Meet Chelsea Anderson | Cookier and Cake Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chelsea Anderson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chelsea, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My baking business kind of started by accident. During the day, I work in a very compliance-based and male dominated field, but I have always been a very fluid and creative soul. I desperately needed an outlet to express my creativity, and also build community with other like-minded people. The idea came to me during my daughter’s birthday party, when I received a cake from a local vendor that did not match my vision at all. Luckily, I had some time before the party so I doctored it up a bit. The satisfaction of being able to make my vision come to life was the spark that inspired Chelly Bean Bakes. I have always enjoyed baking, and party planning so I thought baking and decorating cakes and cookies would the perfect mix of art and science to satisfy both my curious and creative needs.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Baked good are my canvas, and royal icing and buttercream are my medium. I love working with clients to make their vision come to life and exceed their expectations aesthetically while still maintaining a delicious product. I love to incorporate fresh edible florals and fun textures into my work. It was not easy getting started. As with any new endeavor, there was a steep learning curve and a lot of tutorials, tears, time, and money went into develop the skills I have today.

In the beginning, my first few presale events were a bust, which was a little disheartening. All of my orders were from friends and family. Within a few months though that began to shift. Now approximately 70% of my business is word-of-mouth or new clients. Delivering a consistent quality product, and a lot of time spent really developing my signature base recipes I think were the key to my success. Learning a few tricks with lighting and photography didn’t hurt either. It got overwhelming very quickly, to the point where I was able to scale back and select the projects that got me excited.

I have learned that being ghosted after you give your price is ok. At first I took ghosting very personally, as a sign my prices were too high. It took a while for me to realize that bespoke cakes and cookies are a luxury item and a labor of love, and it takes a lot of time and effort to create a piece that you are proud of. Don’t be afraid to charge your worth. People that do not want to pay you what you are worth are not your clients, and that is ok!

Chelly Bean Bakes is a labor of love for me. Even though it is my side business to complement my day job, it gives me so much joy and pride to reflect back on all of the happy clients I have worked for. I love to help bake memories for people, and being chosen to be a part of celebrations is such a huge honor.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Reno, Nevada and there are a TON of fun things to do here. I would definitely head up to Lake Tahoe, spend some time kayaking and finish up with a few beers and corned beef quesadillas at MacDuff’s pub.

No stop to Reno would be complete without visiting Virginia City, and seeing all the sights of the historic Comstock Lode, and do a little rockhouding while in the area.

While in Reno, our top spots would have to be Death and Taxes (bar), Perenn bakery, Pangolin Cafe and Squeeze In.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mom was instrumental in nurturing my business and sharing my treats with the world. She always encouraged me to push the boundaries of flavor, and always provided honest feedback to help me grow. Also, my mother-in-law Val really helped with my success early on. She introduced me to cookie decorating with royal icing, which is the heart and soul of my baking business.

Instagram: @Chelly_Bean_Bakes

Facebook: www.facebook.com/chellybeanbakes

Image Credits
Megan Shjerve Wright – Simplicity by Megan Wright