Meet Candis Spivey of Honeybee Cake Company in Queen Creek and Gilbert

Today we’d like to introduce you to Candis Spivey.

Candis, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started my business in June of 2017. About six months prior, I had a desk job, which to be frank, I wasn’t happy at. I’m sure the job would have been great for a lot of people and I was grateful for it. However, I dreaded the sound of my alarm clock every morning. Having to sit at a job I believe I was only very average at doing, the expected monotony, and being told I was wrong, constantly- it wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair to myself or my employer. I decided to talk to my boss about how I was feeling to see if there was something I was doing wrong and if so, how I could fix it. I believed there had to be a simple solution. During this conversation with my boss, he said something I’ll never forget. This conversation was the fire that lit my drive to: A.) Quit and B.) Figure out what I’m supposed to be doing with my life. He looked at me and said “Candis, this is a job. You will never be happy at a job and it’s not supposed to be fun. What you’re feeling is normal.” I thought to myself, this cannot be right, I have a husband who is extremely happy with his career and looks forward to work every day.

While pondering this further, I remembered having fun creating a cake a few weeks before that conversation with my boss. I had been able to express my artistic side which is something I was never able to do in my career. That was it for me. I went home that night and told my husband it was time I quit, I needed to make a change and he was completely on board. When I spoke to my boss the following day to turn in my notice, his response to me, telling me I could leave now, was all the confirmation I needed I was making the right decision. I drove straight to a local college, enrolled in a few culinary art classes, and formed my LLC a few weeks later. Since then, I have completely submerged myself in the art of cake design. If I’m not making or designing a cake, I’m thinking about it.

Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been a fairly smooth road. Of course, there has been a lot of business lessons along the way. Mostly a lot of mental note-taking of what works and what doesn’t, especially with marketing. I’ve learned that as an artist, hours and hours of hard work shouldn’t be free unless donating to a charity or organization. This was hard for me because I love to give and I love to create. However, I would find myself in the kitchen for days at a time and realized I wasn’t getting close to breaking even with cost.

As for the cake designs, I read a quote once that said, “Every artist has a closet full of bad paintings,” and I couldn’t relate to that more. It’s all trial and error. Figuring out what specifically I was good at and fine-tuning the techniques took a while. I’m still learning every day, but that’s what keeps it fun and interesting.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am an art fueled cake designer. My goal is to create completely original cake designs. Of course, some basic and popular designs prevent that, but I always try to add some originality. After all, if a customer wanted something like everyone else has, they’d probably just pick something up from the store. I think what sets my business apart is I try to keep it real. I show Instagram videos of how sometimes a planned design doesn’t always work out, then the process to make it work and turn it into the finished product that everyone is happy with. I think people find it hard to relate to someone that projects absolute perfection, all of the time. I’m very transparent on all of my work and try to allow my personality to reflect on my business.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I occasionally wonder if for some crazy reason I had to move if a new city would be as receptive to my work. Phoenix is one of those cities that appreciates art and loves cake. Double points for me. I’ve had constant support since June of 2017. I’d highly recommend starting out in Phoenix, but also to keep in mind that people will be frank with you. On occasion, they will tell you if they like your product or not, so you have to be able to take criticism lightly. I personally appreciate constructive criticism, it helps me see things that maybe I overlooked and helps me to improve my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.honeybeecakeco.com
• Phone: 704-995-4155
• Email: honeybeecakeco@gmail.com
• Instagram: @honeybeecakeco
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/honeybeecakeco

Image Credit:
MintySnaps

Suggest a story: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.