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when a disaster is enough to make you quit

post #1 of 27
4/1/11 at 4:16pm
Thread Starter 
So todays disaster i have packed up all my stuff and quit after 6 years of doing cakes and more are disasters then not. todays disaster is i made a iphone cake and when my mom when to deliver it the eddible image pulled off. and my mom gave her the money back. i already had 100 invested into this cake. i was only going to make $50. so im DONE. icon_sad.gif
May good luck be your friend
in whatever you do.
And may trouble be always
A stranger to you.
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May good luck be your friend
in whatever you do.
And may trouble be always
A stranger to you.
Reply
post #2 of 27
4/1/11 at 4:29pm
Sorry this happened, but try to remember....it's only cake. Put the stuff away for a few weeks, and when you're feeling better try again. This is supposed to be fun!
Jennifer
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Jennifer
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post #3 of 27
4/1/11 at 4:45pm
I say this with every cake I make because I am to self critical icon_smile.gif Like Jennifer1970 maybe have a little break. Then make a a cake you have always wanted to make but have never had time, so you can rediscover just how much fun cake decorating is without the stress of making it for clients.
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post #4 of 27
4/1/11 at 5:27pm
Go to the customer, offer to make them another cake for another occasion for free even though you gave them their money back. Turn this into a positive experience for the customer so they will tell their friends how you fixed it. Then get back in the kitchen. This is no different than when you dent your car. You wish you didn't go out that day, why didn't you check your blind spot, etc. You feel bad for awhile, you fix it, and you go on. I have a full refund policy, even the delivery charge. The best opportunities for customer loyalty are when a problem happens and you fix it.
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post #5 of 27
4/1/11 at 6:10pm
I'm still a novice cake decorator so take my thought with a grain of salt. If more are disasters than not, you may want to go back to basics and just re-learn some things and practice. Might help you remember why you love cake decorating in the first place to go back to the basics.
~Krista~
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~Krista~
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post #6 of 27
4/4/11 at 6:16am
I am new to the cake decorating world and don't do it a whole lot. However, I have had a few disasters myself. Don't let it stop you if you really enjoy decorating. I thoroughly enjoy it so I won't let the disasters stop me. Take a few weeks off but don't get rid of your decorating equipment. After a few weeks go back in there and conquer your frustrations. icon_smile.gif
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post #7 of 27
4/7/11 at 7:46pm
You should not quit for that reason. I know you will be upset for some time but you will get over it and learn from the experience. Hopefully it will never happen again.
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post #8 of 27
4/8/11 at 1:51pm
Remember that without pain, we would forget the joy of pleasure.

It's hard to think about right now, but like everything else, caking comes with ups and downs. We can't always get it 100%. I think the best idea is to put your things away for a few weeks, re-energize and get your passion back.

This sounds more like you've lost your passion for caking and without your desire to actually do caking, it becomes stressful and not worth it.
Had my blog listed and then realized one day that all you could see was "misadventuresofanal..." Took that sucker right off.
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Had my blog listed and then realized one day that all you could see was "misadventuresofanal..." Took that sucker right off.
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post #9 of 27
4/8/11 at 2:08pm
Please don't give up!!
I am a scratch baker working towards becoming a decorator, too Man, I hope practice really makes perfect
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I am a scratch baker working towards becoming a decorator, too Man, I hope practice really makes perfect
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post #10 of 27
4/8/11 at 6:32pm
Perspective is key...so apply a different life situation to your current one. Let's go with relationships.

How many relationships have you had that ended up being disasters? How much time and effort did you put into all those relationships? How many times did you feel like giving up on love? If you're like most people, probably after each one. But every relationship is a learning experience and makes you stronger and smarter, so you pick up and move on. But you don't give up on love, no matter how many times you try to.

Treat this situation as a failed relationship. Take the lessons it taught you, pick up, and move on. If you want, take scp1127's advice and maybe you'll feel a little bit better about the situation and your "relationship" with this cake won't end on such a sour note. Then on to the next love affair...with a newer, younger and more successful cake. ;o)
"Cake or death?" "Eh, cake please." "Very well! Give him cake!" "Oh, thanks very much. It's very nice."
"You! Cake or death?" "Uh, cake for me, too, please." "Very well! Give him cake, too! We're gonna run out of cake at this rate."
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"Cake or death?" "Eh, cake please." "Very well! Give him cake!" "Oh, thanks very much. It's very nice."
"You! Cake or death?" "Uh, cake for me, too, please." "Very well! Give him cake, too! We're gonna run out of cake at this rate."
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post #11 of 27
4/8/11 at 7:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ucanhazcakes

Perspective is key...so apply a different life situation to your current one. Let's go with relationships.

