Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Turner.
Hi Taylor, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey did not begin in my grandmother’s kitchen! In May of 2015, I graduated from Cal State Dominguez Hills with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology & Public Administration. At that time, I worked in retail as a Supervisor and a Talent Development Administrator at LA Metropolitan Transit Authority. My plan was to continue to my education to become an Occupational Therapist upon graduating.
I had an entrepreneurial spirit from a very young age. In high school, I sold a variety of candy and was dubbed the “Candy Girl” on campus. This taught me how to understand revenue, profits and losses. Every week, I would reinvest a portion of my revenue and purchase more products (candy). My goals changed monthly. One month I saved my profit to purchase a cell phone (the old school Sidekick LX). The next month my plan would be to purchase school clothes (had to be fresh the first week of school!).
I went from selling candy to becoming a human directional (sign twirler). Yep, I was the girl standing on the corner in the hot sun, every weekend flipping signs and groovin’ to my music (on the iPod I purchased of course). I was making good money for a 16-year old. I always wanted more and I knew there was so much more out there for me. I begged my mom to take me to Barnes and Noble so that I could purchase books on how to make money as a teenager. I always came up with different ways to make money. I coordinated our yard sales, recycled bottles and cans, and was also trying to resell items on eBay to make a profit.
My drive to make money carried over into my college years when I started a cleaning business. “Tailored to Perfection” was my new business venture! I got business cards created, flyers, posted on Yelp and even had my first client until I realized that I really did not enjoy cleaning other people’s homes. Fast forward to October 2015, The Cake Canvas Studio was born. I had no intentions on ever becoming a baker. I made a random Strawberry Shortcake cupcake recipe on Pinterest and the rest is history. The cupcakes were a hit and quickly became my customer’s favorite flavor. Shortly after that, I found out that making custom cakes were very therapeutic for me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not! It has been one of the most challenging things I have ever done in my life. In the beginning, I really struggled with comparison and lack of confidence. There are so many bakers in LA County, so when I initially started, I would discourage myself about doing certain things because I felt inadequate compared to the other “successful” bakers. I was truly my biggest critic and was extremely hard on myself. Now, I have learned and truly mastered that I am my own competition. I create my own lane, I am only trying to improve and do better than the individual that I was yesterday. I understand that although I have failed many times, I have also grown so much more. I am so grateful for all of the struggles that I experienced because they have made my business what it is today.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Cake Canvas Studio is an online bakery specializing in custom cakes. I like to refer to myself as a “Cake Artist” As a cake artist, I am responsible for creating edible works of art while responding to inquiries, managing all of my social media accounts, sourcing supplies & ingredients and a handful of other tasks. I am most known for my range of cake designs. You will see some cakes that are super fun, vibrant and colorful but you will also see a lot of cakes that are simple and clean.
As a company, I am most proud of my growth. My business really started from the bottom, no handouts, nothing but hard work and consistency. When I started my business, I had no expectations for where I wanted it to go, but today I am so proud that it has blossomed into something so amazing and fulfilling. I think what sets me apart from others is that I am truly invested in the entire customer experience. From beginning to end, I want you to have the best experience engaging with my business. Some businesses just want your money but I really want you to feel good about spending your money with me. I understand how important celebrations are and I am honored to be a part of them.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I take risks all the time. Taking risks are mandatory, you cannot grow if you don’t challenge yourself. Risk taking is what forces you to learn and grow as an individual and business owner. I take risks a lot when it comes to decorating cakes. Sometimes my clients will ask for a complicated or intricate cake design that I have never done before. I approach those new and challenging designs with an open mind. Most of the time I make the shot and I am so glad I accepted the challenge. Sometimes I miss the shot and I don’t execute the design as well as I thought but that is okay because I LEARNED from the experience and that right there is the most valuable lesson of them all.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.thecakecanvasstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecakecanvasstudio/
