Today we’d like to introduce you to Channy Sdoeung
Hi Channy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Starting a small business bakery wasn’t the future I had intentionally planned for myself. In 2015, inspired by a hospital visit to check on my dad’s health, I fell in love with the thought of being a nurse. The nurses were kind to my dad and made my family feel welcomed and informed at all times. They made an overwhelming experience one that we all could cope. Before nursing, I was in and out of college feeling lost.
Baking became a big part of my life in the summer of 2021. Covid was still lingering at the time. Although, my sister was planning a baby shower for her third child, but trying to find high quality desserts was stressful. Three weeks before the event, I decided to learn to bake from scratch. I had a horrible time learning. I was sure nothing would come together in time. Luckily, I came across a queen baker on YouTube- Jemma. She taught everything that I needed to learn. Macarons and cakes were on top of my list and her channel had it all and more. She saved me.
Soon after sharing my baking accomplishments, a friend asked if he could place an order for macarons to surprise his wife. After I looked into the licensing to sell, I jumped right in. They absolutely loved the batch. Once he shared it, word of mouth spread. It was hard to keep up with the demand as I was still a new mom and a nurse full time, but to hear that so many people loved my products kept me going. I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of my fiancé, Reuben. He made jokes about me leaving my family for macarons because I grew to love baking so much.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Launching a small business bakery while still learning to bake was a daunting period. I wasted so many ingredients because my bakes didn’t turn out on the first time. I remember being so overwhelmed having to remake things over and over, contemplating if I was good enough to really do this.
The first 3 years, I struggled with finding my identity. I baked what my clients wanted. At the height of my business in the spring and summer of 2024, I hit a wall. I was burnt out from juggling life with baking and outgrew custom orders, which led me to take two months off. I learned a lot during the break, but most importantly that while my client’s happiness is my priority, mine is as well.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am macaron and cake artist. My specialty involves designing macarons in a unique way by turning them into cute recognizable characters. Each macaron character is hand piped and detailed with gel food coloring and royal icing. I am known for the quality of my bakes, my flavorful profile, and irresistible texture of my macarons !
My passion to design continues to rise, especially now that I have ventured into making appearances throughout the Twin Cities as a Macaron POP-UP Shop. I am an Oncology infusion nurse, who bakes cute macarons. It is absolutely a dream come true. Since November 2024, I have successfully completed five POP-UPs with more scheduled for the spring and summer !
I am most proud of building something that has the potential to be something so much more. Something that my son sees me working hard for every single day. I believe that quality and flavor along with the designs of my macarons are what sets me apart from other macaron bakers.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Finding delicious well made macarons in my area is already so difficult, so I knew trying to find a macaron baker to learn from would be like finding a needle in a haystack. I turned to social media to grow my skills. I studied reels that would benefit me. Social media, specifically Instagram, has always been my biggest networking opportunity in this industry as well. The baking community on Instagram is extremely supportive and so many bakers are willing to teach through their posts. I met many local bakers through Instagram and I cherish each and every one of our relationships. I would imagine you could connect with so many people in other industries as well. Social media has so much to offer.
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