How many relationships have you had that ended up being disasters? How much time and effort did you put into all those relationships? How many times did you feel like giving up on love? If you're like most people, probably after each one. But every relationship is a learning experience and makes you stronger and smarter, so you pick up and move on. But you don't give up on love, no matter how many times you try to.

Treat this situation as a failed relationship. Take the lessons it taught you, pick up, and move on. If you want, take scp1127's advice and maybe you'll feel a little bit better about the situation and your "relationship" with this cake won't end on such a sour note. Then on to the next love affair...with a newer, younger and more successful cake. ;o)



thumbs_up.gif
I am a scratch baker working towards becoming a decorator, too Man, I hope practice really makes perfect
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I am a scratch baker working towards becoming a decorator, too Man, I hope practice really makes perfect
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post #12 of 27
4/19/11 at 11:15pm
I'm still a "new" cake maker in my opinion, but I too am about to throw in the towel after I just spent literally $500 or more on supplies & renovation! Up until this point I have so enjoyed cake making. I just decided a few weeks ago to make cakes for clients. So right away, my 1st week I have 5 cakes to do, 3 sheets cakes & 1 small 6" round. No biggy right!?Wrong!! I've done nothing but screw up! We've had storms all day so humidity is crazy right now. I have literally been working 12 hours on my 6" cake simply b/c the icing is giving me fits! I couldnt airbrush it so finally I threw fondant on it, & now it's worse b.c my fondant is meltin and has a ton of airbubboes. I even been working 1/2 way in my fridge just to keep it workable along w/turning on the air! Oh I've had it! I'm so gun shy now I'm scared to even think about trying the sheet cakes! I thought I was good at this but now I'm not so sure. This is the 2nd cake this week I've had such terrible time with!!!! icon_sad.gif
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post #13 of 27
4/20/11 at 1:48pm
I hope that when the pain of this situation has numbed a little you will come back and read the thoughtful comments others have added here. They are all good advice. I believe that eventually it will hurt worse to think you gave up on something you enjoyed for so long.

No matter what any of us do in life, none of us succeed 100% of the time. Please pop back in and let us know that you are baking and decorating once more! icon_smile.gif
Throughout my life I've often had to remind myself that the strongest steel is formed in the hottest fire. At my age, I am a force with which to be reckoned!
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Throughout my life I've often had to remind myself that the strongest steel is formed in the hottest fire. At my age, I am a force with which to be reckoned!
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post #14 of 27
4/30/11 at 11:21am
I also am just starting out but I think of it like my involvement with horses...
I've ridden since I was 2 and shown Arabian and Half Arabians Nationally for oh...14 years. I couldn't TELL you how many bad experiences I've had with that (how many times I've fallen off, had a horse flip over on me, been thrown through fences etc etc...). I've always had a soft spot for the underdog so I've had more than a few horses that most people wouldn't ride on their best day but when you have success that makes it all the more meaningful. If you get thrown, you HAVE to get back on, if you're doing it because you love it, you can't let one traumatic experience (or 50 for that matter! haha) steer you away from what your passionate about. My boyfriend always tells me "with no risk there is no reward" so I'm sure things will get better for you! thumbs_up.gif
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post #15 of 27
4/30/11 at 3:18pm
DisneyDreamer, you said that more of your cakes have been disasters than haven't...What other kinds of things have happened?

I'm going to go against the "keep your chin up" crowd and say that only you can decide whether the aggravation of what YOU'VE experienced is enough to make you quit. Personally, if I kept doing something that gave me aggravation more often than not, I'd probably quit too. You have to decide whether the things that have happened to you are things that you can correct in future cakes and learn from, or whether you're just not interested in dealing with it anymore. Totally your call.
http://www.acaketorememberva.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/acaketoremember
http://www.youtube.com/karabuntin
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http://www.acaketorememberva.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/acaketoremember
http://www.youtube.com/karabuntin
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