We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Christi Weker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Christi below.
Hi Christi, really appreciate you joining us to talk about a really relevant, albeit unfortunate topic – layoffs and getting fired. Can you talk to us about your experience and how you overcame being let go?
My story all begins with a phone call back in 1994, I received a call.
During my senior year of college, Erickson Retirement Comminities called and hired me to be a graphic artist. I worked my ass off, was promoted several times… Worked and worked and worked there. Fast forward 15 years. The company started going under.
I received a call,
HR said they were downsizing and I was laid off in 2009.
(“Now what?”)
Being laid off after 15 years is so demoralizing. That job was my identity for so long. Honestly, I spiraled and felt sorry for myself for a while…. I needed to try and get myself showered and up and back in to the world. I applied a a local cake business! The Cake Cottage…
I received a call.
So in 2010 I got the a job at Cake Cottage. I went from a well paid marketing executive to a part time employee making minimum wage…but I really enjoyed it.
I took their cake decorating classes and posted my beginner cakes on FB.
I received a call.
Late in 2010, more than a year after my layoff, a friend of a friend asked if I’d decorate a cake for her daughter. She’d seen my posts in FB!
(“Wait a minute! You’re gonna pay me?! For a cake? People do that?”)
So I made her an Elmo cake…
I created a FB page. My friends were telling their friends, and I started decorating cakes. For money.
I began thinking of seriously making a go of starting my own cake shop!
I started thinking of names. I was going to make it “Yum” because some cool restaurants with 1 syllable names had just opened: “Crush” “Salt” “Blush”.
But then when I practiced answering the phone in my head.
(“Thanks for calling Yum.”)
I felt like it needed more syllables to sound right…
(“Yum-er-y? Yummery? Yeah!”)
I bought the domain name and my website was born…
When I worked at Cake Cottage, a customer had mentioned she was buying supplies for a baking & pastry class she was taking…
(”School for baking? That’s a thing?!”)
So I went to culinary school in 2011, I was 42 years old. And learning a whole new skill.
While I was in school, my teacher was also head chef at Michaels Eighth Avenue so I applied to work there.
I received a call.
Chef Dan hired me to be an intern at Michael’s 8th Avenue.
(“So…I’ve never worked in food service. Like, ever.”)
They were so patient with me. I learned a ton! I loved the fast pace of working in a commercial kitchen. It was the hardest, most physical work I’d ever done. I learned discipline there. I learned to work tirelessly without breaks, to complete a task on time. Gone was the cushy, seated office job I had known for so long. I leaned I was a hard worker. But I was still running my caking business at home and that coupled with working part time was getting to be too much.
I needed to be home more to do caking, and I needed space to expand.
The search was on to find a location for me to open my cakery. This went on for over a year. So many places…
in the meantime, I received a call.
The owner from a local Greek restaurant happened to be in the same Zumba class. As me..,(I forgot to mention too, you e got so much more time to work out when you’re laid off!!) She asked if I would I be interested in baking 5 cakes a week for their display case.
(“Hells to the yeah!!”)
‘Yes please and thank you.’
I started developing my menu and recipes based on what the restaurant needed. Plus, I was getting more caking customers.
(“This might actually work!”)
In 2012, this bar, DonnaMite Inn was up for auction. It was bad inside. I went in and then went outside and sat in my then bf’s truck. I was not going to put my shop in there.
The next day, I received a call..,
My then bf ( and business partner) called to say that he bought the building, and indeed, that was where I was gonna put my shop.
(“Well Ok. Let’s build a cakery.”)
It took FOREVER to take the bar down to the dirt and rebuild EVERYTHING. It took even longer for Baltimore County to convert the bar’s septic system to county sewer…that was 2013.
“(Finally!”)
Walls, blueprints, meetings with the architect, meetings with the Health Department, big breakup with the bf, equipment, staffing, painting it lime green, get tee shirts, licensing and approvals and occupancy.
(“…oh shit this is really happening!”)
Meet new boyfriend ❤️, get business cards, get signage, learn all the equipment, set up the kitchen, hire staff-(met them in Panera because otherwise I’d have to meet them in my house and, ew, I don’t want them knowing where I live), learn how to make a pot of coffee, how to work the register, get a key to the building and, *GULP* The Yummery opens May 1, 2014.
And I received a call.
Seven long years after my layoff, I finally said, “Hi! Thanks for calling The Yummery.”
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Once I opened my shop, every day was a learning.experience.i knew how to bake and decorate cakes. I knew how to market myself because I spent 15 years in marketing before I was laid off. What I developed over these last 11 years of running this business is being honest and transparent about successes and struggles I have. Facebook and social media helped kickstart my business, and I’ve relied on it to get the word out. Over the years I’ve developed a strong group of loyal regulars who are rooting for my success. Recently, this economy is killing us. I’ve reached out to my followers on social media to help me promote my business. “If you love The Yummery, share The Yummery…we’re in this together.” It seems to be working. More first time customers are coming to the shop every week. It’s been 11 long years, but with the continued support of my shops’s fans, I think we might just keep our head above water.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I have awesome parents and I believe their support has given me the confidence I needed to begin the journey of owning my own business. When customers come in, I’m thankful for the time they take to come check out my shop and it comes out in my attitude. I end up chatting with so many customers; they become invested in my success. My outgoing manor and chatty nature makes me relatable and helps in this customer service based business.
After 11 years of starting a business from scratch, I’ve learned to not overreact. Shit happens every day. Something breaks or burns or is late, and all you can do to succeed at anything is to give it your everything. (Vince Lombardi) I have this quote hanging in the wall of my shop. You have to keep going. I’m tired, my back hurts, but I just have to keep going. Perseverance is huge.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
My mom does my books. She keeps an eye on expense. I just wanna make cakes. Sho she keeps an eye on the money. About 2 months ago, she texted me and said, “you have $1000 left in your checking account.” I put out the “Bat Signal” on Facebook. Something to the effect, if you want The Yummery around for another year, WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT. People have been sharing my posts. I had been resistant (lazy?) to posting on instagram. I’m 53. I’m a Facebook girl. But I’ve started posting on Insta and FB and asking people to help market us. It seems to be working. I hope it’s sustainable…I e also asked my customers for suggestion on events I can participate in. I’ve recently sold products at Fire Dept events and a Police Dept event. I’m going to continue pursuing evens in the community to increase my reach
I’d be remiss if I didn’t say something about my staff. I’ve talked to other small businesses who are struggling to retain staff. Me? I can’t get rid of them! laugh out loud I’ve got kids that came to me as seniors in high school and now are seniors in college and come back every holiday and stray weekend to work for me. That’s my proudest accomplishment. Creating an environment where my staff know they are appreciated and like me as a person and a boss. We are truly a family. We hang out after work together. I am so blessed with the women I’m blessed to have as employees and friends.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TheYummery.com
- Instagram: theyummery
- Facebook: The Yummery- cakes by Christi
