Good Neighbor Podcast: Union
Bringing Together Local Businesses and Residents of Northern Kentucky! Based in Union, KY....The Good Neighbor Podcast helps the residents of Northern Kentucky get to know local business owners as people. We allow the business owners and influencers in NKY to tell the stories of how they started their business and why. We hear about their families, their personal interests and why they love living in and serving resident of Northern Kentucky!
Good Neighbor Podcast: Union
The Art of Wedding Cakes and Work-Life Balance with Kelly Shepard
Kelly Shepard, the creative force behind Kelly's Cakery in Florence, KY, shares her remarkable journey from culinary school to becoming a beloved local baker. Inspired by crafting her own wedding cake, Kelly transformed her career aspirations from catering to baking, with wedding cakes now being her specialty. Her story is not only about edible art but also about overcoming challenges—like the dreaded dropped cake—and how passion and preparation lead to sweet success. Strawberry, her favorite flavor, shines as a testament to her love for creating memorable cake experiences.
We also explore the crucial balance between work and personal life as Kelly manages a bustling bakery. She candidly discusses setting boundaries with clients and involving her children in the business to impart life skills. Discover how family trips, like a pastry-laden adventure to Puerto Rico, contribute to sustaining her enthusiasm. As we celebrate community, we're reminded of the importance of supporting local businesses. Don't miss the chance to participate by nominating your favorite enterprises for future episodes, and remember to always be a good neighbor.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, mike Murphy. Thank you, charlie. Yes, I'm Mike Murphy, host of the Good Neighbor Podcast, and I talk to local business owners and influencers, many of which who live right around you. With me today is somebody that lives here in Northern Kentucky, here in Union, not too far from me. She and I have gotten to be friends through the last couple years. I've been into her shop a few times. So with me today is Kelly Shepard, owner of Kelly's Cakery. Many of you have driven past, many of you have been inside, many of you have purchased many of her baked goods, some of you have not, and we hope to change that today. So, without further ado, kelly, welcome to the show and thanks for being here.
Speaker 2:Thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:When I kind of took a peek at your website and got a little bit of behind the scenes understanding of how you got into this business, I saw that you went to culinary school and then you realized that baking was kind of your passion. So that became your niche and that's kind of where it took off. So how long ago was that? When did you go to culinary school? Took off.
Speaker 2:So how long ago was that? When did you go to culinary school? Oh, my goodness, I was in my 20s, so I would say almost 20 years ago, probably 16 or 17 years ago, I went to culinary school. I wanted to have my own catering company. So that was that was the. The plan originally and I've always had an interest in baking the plan originally. And, um, I've always had an interest in baking. But, uh, my chef at the time I kind of discouraged me from doing that because he had his own bakery and said that baked goods were dying off. So I was like, oh, okay, so, um, but uh, after being in that for about a year, I realized I, I uh, don't like the, don't like the catering world. It didn't really align with my lifestyle. So I was getting married and I was like, oh, I can make my own wedding cake. So I decided to do that and that's kind of what launched Kelly's Cakery.
Speaker 1:Okay, so how did that wedding cake turn out?
Speaker 2:It was great I did. It was a three-tiered cake and I made some fondant flowers. I actually had centerpiece cakes for each table. So I think we had 20 tables and 20 centerpiece cakes with handmade gun paste hydrangeas as a topper on the cakes and they were all different flavors. So it was a hit. Everybody got to cut into the different ones at the different tables and sample the different flavors. So it was really fun. It was a big highlight of the wedding, I think, and then I was like, oh, this was fun.
Speaker 1:Well, good, that's very cool. Not everybody can make their own wedding cake, although everybody would maybe like to, but there are plenty of others that realize that that's not in their wheelhouse and they just would leave that to the pros. And so you're. You're one of the pros in town here now. So how often do you get approached to do wedding cakes these days?
