Today we’d like to introduce you to Hailey Rose.
Hi Hailey, 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?
I grew up surrounded by home-cooked meals and home bakers. I know this isn’t particularly uncommon in Miami, but what initially sparked my love for baking was the excitement of getting to help my parents make my birthday cake every year. Seeing how food brought everyone together in my family made me realize that I wanted to contribute to that joy as well. I asked my parents to buy me pastry books and watched hours of baking and pastry shows, falling in love with how varied and intricate desserts could be while still tasting like a slice of heaven.
While I was still in middle school, after convincing my parents to use the oven unsupervised, I began baking my own desserts. They weren’t pretty, but every dessert I made helped me refine my skills. I soon became known as the dessert girl among my friends and family. By the time I finished high school, I was making cakes for family and friend’s parties and my parents’ friends regularly. My skills had improved so much that I was able to get a scholarship to Johnson & Wales University, where I studied Baking and Pastry Arts and Food Service Management. Those four years of formal training were some of the most difficult years of my career, and I loved every minute of it. I was surrounded by world-class chefs on a daily basis. I had access to top of the line equipment and kitchens at my fingertips, quite literally. It was an experience like no other.
After graduating, I worked at a few popular bakeries here in Miami while maintaining my business on the weekends. I held positions at The Salty Donut and Bunnie Cakes for a few years, then decided to take the plunge and work on HaileyPancakes full time. Since then, I’ve seen slow but consistent growth, with each passing year leading to more and more growth. I’m currently looking into opening a storefront soon, please look forward to it!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve been making and selling cakes for six years now. Looking back, it has been an even mix of smooth and rough. To this day, I struggle with my own insecurities as a creative and a business owner. As a creative, I have had to grow beyond my comfort zone on many occasions. In my six years of selling cake, I have constantly tried to find my own artistic style and flow, which continues to be developed to this day. As a business owner, I am faced with the constant challenge of giving my clients exactly what they ask for. I would say that the greatest struggle I face regularly is trying to blend these two facets of my life as well as I can, without sacrificing one or the other.
When I first started out, I didn’t give myself much room to explore my creative interests. It was already challenging to find my own artistic style and flow. But as a budding business, I couldn’t let my desire for creativity get in the way of my client’s expectations, often based off of Pinterest photos or the style of another baker. Its taken years of consistent and hard work to convince my audience not only to welcome and want my style but also trust me enough to take inspiration from a design they might’ve seen online or in person and create something both delicious and beautiful that is all my own. At the end of the day, when I’ve finished an order and exhausted all my energy, nothing gives me more satisfaction than seeing a text from my client telling me they absolutely loved their desserts, and that makes all the struggles worth it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
HaileyPancakes specializes in custom cakes and dessert tables for any occasion. I have created desserts for all kinds of events from weddings to high school reunions to menopause parties! I pride myself in being able to capture the theme and mood of an event and display it through beautiful desserts full of fun and unique flavors.
I’ve also started selling themed box sets of desserts for different themes and holidays. This is a recent addition to my usual offerings and lets me flex my creative muscles while offering people products they don’t normally see in a store. The idea behind these is that you don’t need an excuse or occasion to enjoy some sweets!
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
My success is owed in great part to my desire to not let anyone down. I want nothing but the best for my clients, so if that means I have to tell them their vision is unrealistic or outside of my skill, I will do so, even if it means losing them as a customer for the time being. I would rather the client be happy with their cake from another baker, possibly one I recommend them, than have their event spoiled because I could not bring their vision to life.
Maintaining this high standard for myself often comes at my own expense, but to me it is worth the trouble. I firmly believe this is one of the reasons my clients keep in touch and come back for more. I believe knowing your limits is essential to running a business, and breaking those limits is essential to growing as a pastry chef.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@haileypancakes.com
- Website: Haileypancakes.com
- Instagram: @haileypancakes
