We recently connected with Ashley Mace and have shared our conversation below.
Ashley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?
When I was working at a popular restaurant in Orlando, as a server, we had an elderly guest who came in to dine at the restaurant. This restaurant is loud and noisy and most elderly people do not appreciate coming there. Another one of my coworkers was her server. It was a busy night and the server asked what brought her to the restaurant. She had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, was using an oxygen tank and was told she had a very short period of time left. She was there to celebrate her birthday, alone, one last time. Her story touched all of us working that night so we all sang her favorite song to her, brought her a complimentary dessert for her birthday, took a picture with her and hugged her. One of our bartenders also worked for Disney and gave the customer two complimentary passes so she could go to the Magic Kingdom for the first time. The elderly lady was so incredibly thankful but did not have anyone who could take her to Disney. The waitress who served her did not hesitate when she reached across the table and said “Yes, you do.” The next day the waitress went to her hotel, picked her up, took her to Disney and sent us a picture of them in front of Cinderella’s Castle.
For this woman to come to our restaurant, alone and sick, with no expectation other than to enjoy her last birthday, and for the entire team to rally around her and not just give her a meal but a full experience that she can leave this earth with was the most beautiful moment I have experienced in the 20+ years I have worked in customer service.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started baking with my dad. My favorite quality time was making and decorating Christmas cookies with him. Over the years he continued to pass different recipes from my Grandmother down to me and I finally decided in my Junior year of High School that I wanted to pursue a career in Baking and Pastry. I started formally as an apprentice for Lyndsy Velasquez, who is a two time Food Network Contest Champion and a fellow Johnson and Wales graduate.
I went on to college at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, FL where I graduated Magna Cum Laude with an Associate of Science Degree in Baking & Pastry Arts as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Food & Beverage Management with a minor in Fine Pastry Arts. After I graduated, I went to work for Disney and began my career as a Food & Beverage Manager for many companies such as Panera Bread, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, and Marriott. After COVID-19 struck the hospitality industry, I was furloughed indefinitely so it gave me the opportunity to focus on my passion and start my own business.
I specialize in custom cakes but I make all varieties of baked goods. My dad and I recently fine-tuned his “Famous Chocolate Chip Cookie” recipe with a new twist that I had been experimenting with and much to his dismay he LOVED my version more! The student officially surpassed the master. However, I will say that my dad is known as the “Legend” in our family for a reason and he teaches me something new everyday whether it is in or out of the kitchen.
I love all of the flavors on the menu and I love when customers come up with new flavors for me to create! Sometimes the things they request aren’t feasible so we have to brainstorm together to come up with a compromised version of what they would like versus what food constraints will allow, especially in Florida heat.
I love creative freedom and when a client comes to me it typically is just with a flavor and a theme, and no specific concept of a cake in mind. I love being able to create something for people and letting ideas in my mind just run wild without constraints or conforms to something they may have previously seen. I love that my clients trust me to do that for them with their special occasions and events!
I am proud to be pushing the limits of my baking beyond just the customers I serve. I recently participated in the St. Jude Baking Challenge and delivered those items each week to a different service group such as healthcare workers and emergency responders. I also am using my baking to speak up for LGBTQ+ rights and Women’s Reproductive rights and use those orders to promote donations to Women Shelters and Planned Parenthood. I am proud of being able to do my small part to support my local community and am working on expanding into our local animal shelters with our Floofkies. In addition to running Frosted Memories Inc., LLC I also work for a nation-wide dog training company which partially inspired our “Floofkies” menu! “Floofkies” are the treats I make that are pet friendly and also have ingredients to promote your pup’s health.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I have had to pivot many times in life but the most defining pivot of my life was caused by COVID-19. In the beginning of 2020 I had started a new job at Marriott and was extremely excited for where that career could have taken me. A total of 2 months into that new job and I was indefinitely furloughed so I began full time as a server. 1 month later the hospitality industry was put on hold around the country and I began collecting unemployment.
While in quarantine my best friend moved in with me and we started baking together and this reignited the fire that corporate comfort had been suppressing inside me for over a decade. I started Frosted Memories while the world was trying to figure out how to function in the “New Normal” and spent every spare moment and cent that I wasn’t serving tables into starting up my business. About 6 months later I was permanently terminated from Marriott and applied to work with Koru K9 Dog Training & Rehabilitation. This decision, or pivot, was the final step in being able to exit serving and begin to expand my business while also still making a stable income. The opportunity that Bridget and Ray Murphy has provided to me has not only allowed me to sustain my bakery, but also couple that with my love for animals. Everyday I get the opportunity to help people and their dogs work with amazing trainers across America and help them have a happier life. I can honestly say for the first time in over 10 years that I feel appreciated for my work and feel valued as an employee.
How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.
I sell on my website as well as on Facebook Marketplace. I love the order form and cake questionnaire on our website because it has all of the information I need in order to know what it will take to fill that client’s order. I built my google site with the help of my marketing manager and my favorite thing about it is I can re-design it anytime I like with whatever format I choose. By comparison the other sites are very limiting for how you can advertise your business or design the site itself and I find them to not be user friendly when navigating for the client. Google sites are free, convenient and adaptable to the ever-changing course of a business and I love the flexibility and freedom I have for my content. I also advertise on Pinterest and Instagram with links to my website for a simplified ordering process for clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sites.google.com/view/frostedmemoriesinc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frosted_memories.inc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contact.frostedmemories
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/frostedmemoriesinc/
Image Credits
Lauren Avizur and Makena Janssen for photos