We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Caylee McFarland. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Caylee below.

Caylee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

The short answer is yes, I am happier as a business owner. Of course there are days when you think, “Dang I wish I just had a job that I could clock in and out of,” but the reality is I’m not wired for that. I love being able to build my own schedule, work around the clock, and quite honestly I love the chaos. Being a small business owner is madness. There is so much you have to do all the time from little things like stamping pastry bags to big things like completing wholesale orders, but each piece is so important and is fun in its unique way.

Anyway, to dig a little deeper, the times that I consider having a more traditional job is when I’m feeling low and feeling stressed. Usually its external factors in my personal life that impact those thoughts. My cup is pretty full at the moment being a business owner and a student in pastry school, so when things go awry in my personal life like family issues, my stress levels are heightened and I think about what it would be like to be able to clock out and rest more. Usually these thoughts are fleeting because at the end of the day, I’m working towards my childhood dream and making it a reality.

The highs of being a business owner are really high and the lows are really low, but I wouldn’t trade a single second of this chaos for anything. 11 year old Caylee is somewhere in the space time continuum screaming in excitement knowing that I’m a baker.

Caylee, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Caylee, the owner and baker of Caylee Cakes, a San Diego-based home bakery. I’ve always been interested in baking since I was a little kid, watching Food Network endlessly and dreaming of a day I could be like the people I saw on the screen. When I was 11, I started baking cookies and instantly fell in love. I loved the process of baking and seeing people’s reactions to things I made for them.

As I got older, I always told myself, “I want to open a bakery when I’m old and retired!” Because I thought that I had to pay my dues and work a more traditional office job first. When the pandemic hit, I decided that life was too short to not bake and started selling via Instagram in November of 2020. In March 2021, I quit my full-time job and have been baking ever since! I also have enrolled in pastry school at CulinaryLab OC and am attending school their until next year!

I’m currently most proud of my expansive vegan menu! It’s been so fun developing and altering recipes to be more inclusive to different diet types!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Hmm…. this question is heavy lol. So one of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn both as a business owner and in my personal life is that I’m not worthy. This has been an issue I’ve been unpacking through years of therapy and self growth. To say it delicately, my parents are far from nurturing and instilled this deep message in me that I’m not worthy or talented in anything that I do. This type of narrative can be very damaging, but I don’t think I’d have the endurance I have now if it weren’t for that experience.

Over the past couple of years as a business owner, I’ve gained a whole new support system through my loved ones and clientele that have constantly affirmed me through my baking journey and constantly remind me of my talent and worth as a business owner. While I still battle with these thoughts, I am so proud of how far I’ve come to even gain the confidence to launch a small business.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Since I’m a home baker, the costs to start up my business were pretty low! I had to get a cottage food operation permit, seller’s permit, and business license, but they were all reasonably priced considering. In terms of funding, I was working full-time as a social media manager and wedding photographer when I started Caylee Cakes, so I had the cushion of other streams of income to fund my business. I actually still have some freelance social media clients and photograph weddings, which helps to keep my baking business well-funded!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cayleecakes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_cayleecakes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Caylee-Cakes-106961928256709/?notif_id=1622006617885949&notif_t=page_fan&ref=notif