Today we’d like to introduce you to Selena Mulder.
Hi Selena, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi There! I have been married for almost 21 years and have 4 teenagers. Once I started having babies, I stayed home to take care of them. I loved looking through magazines and the internet for new recipes to bake or cook. My husband would come home from work and I’d have a layer cake just for snacking on! He encouraged me to think about maybe starting a business instead of eating it all himself. This decision was confirmed after I baked for my friend’s wedding. I did a small cutting cake and cupcakes and the comments I received were ones like “these are the best cupcakes I’ve ever had” and “how long have you been doing this?” That gave me the confidence to begin my business in 2010.
My husband helped me come up with the name. He asked why I liked to bake and I said because it makes people happy. So we decided on “Bake Them Happy”. I began with cupcakes and small cakes. I did take some breaks depending on where we were living or what needs we had to work in a bakery or deli. My last job was as a pastry chef in a fancy restaurant in town. This gave me the boost I needed when I went back to baking out of my home again. Not only did the community have confidence in my baked goods, but I feel like I’d finally found my voice as a baker and artist. I definitely couldn’t be here today without the love and support of my customers, the support of my family and my faith in God!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I decided to relaunch my business in 2020, the first event I did was a wedding fair one week literally before the world shut down. I thought there was no way that I’d be able to really be successful this time with my business, but because of my time in the restaurant in town and my amazing community, I was able to have a really great relaunch. I had lots of porch pickups and stashes of cookies in my “Cake Box” that I put on my porch for no contact pickups that year. I contracted Covid this past spring and ended up in the hospital for a few days and had to cancel quite a few orders. I hated to do that but everyone was so very gracious to me while I was sick and even recovering. I’d say another struggle most small business owners have too is sometimes not having the right or enough equipment to really do the best work or volume of work that you desire to do. I’m thankful for friends who let me borrow things sometimes and wonderful Facebook groups for crowdsourcing ideas and products!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My favorite thing to make is a beautiful cake. I have a completely different style than the other cake people in my area. My cakes lean more towards the boho style. I especially love adding fresh florals to my cakes. I like to tell people that I’ll make anything with sugar and flour. Most of my orders though are cakes, cupcakes or cookies.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The Daily Grace Podcast and the Bible help keep me grounded in what’s important and keep the foundation for my life strong so that I can build on it. The Bible helps me keep the important things a priority, encourage others and keep my heart and mind focused on what’s really important in this life. My faith in God gives me hope for today and the future. I am grateful for the gifts He has given me and that I get to share them with others! I also really appreciate the Sugar Cookie Marketing Group on Facebook. It has really helped me hone and grow my marketing skills to improve my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bakethemhappy-mn.com
- Instagram: @bakethemhappy
- Facebook: BakeThemHappy
Image Credits
JoJo’s Photos & Studio LLC
