the piping, I mean there is a lot of kind of a lot of hours that go into that. So it is a form of artistry for me. Um, a friend said to me you've got to put your name in there because people know you by your name. If they don't know, you know Kate and she's pops is your name. But your name is so important. Yeah, and culturally actually it's very interesting because I don't see many Asian people with their name in the actual um title of their, their business. They don't actually have it.
Speaker 3:And growing up, um in Nottingham, I think, with the past 20 years I have experienced some racism and I always had this thing about is the name going to put people off? Are they going to think, well, this is strange name. I mean, does that still happen? Does it still exist? But the thoughts were going through my mind. You know, do I want to put my name there or not? Because of the background I've come from, um, with some of the experiences I've had, it did worry me a bit.
Speaker 3:But as soon as I started rebranding, I requested for a logo, got the website done.
Speaker 3:Suddenly everything just came into place and I was like this is so me. It got to the point where people say to me what is your business name? And I didn't want to tell them it's cake which is pops, because I was like, just look me up, I'll send you a link. I didn't actually want to give them my business name because I was embarrassed. Yeah, now, when people say to me I'm there, ready with my business card, I've got a Halima's cake artist who just like, just just google me. You know, I just have a sense of pride that I didn't really quite have before. So that was, it was time to change. I knew my work was changing. It was far more elegant and refined compared to how it used to be, and I felt my name just did not reflect the style of work that I was doing. So it had to be changed at some point and I had to be brave enough just to go ahead and do it. And finally I did, and it was the best thing ever.
Speaker 2:That's good. Do you think that that's a moment of finding Halima's voice in her business as well? Would you say that?
Speaker 3:um, I think I've always had a voice. I think I've always I've been confident enough to know that. You know, I am good at what I do. I didn't have any doubt about that. But the fear was, do will people know, um, once I've changed, will they recognize the fact that this is still me yeah, my style has changed. And also, will they still know that it's still me, without knowing who? That you spoke to me, you said to me and you see my work, you instantly know it's me. The concern was my work and suddenly it's like oh, it's a different name, is this so? And so it was that worry. Is that you know that concern? But, um, honestly, I'm not worried about. I kind of gave a few warnings initially. Everyone knew it was happening and when I changed, it was so smooth, seamless, it was yeah, so it was the right thing to do and I'm so, so happy with my new name. Um, yeah, and I wouldn't change it for anything yeah, you're happy now with my new name.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I wouldn't change it for anything. Yeah, You're happy now with your new name, with your name, with using your name at this point, right, yeah, definitely. So before we wrap up, I want to you know. You talk. You mentioned your husband and your children. You have this successful business business. How are you doing it?
Speaker 3:um, I just find that I have found what works for me best. So, like I mentioned to you, I don't do a lot of cakes because I like to do one or two a week. That is honestly more than enough for me. Some of them are very detailed, so one one a week is actually quite a lot for me, but I'm happy with that. Um, I was lucky enough to have my own studio built um just last year. Um, I've had that for a few months. That's where I'm, you know I'm in at the moment.
Speaker 3:Um, and that completely changed everything for me, because then I had my own private space and I felt like before I used to everything in the house. So when the kids were around as they were growing up especially, it became very exhausting looking after them. The husband, everyone chipped and did their bit. It just always felt like I was always the one who was worse for wear. Everyone else is okay in coping, but I was really struggling all the time. So it got to a point where I had to kind of review what is going to be best for me. First of all, giving up the job. That was the best thing I did.
Speaker 3:And then, when I started cakes, it was a case of right. How much can I actually manage? Because I've got a family life recently, I've really got into health and fitness. Um, I go to the gym quite regularly, for example, and I meet up with friends.
Speaker 3:There are things that I was missing out on in life. You know, I'm thinking. I don't want to look back and think my whole life I worked and, okay, I had a creative uh, you know lease, a leash and I kind of used that as well, and that's fantastic. But I want to be able to live my life. I'm going to go for a coffee, go for cake with a friend and not have to worry about rushing home. So it was about sitting back and realizing what, what works best for me. I worked it all out and I was like I want to just do less cakes, focus more on being creative. I'm now teaching as well, which which I've been asked for many, many years to do, and finally I'm doing it and I can actually say I feel happy, I feel content and this is exactly where I want to be Good.
