Today we’d like to introduce you to Aleatra Dimitrijevski.
Hi Aleatra, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
When I grew up I wanted to be a chef! And I have the evidence from kindergarten to prove it!
And that’s exactly what I did! I may no longer be a traditional practicing chef but I am loving my life as a full-time entrepreneur as a Dessert Designer. I am the owner of Cake-wich Craft Bake Shop. Cake-wich… like sand-wich… but cake. I offer on-trend, always custom, and scratch-made bakes, sweets, and treats! I am the ultimate creative and am known for being able to do all the things in the Sweets Community. I currently offer Custom Cookies, Cupcakes, Cakesicles, and of course… cakes.
In 2008, I began working at a Hotel in DC. I apprenticed under an amazing Chef, Aaron Flores (RIH) who was a figurehead in the Gluten Free realm. Back then, the concept of gluten-free dining, baking, or cooking was practically taboo. There were not many, if any products available for purchase, and most chefs were very unfamiliar with what it meant in everyday food preparations. Chef Flores educated me on the concept and how there were children in their teens who had never eaten cake before due to their dietary restrictions. I am a magnet for children and extremely sensitive to those with food restrictions since I have severe food allergies.
Chef Flores began giving me samples of gluten-free flour and told me to test-bake cupcakes. He loved how they came out and it snowballed from there. I traveled, baked, and taught decorating classes with GF children. Shortly after in 2010, I started my home-based baking business, originally called “I Heart Cupcakes” and began baking all the things!
It was always secondary to my main source of income as a Chef for several different large companies. I fell in love with the artistry of it all. I began competing in 2018, started taking the business seriously in 2020 and now as 2023 begins, I can reflect on how I am almost one year into my leap of faith as a full-time baker. I am literally living my dream. I have found my place in the rat race and the only thing I would change would be that I wish I had listened to everyone who assumed I was a pastry chef. The universe was right!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Unequivocally the D-I-Y and #TeamNoSleep Culture that surrounds entrepreneurship.
Pre-baking I went to Culinary University and worked in the hospitality industry for 12 years for country clubs, restaurants, hotels, convention centers, and private schools. Following, for five years, I became a high school teacher within Washington DC public school system teaching hospitality and tourism. Even with all the years of professional education and professional experience, it took a long time to really understand that you always need help.
This country’s media and employment culture has a way of making you feel less than successful if you’re not staying up all hours of the night and building your career or business from scratch all alone. It pushes the narrative, “If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.” Truthfully, it takes a team of people to create a dream. The most successful people in the world have a multitude of people, most of which are much smarter than they are, that are running their operations day in and day out.
In 2020 the pandemic sent my baking business into overdrive. Sales were growing rapidly month-over-month based on my previous production due to my clients celebrating more from home. At that time, I was still teaching full-time, albeit from home, which was really my only saving grace in this situation. I had always been taught to do more with less, so I focused on streamlining my operational systems. I wasn’t mentally in the position to see that I needed to hire assistance. I worked from 6:00 AM to midnight most days and typically had a seven-day workweek between teaching and baking. This went on for the next 2 years. To say that I was burning the candle at both ends is an understatement. The exhaustion was real!
My husband saw how hard I was working and how successful the baking business was becoming. In 2021 we decided that we would begin planning to open a storefront. To do that one of us would need to stop working our full-time job and dedicate ourselves fully to the bakery. So, we made the calculated decision that he would leave his position temporarily and I would continue to work full-time teaching since I had better benefits within the DC government. During that six months, my husband drove for Uber and fully immersed himself and learned all the ins and outs of running the bakery. This included answering all the emails, prep work, cleaning, baking, and preparing all the orders so that I would only have to decorate when I came home.
First I must say, he is incredible and he inspires me. However, it was incredibly frustrating in the beginning to have someone in my space all the time. At the same time, it was incredibly liberating and forced me to become more organized in my operations. In reality, if I wanted to be successful and my business to grow, I needed to learn how to train and manage people to do the things that don’t necessarily need to be customized by me.
My advice to anyone starting a business is to learn to train employees, and family members or to simply outsource tasks that don’t directly affect your revenue or require your personal customization. All of the back-end work, small tasks, organization, packing, shipping, errand running/shopping, etc. can be outsourced to a person, service, or app.
The goal is to work smarter and to maximize your efficiency. When you become more efficient you give yourself space and opportunity to become more profitable. You give your brain more opportunities to create and take your brand to higher levels. If you continue to think you can do it all on your own, you will stifle your growth. I don’t know any entrepreneur that wants to work as hard as we work and not grow. Also, self-care. Just do it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
3D Cakes are my current obsession!
There are several things that set me apart in this industry:
• I always bake from scratch within 72-48 hours of the event date. Fresh, quality product is a part of my brand.
• Customer service is my top priority. Maintaining a professional relationship with all my clients, even when I fall short is incredibly important. I never promise to be perfect however I do promise to be transparent and make amends.
• Customization is the best part of what I do. I love exploring the needs of my clients and determining how I can make their ideas come to life in the form of treats. This could be a corporate branded gift box or a sculpted celebration cake.
• I have an internship/mentorship and a scholarship built into my business model, Cupcake Dreams DC, that supports graduating high school students enrolled in the hospitality academy at Jackson Reed High School.
I am incredibly proud and humbled by the growth and exposure I have received over the last 24 months. Cake-wich Craft has been mentioned in Oprah Daily Magazine, Vogue.com, Essence.com, and twice by Glamour Magazine. I have also competed 3 times with Food Network, domestically and internationally.
Most importantly, I left my secure good-government job as a DC high school teacher in June 2022 to become a full-time entrepreneur. It all happened so fast, thrusting me to perfect my craft, but it has surely been 100% worth it.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I absolutely love to collaborate with businesses and individuals. I encourage anyone to reach out to me, via email, and let’s start a conversation.
I also am the founder of Cupcake Dreams DC. It is a scholarship that was founded to support high school seniors pursuing the hospitality field that are going to college or directly into the workforce. It will cover some real-life expenses that most scholarships do not address:
~Toiletries
~ Gas
~ Travel expenses
~ Clothing
~ Snacks
Anyone can donate to the scholarship at www.cakewichcraft.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cakewichcraft.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/cakewichcraft
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/cakewichcraft
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/Cakewichcraft
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/cakewichcraft
