2020: Well, I had a plan...
Before the end of 2019, I posted a blog about my goals for the new year. The year started off great! The spring Cake Decorating Series kicked off in February and our classes progressed until March, until the COVID-19 pandemic hit....
The last several months have been very interesting to say the least; with major shifts in my home life, work routine, and how I continue to share my passion with you all through teaching.
In this blog, I revisit my goals for 2020 and share my progress (or lack thereof) toward these goals.
Here's what I hoped to be doing in 2020:
1. Offering more classes & taking less orders
The Cake Decorating Series will be offered in the spring and fall of 2020. In order to focus on other endeavors, I will be taking a very limited number of orders next year.
Due to COVID-19, the spring Cake Decorating Series was cut short. Though we attempted virtual classes in April, it just wasn't the same as being in the same room. The fall Series has begun and is being hosted at The Hatch in Broad Ripple instead of Hobby Lobby; as they've closed their classroom for now. I look forward to seeing my spring Series students in the final few classes of the fall Series!
I've accepted more orders over the last few months than I expected. I'm so very grateful for my client's support!
2. Supporting my local home-based vendors and small bakeries
I've had the pleasure to meet and work with some very talented bakers over the last several years! Many of these individuals have taken some of my classes and are now successful business owners. I plan to support them in the following ways:
- Sending cake clients their way (remember "Offering more classes & taking less orders"?)
- Promoting their special events
- Ordering from them (because why would I make my own birthday cake?!?)
As things shut down in March, home-based vendors and small bakeries took some time to reflect and strategize. We all got creative and thought of ways to stay top-of-mind, especially on social media! I've had the opportunity to be apart of some collaborations that may not have been possible a year ago, and this has been exciting. This goal is ongoing....
3. Attending regional cake shows and expos
I attended the SoFlo Cake and Candy Expo for the first time in 2018 and it was an amazing experience! I'll be returning to Miami in 2020 for SoFlo and possibly attending shows in Atlanta and St. Louis. I'm look forward to networking, taking classes taught by some of my favorite cake/cookie artists and...
SoFlo in Miami was scheduled for April, and it was cancelled... I doubt that any other cake shows or expos will proceed in person this year, so this goal is being postponed until next year. We'll have to wait and see what happens!
4. Competing
Pretty self-explanatory, right? I'm going to put myself out there and compete to see how I stack up against other cake artists locally and nationally. More to come on this one!
Postponed until next year....
5. Reviving my YouTube Channel
It's hard to believe that I've had a YouTube channel for 8 years, neglected it for 5 years and have only uploaded one video a year for the past 3 years. This will change in 2020. I'm very excited to breath new life into my channel by challenging myself to STAY CONSISTENT with the valuable content that I have to offer. I already have videos planned for each month of 2020 and a strategy to keep current.
This is the area where I've made the most progress! I've uploaded more videos in 2020 than I have since I started my channel in 2011. On July 1st, I hit the 1,000 subscriber milestone! I've been able to share a ton of great cake decorating techniques and practical tips on my channel. What I love most is that I'm reaching people world-wide who want to learn more about cake decorating. I have many views from India, Philippines, United Kingdom, Nigeria and Canada!
As always, thank you so much for your support in 2020!
