Meet Ryann Hulme of Cake By Ryann in Tempe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryann Hulme.

Ryann, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always loved baking. In high school, I was always bringing gallon sized baggies of homemade Oreo’s or M&M cookies to class. I also baked a lot for study sessions and group projects while I was at ASU. In my second year at ASU, I got a job managing a bakery. It had nothing to do with my degree but I didn’t care. I loved that job so much!

Fast forward to 2018 and I was a stay-at-home-mom to a daughter (age three) and a newborn son. I was lonely! I needed a creative outlet and I needed one quick. So I started baking again. I decided that I wanted to run and own small cake business. So I checked out a bunch of books from the library and started writing down everything I wanted to accomplish with my business.

In February 2019, I started my Instagram page @cakebyryann. I wanted a place where I could post pictures of my cakes and a place to measure my growth as a baker. I recently filed my LLC paperwork, and now I’m in the process of getting into a commercial kitchen.

Has it been a smooth road?
I would say the biggest struggle for me is just pulling the trigger. With my personality, I can’t just jump in the deep end and figure out how to swim. I go into everything with a detailed plan. I think I drug my feet for almost a year before starting my Instagram page. And then it was another 8 months to file my LLC paperwork. Because I’m always afraid of doing something wrong! I was journaling one day and wrote down, “If not now…then when?” I realized I could be talking about starting a business for the next 20 years and never actually do it! I’ll never know all of the answers and at some point in life, we just have to start taking that blind leap of faith.

I also struggle with keeping up with and interacting on Instagram. Social media can be so daunting. It’s also very draining for me. It’s so easy to get sucked into that big, dark, ugly hole of comparison! But when I do feel myself slipping in that direction, I remember to remind myself of the why. I am here for me. I created this cake business because baking is my passion, my creative outlet, my fuel to get through these really hard kid days. I’m also doing this because I like to make people happy. I enjoy making people feel special! You could say cake is my love language.

Tell us about your company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
My company is Cake By Ryann. I am a custom cake baker and decorator. The slogan I have created for myself is, ‘Cake-Baker-Magic-Maker.’ I think cake is magical. I especially love making birthday cakes. Everyone should feel special and important at least one day a year! And it’s even better when it involves a delicious cake! I never compromise on taste. You might find the prettiest cake but if it tastes like junk, what’s the point? I like to use my cake and buttercream recipes that I have developed. I love a good sprinkle mix but if sprinkles aren’t your thing, I also love doing buttercream succulents and flowers.

Is there anyone that has helped you get to where you are today?
These last nine months of caking have been incredible. I’ve been given opportunities that I never would’ve dreamed up for myself. This summer, I got to be part of a Radio Cherry Bombe podcast where I got to talk about an open collaboration I hosted for Pride month. So first, thank you to Kerry Diamond and the team at Cherry Bombe for finding my cake collaboration, re-posting it, and helping to shine a light on the LGBTQ+ community. Because of this podcast event, I was able to connect with the highest caliber, amazing women in the Phoenix food scene. Because of this podcast event, I found out about ‘Owning It,’ a program by the James Beard Foundation for emerging entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry. I applied and got to attend their Phoenix session in September. That kicked my butt into high gear to turn this cake hobby into a legitimate business. I can’t thank the ‘Owning It’ team enough for a phenomenal eye opening experience. Of course, they taught us about how to get our business going and the fine details that go with it, but it was a personal program as well. I learned so much about myself because of that program. It was the push I needed to dive in.

Contact Info:

• Email: cakebyryann@gmail.com
• Instagram: @cakebyryann

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