Wow! I am super excited to be celebrating my 3rd Teaching Annieversary!

I cannot even put into words how It feels to be celebrating my 3rd teaching Anniversary! WOW! Surprised, only because I literally put out classes and had no idea what was going to happen and how often people would show up.

I am not surprised that my classes have lasted this long because I have the BEST STUDENTS EVER! Truly!! Of course, I have had my bumps in the road with some tough cookies aka students with a rough edge, but they will not ruin this for me!!! Whether you have taken 1 class, 24 classes or any amount in between, THANK YOU!

I started this business not knowing what was going to happen, how it was going to work and had 3 part time jobs at times while I took steps towards starting a business.

In the beginning, I went to any event I possibly could at churches, schools, in parking lots, anywhere and attended 100’s of meetings, classes and joined every group that I could to network and find people to help support me on this new adventure.

My business started out as a catering business, but I knew there was something bigger for me. I remember being in the kitchen doing large orders by myself and was missing connecting with people. The restaurants can be lonely and the amount of work that needs to be done is at times never ending. It wears on you physically and mentally and it finally took a toll on me in May of 2016 when I burned out and needed to start over and reignite my passion for baking that I somehow lost.

I really needed to connect with people and I had found a space to work out of that allowed me that opportunity. I began teaching in February 2018 and never looked back. Not only did I find connections with people, but I found people looking for the same thing. Baking brings people together and is joyful. My students come to learn how to bake, but they also want a cool, fun, memorable experience for themselves and sometimes with friends, family, co-workers and even strangers.

I have seen friendships grow in classes, self-identified non-bakers, become bakers, families bond, laugh, co-workers work as teams and it is so awesome to be part of it all.

I am so grateful to be teaching all year! I have averaged between 14 and 16 classes a month and I love coming up with new topics.

My first year of teaching, I only had rolling pins and a mixer. I taught 32 classes and was extremely proud!!

My 2nd year of teaching, I added more classes, and gained more and more students. I more than tripled my first years classes by teaching 100 classes.

I finally accumulated some more materials and added more classes a few at a time. When I started to see students drive in from several hours away or come back to classes over and over again, I kept remaining hopeful that the classes would continue and tried to take in every moment.

My 3rd year, I dealt with a pandemic as a solo business owner with no loans and had to figure out a way to pay my bills and keep teaching. I quickly switched to virtual classes on Zoom and taught over 177 classes in 12 months.

I could list off all the numbers and trust me that is super important to go over and recognize, however, what sticks with me the most is how much this has affected my life in the best way possible! I know I have taught thousands of students and I have taught all over the world.

Many of you have been with me from the beginning and a lot of you have only recently found me. Either way, the joy and excitement is always present. You cheer me on, you show up, you listen, you trust me, you take time out of your lives to spend with me over and over and over again. You listen to me in class, you listen to my story and you identify with me and my story in your own way. You vote for me in these crazy contests, you constantly like and share my posts, order desserts, you truly root for me and this business and everything you say and do means so much to me.

Every time you buy a ticket, I do a happy dance, literally:)

Every time you send me an email checking in, it is so special to me. I don’t want to just teach a class, I strive for connecting with each of you beyond the classroom. I encourage you to send me your recipes that you tried on your own or ones you have remade since class.

Every time you show up in the classroom whether it is in person or the waiting room clicks on Zoom, my smile is instant and the joy I feel is indescribable.

Every time you ask a question, I not only know you are listening, but it reminds me to pause and think of the answer. It is easy to get caught up in the teaching, but I really enjoy helping in any way that I can. I was right where you were not that long ago, and I am always learning from you and reminded of why certain steps are important, why it is important for ingredients to be mixed a certain way, what ingredients do, how to know when something is done, what type of equipment do I need, why do I need certain materials, the differences with mixing up ingredients or not following the recipe as written, how to fix something, how to know when to start over.

I LOVE meeting you and am beyond honored at being part of every celebration that you think of. Anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, team building, book clubs, family time, friends connecting and learning together.

I am overwhelmed with joy when I look at the THOUSANDS of pictures on my phone from only 3 years of teaching. The smiles, the fear in the faces before trying something new, the laughs, the pride in your end product, the patience and the eagerness to try something you probably never would have tried on your own. There are still things to this day, I avoid trying like Cakes- not my favorite dessert, but I need to revisit them and not hate them as much as I do lol. I am continuing to grow as a Pastry Chef, Baker and a Teacher.

THANK YOU for 3 amazing years of teaching and I am soooo excited for 2021 and all the surprises and plans I have for this year. Not only did I survive almost an entire year in a pandemic as a solo business owner, but I also survived my first year without a part time job or any financial assistance.

I literally could not be here without your support. Thanks for 3 1/2 years as a business owner and 3 years as a teacher AND counting! The happy tears are definitely flowing while I am writing this and I am embracing every last tear and hoping there are many more happy tears to come.

I hope to see you soon!

xoxo

Annie