Speaker 2:So, before you go, share with our listeners I would say newbies or people who have been in this field two of your most important baking tips.
Speaker 3:OK, baking tips, Right. Ok. I would say, when it comes to your sponge, for example, try different recipes. But if you like something and you think it's right for you, try and tweak that recipe as much, trying out lots of different recipes. But if you like something and you think it's right for you, try and tweak that recipe, as opposed to trying out lots of different recipes. That's probably a much better way to to move forward. You can find lots of different recipes and get a lot of different feedback, but have one sponge. Stick to it. That is really the foundation for anything that you do.
Speaker 3:Any cake that you make, it will always be the same. About the sponge, obviously, about tasting it. You can tweak in so many different ways. You can google tips, you can look at ideas, um, so do that, for example. Um. Second baking tip, I would say um, don't be afraid to experiment when it comes to designs, flavors, samples, whatever. Do what works for you. You don't have to follow everyone else because they're doing it in a certain way. If you've got a particular style or you want to be creative in a certain way, don't be afraid to show that. If you have the confidence to show it, eventually your clients will start believing in you as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh those are good tips, guys. Don't be afraid to try new things and improve on recipes. Um, what's what's on the horizon for you? I know you're teaching, but what? What else is there?
Speaker 3:um, I don't know to be, I don't really set myself long-term goals in terms of the baking industry. Honestly, if I'm being very frank with you, I feel as if I've been in this industry for 10 years and I feel like I've achieved a lot. I feel very happy with what I've done. I had my my cake master's feature just last year. Um, I've I've taught in Paris, which is the most amazing experience of my life. I've started teaching here for my studio.
Speaker 3:I feel like I've actually got to the point where I've wanted to be for a long time and that that that makes me very, very happy. I would love to do really huge grand wedding cakes, like you know, the massive 10 tier 12 tiers that's something I would love to do. Really huge grand wedding cakes, like you know, like a massive 10 tier 12 tiers that's something that I would love to get into. I don't know if the idea of it is actually much more exciting than it actually is in practice, because I know that would be a lot of work. So I'd have to think about, you know how I want, if I want to do that as well.
Speaker 3:I have been invited to do international wedding cakes before. At the time time I didn't have the confidence to do them, but I think if an offer would come now, I would love to take that on and just kind of see where that would lead me. So, um, I feel the future is bright. You know there's so much to look forward to. You never know what's around the corner. Always be open-minded and, um, just just be confident and happy in what you're doing. I think if you do that, people do see that as well, and that's that's the best piece of advice I can give anyone good.
Speaker 2:so we leave it there. Be happy and confident in what you're doing. Halima. I've I've enjoyed our conversation. I've waited a long time to talk to you. I've waited a long time to meet you in person and I know that our listeners have learned a lot from our conversation today. I want to personally say this to you that your work speaks to me and for some reason, I knew you before I met you and because I saw your work and I see how responsive you are to up and coming artists because sometimes in this industry it becomes a little intimidating and you do not shy away from responding and treating people as equal, and I love that about you and I want to say thank you again for coming.
Speaker 2:I've enjoyed the conversation and I want to say thank you to our listeners. I hope that you've had your slice of joy and healing with the Cake Therapy Podcast. Please go and check out our website. It's wwwcake-therapyorg. It's cake-therapyorg for Cake Therapy Foundation, and you can also buy us a coffee. All the donations that come from buying us a coffee goes towards helping marginalized girls in our community. So thank you all for listening. Halima, thank you for being here, Thank you very much.
Speaker 3:It was my pleasure, Altricia.
Speaker 1:Thank you for tuning in to the Cake Therapy podcast. Your support means the world to us. Let us know what you thought about today's episode in the comment section. Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcast and if you found the conversation helpful, please share it with a friend. Also, follow Sugar Spoon Desserts on all social media platforms. We invite you to support Cake Therapy and the work we do with our foundation by clicking on the Buy Me a coffee link in the description or by visiting the cake therapy website and making a donation. All your support will go towards the cake therapy foundation and the work we are doing to help women and girls. Thanks again for tuning in and we'll catch you on the next episode.