Meet Rochelle Williams

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rochelle Williams. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Rochelle with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I would say I learned from example. My mother was a single mother and an immigrant. The only way for her to build a life for herself and her family was by working. She progressed from being a live-in nanny to pursuing post secondary education and then establishing her career in long-term healthcare. My mom worked double sometimes even triple shifts to ensure her kids had what they needed. She went to work, did what she had to do then came home and managed the household. When you witness that, you can’t help but to copy it.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Is it just me or is writing about yourself/brand really hard? Oki, well I’m a pastry chef and the founder of The Dessert Artist. A bakery based in Kitchener ON that specializes in Black imagery, and Jamaican treats. Though my passion is making things look pretty. I actually don’t like baking, it’s simply a means to an end. Don’t get me wrong, I ensure all my baked goods taste great but decorating is what feeds my soul. There’s something so satisfy about turning a lump of cake into a masterpiece, just for it to then be “destroyed” because I really hope all my clients eat it too! Although I don’t like baking, I do like experimenting with flavour combinations. So I will spend hours sometimes even days, developing a recipe with the hopes that I can hire someone to make it for me forever.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I’d say an impactful quality is my creativity. One of the ways I help to combat imposter syndrome is by telling myself that, “nobody can do want I do.” Which is quite accurate since no one has my mind combined with my pastry knowledge and artistic background. I’ve had a few clients seek me out solely because my portfolio gave them confidence I’d be able to execute their particular design request. A skill would be my ability to pivot. No matter what goes wrong or just not quite right, I’m never married to the idea. I will change it up as quickly as I implemented it. Things in life are constantly changing or needing adjusting so I apply the same principle to my business. And lastly I’d say being able to “fake it til I make it”. I regularly question my abilities and compare myself to others within my network. Even when I’m not feeling all that confident, I don’t let it take over. I act like I’m the best pastry chef there has ever lived and eventually, my confidence returns and I am able to continue running things to the best of my ability.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

My sister. She is my number one cheerleader when I don’t believe in myself, she calls me out on my nonsense when I really should know better, and she will give me her honest opinion even when it’s not what I want to hear. Being an entrepreneur can make you feel very alone so having a support person/system is key. Without her, I might have called it quits by now. But she helps me to see things I missed and we keep pivoting until we can’t pivot anymore.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thedessertartist.ca/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedessertartistinc/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochellewilliams98/