Speaker 2:It's pretty often I'm probably speaking with brides at least once a week, a few brides a week. So we have a cake tasting that we offer and we make it very personalized with the experience. So but yeah, we do. That is our niche, I would say would be the wedding cakes and all that good stuff.
Speaker 1:So Okay, one more question about wedding cakes, I guess cakes in general. What's your favorite? Let's oh, two questions what's your favorite cake to make and what's your favorite cake flavor?
Speaker 2:My favorite cake flavor would be strawberry. Red velvet is really good as well, but if I were to actually pick a favorite, it would be strawberry, and we make this delicious strawberry whipped filling that goes with it, it compliments it, it gives it a different texture, like with the variety of the fillings. And then, as far as my favorite cakes to make wedding cakes, hands down, I just the elegance in them and the vintage style cakes I would say are my absolute favorite to do. It's fun to do all the piping. It's kind of a throwback to the 90s nostalgia, which is relevant right now. So it's really fun to be able to create the different images with the vintage piping and it just is a lot of reward visually. I feel like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can imagine. And one other thing I think of when I see these beautiful cakes is they're made by human beings, and so I have to wonder knock on wood, have you ever dropped a cake and had to start over?
Speaker 2:I have. It only happened once. It was at a. It was some sort of event that we were doing and I was. I was, thankfully, I knew all the people and I was kind of donating the cake. I think I just charged for materials, not that that's a great one to drop, but I had accidentally forgotten to attach the cake to the bottom board. And when I was driving actually my friend was driving at the time and she wrecked, essentially, and the cake just slid and toppled over in her trunk. So I was actually able to rescue the cake and it was a five tiered cake but it ended up being, by the time I was done with it, three tiers. So, but I was able to. I always have a patch up kit with me with some icing and some tools, so I was able to fix it and, um, still make it presentable, but it was definitely. It was awful.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, I mean, mistakes happen to even pros. But being the pro that you are, you know, having, like you said, the uh, the kit available to you and having a plan moving forward, that's half the battle.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, for sure, always Okay.
Speaker 1:So then, staying on the cake topic for now, I assume that birthday cakes would be another biggie. Is that correct?
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, yeah, we do. I would say upwards to 20 to 30 birthday cakes a week. So, yeah, so that's the custom cakes are our big thing, so the birthday cakes are what keep us thriving. So yeah, so the birthday cakes are what keep us thriving. So, yeah, so we pretty much make cakes for any occasion, birthday cakes being the number one, because everybody's always celebrating birthdays.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right, and then when I come into your storefront and we'll get into where that is in just a moment when I come into your storefront I really never know what I'm. You can't help, but just kind of stop and look behind the glass and see all the cool things that are there, Things that you didn't know you wanted until you lay eyes on them and then suddenly your mouth's watering and you've got to walk out with something. So what's kind of your best seller in terms of people walking in and just seeing what you got and walking out with something?
Speaker 2:We have a few items that we keep on the menu all the time and those are our biggest sellers. The chocolate chip cookie is our number one seller. It is my personal favorite. We put a little secret ingredient in there to give it the texture that it has, and then we top it off with a, a coarse salt, so that really just ties in the sweet and the salty. And our oatmeal cream pies are a big seller as well, and those were supposed to be seasonal but we got a lot of backlash on not keeping it on the menu. So it is on our menu to stay. But we do have some revolving items. It just changes with the season. We try to change it every four to six weeks as far as our flavors go, but we will always have cupcakes and cookies and, you know, some other sort of dessert in the bakery case.
Speaker 1:One thing I saw that I kind of think I want next it's on my radar and radar anyways is the um, there's like a peppermint cream pie type of deal.
Speaker 2:Yep, our chocolate peppermint pie um whoopie pie. So, that is here until the end of it is here for this month, so so that will be one that's changing, but that's delicious. It's really light and fluffy and and kind of melts in your mouth.
Speaker 1:So if I want some on hand when my guests come to town this week, I need to get to you ASAP, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, we will be done. I would say we will be open on Monday, but, yes, by the end of the week I would be sure to stop in to get your supply for sure.
