We were lucky to catch up with Jessica Nava recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
It is very important to continue educating yourself in the field in which I find myself developing my creativity, there are constantly changes in styles and new techniques which are important to keep up to date.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I grew up in the city of Lima-Peru watching my grandmother prepare all kinds of cakes and pastries for family and friends and she taught me the basics of pastry making. Many years later, having settled with my family in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where we have lived since 1995. In 2012 our family dog needed surgery, so I began to prepare traditional Peruvian alfajores, which are soft cookies filled with dulce de leche, to raise money for his surgery. The sale was a success and after raising the funds for the surgery, friends and family continued to ask for me to continue and selling Alfajores. Due to the high demand, it led me to open a small baking business from my home, the more I continued baking the more I fell in love with everything about baking until I found the joy in making decorated sugar cookies with Royal Icing . I began to develop my artistic side by taking courses, and have since decided to combine my love for baking and teaching and became an instructor at two different community centers and art studios.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I quickly learned how often new trends come out and the importance of staying on top of them! Learning new techniques and the power of social media has been a huge part of my growth and journey. My advice for new folks early on in their journey is to invest in your business by taking classes and practicing the new techniques you learn. Don’t be scared to put yourself out there and share your work with the world.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client would be those who are attending my private classes. While fulfilling orders for clients outside of my classroom has been such a huge part of my business, I have found so much joy in teaching others the art of cookie decorating! I love sharing my knowledge with others who are seeking to invest in their own baking business and with those who are doing it just for fun!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Dulze_pastries
- Facebook: Dulze Pastries
