We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Karen Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Karen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I recently rebranded to Artisan Buttercream from Caren’s Cakery. When I started this cake thing, I was still in corporate America, sitting at my desk and came up with Caren’s Cakery as a way to change the spelling of my name. I was being rebellious…in away…but didn’t give it much though. Wrote out a few names and just rolled with that. After a couple of years of building a brand and clientele, I realized that while Caren’s Cakery is cute and whimsical, I wanted the name to speak to sophistication, elegance, and luxury, all while placing emphasis on the artistic craft and giving awareness to my specialty and that is how Artisan Buttercream came about.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a natural creative. I think differently from others and see things with a unique perspective. I actually got into the world of Cake Artistry after some encouragement from family to pursue baking. It started out after a group of sister’s tasted a pound cake I made. They ordered pound cakes for about 4 weeks straight, I kid you not. At the time they had a cousin who was in need of a baker for their anniversary party. I made the cake and they, along with their guest raved about it. I honestly had no clue what I was doing…but thrilled that they still trusted me to be a part of their special day. That one opportunity, paved the way for what you see today. After that, I spent countless hours understanding the science behind baking, understanding trends and techniques. I decided that my niche would be trendy, elegant designs along with character and/or themed cakes because I love the versatility and color. I’ve also found a love for intricately detailed cupcake designs.

I offer bespoke designs for clients who want a centerpiece that is beautiful, yet equally pleasing in taste. I create memorable experiences through the design process that ultimately yields edible art that speaks to the uniqueness of the event and or the honoree’s likes, interest and preferences. This, along with placing emphasis on the customer experience through active listening and customer service sets me aside from other cake artist/bakeries. My goal is to connect with each client to understand their vision and translate that into a cake.

I am most proud of building a business out of hard work and research. I am self taught, with no formal culinary training but have taken the time to understand the processes and framework to execute amazing celebration cakes, cupcakes and wedding cakes that make a statement. Aside from baking, I am also a craft enthusiast with a focus on paper crafting. I am working build a social media presence for cake toppers, charms, greeting cards, and party accessories. I love when clients give me creative control, because then I’m like a kid at the playground, I can execute all of my favorite things into one project.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In August of 2022, I was laid off from my full-time position as a Product Manager. For the first time ever, I was completely unemployed and wasn’t sure what to do next or how to navigate life without the one thing that took up majority of my time. Despite being ready to jump back into the hamster wheel of job applications and interviews, through support of my circle and encouragement, I instead decided to pivot and take a chance on full-time entrepreneurship. It has definitely been an adjustment. I feel as though I work harder, and way more than I ever did at any 9-to-5. However, the work is rewarding, despite the long nights and random thoughts that wake me up in the middle of the night worrying about a design, the outcome is worth it all. Knowing that I’ve helped make someone’s special day complete is what it’s all about. Everyone thinks being your own boss is this glamorous lifestyle where you can do whatever, whenever. And maybe it is, once you’re at a Jeff Bezos level, but as a small business owner, you’re ALWAYS on the clock. The cool thing is you can define your day to incorporate more of a work-life balance and that in itself has been the biggest perk. The ability to be with family and/or friends when they need you without having to juggle work demands is a plus.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Word of mouth has been the best source of new clients, followed by my internet presence. The old school adage is that word of mouth will always be the best form of marketing. Having other people complement and refer you based on their experience is blessing. It is always good to hear that a potential customer is reaching out because of the kind words of a previous or existing customer.

Contact Info:

• Website: artisanbuttercream.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artisan_buttercream/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtisanButtercream/
• Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artisanbuttercream

Image Credits
Artisan Buttercream