Speaker 1:Okay, so as you and I are talking right now, it's before Christmas, but this conversation is going to be viewed and listened to months and months, you know, from now. So we can't really talk specifically Christmas, but just in terms of holidays. As major holidays approach and people want to buy themed cakes, themed cookies, cupcakes, et cetera as the holidays approach, can they walk in and find some themed type of baked goods to that holiday? Yes, to walk out with and still have them in time for their holiday parties.
Speaker 2:Yeah for sure. Around the big holidays we always try to keep some store cakes available for walk-ins. We always have decorated sugar cookies. That's a big seller for us and we always kind of theme it around the holidays. Whether it's Christmas or the Derby or Easter or anything like that. We always have sugar cookies in here and we try to keep a good amount, especially around the holidays, because that's the biggest seller as far as something that you can grab and go and it's easy to serve without making a big mess.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, let's move on. Switch gears here to another little topic, and that is your family. You are married, you have a hubby and you've got some kids, so I want to give them a little shout out, because you know they're part of your success too. I mean, I'm sure they're involved in the business. When you're a business owner, your family is just kind of default part of it so what does family life look like for you?
Speaker 2:We, they were my kids. I have three kids and I was a licensed home baker before I had this this bakery brick and mortar so they had to, I guess, watch me navigate as the business grew and they were very patient and they actually are my little taste testers whenever we have new flavors. So we have a pretty good work-life balance now. It took a couple years to get to that, but they are very supportive and they're old enough. I was making sure that when I made this jump, that they were old enough to be able to understand what we're doing and that it wouldn't be taking away personal time from them. So my store hours are it's to make sure that I am able to get home when they come home from school and that kind of thing. So I think that's very important to not completely submerge your life in the business and just the business. There's a work-life balance to that. So I think we've got it down to a pretty good rhythm.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, good, I would agree. Work-life balance is important. I've struggled with that, you know, because you always, if you have clients, you want to please your clients. Your clients are sometimes pretty demanding but at the same time, if you're honest with them and if you set your boundaries, they're also very understanding, because clients have families too. Yeah, for sure, and it just makes you a better business owner when you can serve the needs of your personal life as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree 100%.
Speaker 1:Do they ever help out in the actual bakery now? Do you ever put them to work?
Speaker 2:Yes, I do. When they are off of school they get to come in here and they will be on dish duty of school. They get to come in here and they will be on dish duty, so doing dishes, and I had my middle one sweeping the last time that they were off. I can't remember what it was for, but yeah, I will give them, you know, here's $5 if you help me clean up. So they're they're usually cleaning or dishes are the biggest thing. So it actually helps out because then they you know it's the proper way to do a dish, so they know how to do it. So then they're set up for when they move out.
Speaker 1:I was a dishwasher back in my you know formative years back as a teenager, early adult, and I can say it builds character.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure yeah.
Speaker 1:I can clean the heck out of a dish now.
Speaker 2:It's a good trait to know.
Speaker 1:What about your hubby? What's he do? What's his name? What's he do?
Speaker 2:His name is Tyler and he actually is a business owner himself. He owns, with my brother, Crittenden Automart over in Crittenden. So he actually kind of made the plunge when I did so it was, you know, we were kind of like, what are we doing here? So but yeah, that's what he does and so he's got his own thing going on and so we kind of, you know, we're kind of on separate areas but we will partner up sometimes. He just did a car giveaway and I provided the desserts for that big event, so it was pretty amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, husband and wife each starting their own business at the same time does kind of sound like crazy town.
Speaker 2:Yes, I was questioning what I was doing.
Speaker 1:You're both still alive and kicking in the businesses that you're in, so good for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you. We like to be. It's never a dull moment, and when it feels dull, we like to shake it up.
