We were lucky to catch up with Victoria Strength recently and have shared our conversation below.
Victoria , appreciate you joining us today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?
This is one of my fondest and craziest memories from the beginning of my business venture. When I was located in Western New York, I had a client who needed a “smash cake” for their child’s first birthday photo shoot.
This photoshoot was happening in the winter time, and for Western NY, that means snow…
The initial cake delivery went smoothly.
Then I get a call from my client and I can hear panic in her voice. When she was walking out to her car, she slipped on an icy snowy patch of sidewalk and dropped the cake.
After seeing if my client was ok, I asked about the time frame they had before their photoshoot.. thankfully they were able to push the photoshoot back a couple hours and so I asked if they could bring the cake to the shop so that I could have all my tools in order to fix it.
When she arrived with the cake it was pretty funny in a not funny way, I was just relieved they were alright. Due to the original design, I wasn’t able to recreate it exactly, but I was able to save what was there and turn it into a photo worthy cake!
Victoria , 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?
I got into the hospitality industry over a decade ago when I learned that there was a job that combined my two favorite things, dessert and art. I attended The Culinary Institute of America where I obtained my Associate’s in Baking and Pastry Arts and Bachelor’s in Baking and Pastry Management.
Since then, I have traveled the east coast working different hospitality work from Back of House to Front of House, learning everything I can along the way.
Over the years, I have dabbled in whatever I could when it came to baking , pastry or management.
I have worked my way from Pastry cook to Pastry de Partie, to Pastry Jr. Sous, to Pastry Chef, and now Entrepreneur.
I started my official dessert business in 2018, with StrangeBird LLC in Western, NY.
Like most businesses in 2020, the pandemic delayed the success and progress of my goals and dreams, but we adapted, overcame and are continuing to preserve into 2024.
I have been given the opportunity to sell Strange Bird Custom Desserts products at a wonderful French Bistro by the name of Bread & Butterfly in Inman Park of Atlanta, Ga.
I pride myself in being able to provide whatever baked good or pastry my client is in need of. I have been focusing on dietary restricted products recently due to client demand. It has been an interesting experience learning about the different substitutions necessary to create a quality product.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think the customizability and great execution of every order helps me stand out. I am not only providing a delicious, within dietary means dessert, but it also reflects the person who it is for in aesthetics.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Setting the Table by Danny Meyer is a favorite book of mine when it comes to leadership and business management.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @strange_bird_custom_desserts
- Facebook: Strange Bird Custom Desserts