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

Valerie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

When I first come up with a name for my business I really wanted something that represented the experience I had baking in the kitchen with my mother, as well as the memories I had watching my grandparents cook our favorite goodies and treats. I loved getting to help whip the cream, lick the beaters, or get a the first sample of a cookie or candy that was being made. As I got older and had my own family, they also enjoyed helping in the kitchen just as I had. It created some great memories. That is how Baking Memories was formed, because I believe some of the best memories are made in the kitchen. I then added the Utah to help give my name an area demographic.

Valerie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For as long as I remember I have always thought making cakes and creating edible art would be fun. As a child, I loved the cakes my mother made for me growing up and knew it was something I wanted to do for my kids as well. What started out as something to do for my kids, soon became a passion, and making it a business just seemed the right fit.

I believe a cake isn’t just a cake when its being made for something or someone important. I believe a cake shouldn’t just look great it should taste great too. That’s why all my cakes are made from scratch and handcrafted with love.
As a young master artist in my youth, I took skills I learned, and transferred it into an edible art form. Something that sets me apart from many other cake artist is that I am proficient in sugar flowers, sculpting, buttercream, and hand painted designs. I’m the type of person that will add that little something extra just because I feel like it needs it. I only take a limited number of orders because I believe each customer and order deserves to have my full attention to details.

My goal is to not only create amazing tasting cakes, but have it be something worth remembering for years down the road. That’s why I have taken the time to learn from some of the best the industry has to offer. I’m always looking to better myself and my skill set.

One of the hardest challenges for me is making the time to showcase what I am capable of as a cake artist in the wedding industry. I am currently working to rebrand and showcase some of my talents that haven’t been as highlighted.
Things that I hope, will set me apart from the others. There are many amazing and talented cake decorators near where I live, I want to be known as one of them. I’m working on not just being known as the neighborhood cake lady but as a high-end cake artist.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

About 2 years ago, I made the hard decision to put my business on hold. It was one of those times in my life where everything seemed to dump on our family all at once. I had been involved in a bad car accident that totaled my car and messed up my back, I also needed surgery to fix an ongoing problem I was having, that surgery would put me out for over 8 weeks. My 10 year old son, at the time, was struggling with mental illness and felt his life was not worth living. My husband, who was a loyal employee to his job of over 20 years was being let go. Needless to say it was a tough year.

I wasn’t sure Baking Memories Utah was going to make it. Baking Memories had to be put to the side. My priority was and always will be my family first. I thought I would be back in an office job with no time or opportunity to bring the business I had worked hard for back into my life. With a lot of prayer and support, things got better. Miracles happened. The right people where placed in our path so my son could get the help he needed and today he is a much happier and healthier person, I got my health in order and did what needed to be done so that I could be the best version of myself and not be in constant pain. My husband found a new job that not only really appreciates having him, but that he himself is much happier at.
To top it off, not only was I able to bring back Baking Memories Utah, I was able to build my own kitchen just for my business. I am excited what the future has in store moving forward. I have been better at having a better work, life balance and only taking orders that excite me and move my business in the direction I want it to.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for me has been word of mouth. Every like, share, comments, and referral makes a difference. It helps my products be seen, and people like businesses that other people trust and have experience with. I am terrible when it comes to the social media side of things. Fighting algorisms and trying to be seen in the social media world makes me want to rip my hair out. For me it’s my most hated aspects of the business. I am not one that likes to brag and tell people how great I am, and therefore you should book with me type of person. Maybe I am old-schooled, but I want my work to speak for itself.
Because of that, I will always and forever be grateful to my clients, neighbors, family, and friends, who recommend me. Those recommendation most often get me a booking. Not only that knowing that I have been recommended by a past customer is one of the highest forms of compliments you can have as a small business owner.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bakingmemoriesutah.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bakingmemoriesutah
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bakingmemoriesutah
• Other: Email: [email protected]