Tell us a little about your hobby.  

My hobby is all about crafting custom cakes, usually for my three amazing kids’ birthdays, though sometimes for other special occasions. Honestly, there’s no limit to what I’ve tried! Their birthday requests have turned into this fun, ongoing game of ‘Let’s see if Dad can actually pull this off!’ It’s a way to bring a little extra magic to our family celebrations and the actual reveal is so much fun! The looks on their faces makes all of the time worth it.

When did this hobby start for you?

I’m not entirely sure what sparked it, but it began when my oldest son was younger. I just decided I wanted to try making him a birthday cake, and from there, it really took off. I found immense satisfaction in the challenge of bringing a design to life, and nothing beats the looks on their faces each year during the “cake reveal.” It became a cherished tradition. I’ve even taken a few additional classes to learn even more about some of the intricate details with cake decorating.

What’s something this hobby provides you that applies to your job?

My cake-making journey has taught me so much that translates directly to my work. It’s all about bringing an idea to life, just like with a complex project. There’s a lot of planning involved, but it’s also about figuring things out on the fly when, say, a frosting isn’t cooperating or a design needs tweaking. My cakes have definitely taught me the patience to troubleshoot and the calm to adapt when things don’t go perfectly, and that mindset is absolutely essential in the dynamic world of IT.

Tell us a tip or fun fact about your hobby.

I’m by no means a professional, but I believe that you can never, ever have too many piping tips! Seriously, buy multiples, especially of your go-to shapes. It saves so much time and hassle when you’re working on complex designs and need to switch colors or techniques. No more frantic washing in between steps – it really streamlines the whole process and lets you focus on the fun part: delivering the cake that you thought was impossible.