13/08/2021
No matter what professional career path I think I’m choosing, baking has always pulled me back in.
I have been baking for as long as I can even remember. Some of my earliest and fondest memories are working side-by-side with loved ones in the kitchen – rolling snickerdoodles with my grandma, cutting and decorating sugar cookies with my mom and siblings – the kitchen has always been a place full of teamwork, laughter, and love. From there it only continued to snowball. At the age of 13, I was creating my own recipes, making fondant cupcake toppers, and piping buttercream designs. I used every birthday, holiday, and celebration as an excuse to break out our trusty Kitchen Aid and get my hands dirty.
I moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music when I was 17 and I stumbled across the cutest little bakery within my first weeks there. I asked for an interview with hopes that I could work the register and pick up some baking tips along the way. To my surprise, I already had enough skill to actually join their team. This was the experience of a lifetime; I was given the opportunity to be a professional baker and really learn about the science behind it. I spent almost every day honing my craft and gathering the tools I needed to be the best baker I could be. We’ve all heard the saying: when you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. I fell in love with my work and found myself wanting to come in every chance I could, but it wasn’t about the money. I would wear my uniform to class so I could go straight to work and could come in a few minutes earlier, I cut my trips home short so that I could come back to work sooner, and I would even skip class and come in early if I was having a rough day and they needed my help. Baking every single day became the best therapy I could’ve possibly imagined. No matter how low I felt, putting on my apron and chef’s coat always brought a smile to my face.
That feeling stuck with me.
Since then, I have done a little bit of everything. I moved back to my hometown, Kansas City, to pursue my passion for mental health and helping others. I worked various jobs while going to school: I made smoothies and açai bowls, delivered ramen, served burgers, and by what seemed like an act of fate, I eventually found myself back in the kitchen for the rest of my years as a student. I was now a pastry chef, learning how to laminate dough to make flaky, buttery croissants, fold some mean palmiers, and braid challah like nobody’s business (their words, not mine).
I was laid off when the world shut down, and it broke my heart to cease something I loved so suddenly. My next move was to pursue my interest in real estate, so I signed up for the first week of class. That class changed the trajectory of my entire life. I noticed and sat down next to the hunkiest man I’d ever laid eyes on, and we slowly got to know each other a bit more each day. I had no idea I was sitting next to my future husband (again, his words, not mine. Well… and mine). We both knew we’d found something special – I swear we were in love by the end of our first date. We have been living, healing, and growing together since the very beginning. It’s been a year already, but this is only the start.
Growing up I felt that baking would always be a hobby of mine: something I do from time to time to relax, celebrate, have fun. These experiences have helped shape me into the confident baker I am today, but it wasn’t until I met Jake Beckner that I realized I could make a living out of something I so loved to do. He has given me the confidence and courage to take the leap and start our own company. He inspires me every day to be more creative, take more risks, and have more fun – in the kitchen and life. We are both the co-founders of Dwelling because we couldn’t have done this without one another. Opening my own bakery someday always felt like an impossible dream, but he is helping me turn it into reality. Please keep following along our journey, it would mean the world to us!