Speaker 1:So, speaking of shake it up, you're working hard and I would assume that you guys get to, once in a while, go do something fun as a family. I would hope so. At least have you taken a recent vacation or do you have a favorite vacation you guys have done, or do you get to do, vacations?
Speaker 2:We do. Actually, that was my thing. For me was I have to be able to take time off to reset and not to get burnout. So I will be closing and we're going to visit my mom in South Carolina. But we actually this summer we were able to go to Puerto Rico and that was the first time that and we took the whole family. So that was a blast and it was really really cool. And there's I didn't know this, but there are so many bakeries there, I mean around the corner. So, as as in a pastry perspective, it was really cool to get to try all the different pastries and you know, live in that kind of world to see what it's like there culturally and what's big there. So it was really fun.
Speaker 1:So what you're saying is that vacation was a tax write-off?
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, good for you. Okay, well, back to the business. If people want to come in and see your storefront that we've been talking about, when are you located?
Speaker 2:We are located in Florence, kentucky, kind of right on the rim of Union. We are in it's. There is a intersection of 42 and Pleasant Valley and we are in a little plaza right up on the hill there in the corner and we are open Tuesday through Saturday. So we're open to the public during. If you can go see our store hours on our website, we have a phone number if you ever are wondering. You know what we have in the bakery case that day, but anybody's welcome to walk in to see what we have. And we have tables where you can sit down and enjoy yourself. And you know we have a good little cutesy environment if you needed to do some work, or know we have a good little cutesy environment to if you needed to do some work or whatever. We have free wifi. So, um, we kind of have it set up to do all the above.
Speaker 1:Okay, I didn't realize you had wifi there, so next time I come in I'll stay longer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:All right. So for those who want to know, it's 8605 Haynes Drive, suite B in Florence, and they can't miss your sign, nice purple sign above your storefront, above your window.
Speaker 2:We're getting a new sign too, so it'll light up, so it'll be even easier to see All right?
Speaker 1:Well, I'll come and help you celebrate that by having a whatever flavor whoopie pie you have in the cabinet in the case that day.
Speaker 2:All right, sounds good.
Speaker 1:So let's see Cupcakes cookies. Do you have pies?
Speaker 2:Yes, we do pies. They're usually seasonal, but if anybody wanted a pie or had a hankering for a pie, we would always be willing to make it, but we will. Thanksgiving is a big pie time, so if you're needing a pie for Thanksgiving, we got you covered. But yeah, we have pies, cake pops, we have fudge right now All kinds of stuff.
Speaker 1:Okay, is the fudge seasonal.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is Yep, so that will be done.
Speaker 1:I might keep it around for January, so All right, well, good, if people want to come in and see you, good, we're certainly wanting them to come in and see you, but if they want to just say, after they hear this podcast, want to go to your website. What is your web address?
Speaker 2:It is wwwkellyscaperynkycom and from there if you have a need of some sort or a question, you just click a button and it shoots me an email and then I will respond back via email. So it's a great way if you need to put in an order. If you have a question about something, I check that daily so I would get right back to you on that one.
Speaker 1:Perfect, all right. Well, that just about covers it. I can't think of anything else we need to talk about right now. I appreciate you spending time with me and letting everybody in the community know about you, if they didn't already. But if you haven't been to Kelly's Cakery in Florence, I would encourage you to go see what she's got going on there. Walk out with something, anything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, come try us out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, everything there looks delicious and the place smells wonderful.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, again thanks for spending time with us. I want to thank you for your friendship, your continued friendship. I look forward to continuing to buy from you in the future and seeing what the future holds for you and your hubby, by the way, with his car business down there in Crittenden.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. I appreciate it and thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:Well, till next time, everybody. This is the Good Neighbor Podcast. So everybody out there, be good to your neighbors. See you next time, everybody. This is the Good Neighbor Podcast. So everybody out there, be good to your neighbors. See you next time, everyone. Bye-bye. Thanks for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast Union.
Speaker 2:To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpunioncom. That's gnpunioncom, or call us at 859-651-8330.