Meet Selene Salas | Cake Artist / Entrepreneur

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

Hi Selene, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It’s as if God had it planned for me. I believe it started later than what he intended me to. Having 17 years of culinary experience, working in luxury hotels with talented chefs who genuinely cared about my growth. The downfall was pretty much not having a life. All was well when I started. I was young single and had all the time in the world. Fast forward, Blessed with a beautiful little family. I was starting to feel like I didn’t belong at work and unmotivated. I was starting to question if I had lost my passion for baking. Reality was that I needed to venture and do my own thing. I had gained experience and the knowledge of baking. All I needed to do is take that leap of faith and I couldn’t seem to do it. The thought of failing gave me anxiety. Honestly COVID was what pushed me and opened the doors. During quarantine, I was missing the kitchen. My neighbor’s son wasn’t able to have a “Normal” graduation. I offered to make his cake. Receiving the feedback gave me all the confidence I needed to keep it going. People were interested in my talent and I wanted to share it with as many people as I could. My YouTube channel also is a way for me to teach others what I’ve learned throughout the years in the comfort of their home.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
“Sweets By Selene” is a series of things. I’m a Mommy Baker that has a culinary background. I want to share what I’ve learned through creating Cake Art for special occasions. Also sharing recipes in a simplified manner through my YouTube Channel and other social media platforms. It’s hard to find Cakes that make your eyes and taste buds smile. When creating my Cake Menu, I took all the feedback from my clients. Changed recipes until they all agreed on the flavor profiles. I like to keep up with modern styles and trends of cake decorating. I aim for people to tell me that “The Cake was a Hit!!” I must mention that I am obsessed with Tall Cakes!! Gives a Wow Factor to the occasion.

In Luxury Hotels you are trained to give memorable experiences that also set you apart from others. Boy is that engraved in my brain! Learning about my clients preferences and receiving their feedback is important to me. Yes I’ve had moments in the start of my business where clients weren’t 100% happy. I took their feedback and redeemed myself. Now I’m what they call their “Official Cake artist”.

When starting a business you don’t have all the answers. Just like baking, you never stop learning no matter how many years of experience you have.

Everything is constantly changing and you have to adapt. As long as you have the mentality to learn and not take criticism harshly, you can grow.

Put the work in until it works. Looking back at being that 16 year old that fell into a pastry kitchen job, never did I think that I would soak up knowledge and techniques from each chef that I’ve worked with and later create my brand. All it takes is you paying attention to those who want to guide you in the right direction. I have taken all of that and added my twist. I also want to give people the opportunity to learn by showing them each step to my recipes.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Beach is the first on my list! Where I come from we don’t have waters like this. Anything to make them feel like they can actually unwind and just listen to the waves while having a drink. Being a artsy foodie, my next stop would have to be Wynwood walls. The Art and colors are motivational.

“The Salty Donut” and any other restaurants that offer over the top desserts like “Bocas” and “La Industria” are a must!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I was blessed to work with amazing Chef’s. Some who I consider family. Even when I didn’t have all the knowledge, they saw potential in me. Took the time to guide me in the right direction and make moves to benefit my future. I have to thank My Love for backing me up 100% since the beginning of me planting the idea of starting my own business. He invested in my equipment and helps me come up with different strategies on growing. I call him “My Third Eye.” He sees the bigger picture when my vision is blurry or when I slightly doubt myself. I also have to thank my wonderful daughter. She makes me realize how strong and driven I can be. I can spend time with her while running my business. I guess you can say she’s my Boss.

Instagram: @SweetsBySelene

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetsbyselene1

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmYZfA1ZuKtu2Sba6TbXxRw

Other: TikTok- @SweetsBySelene