Have Been Looked Down On For What You Do?

Decorating By DisneyDreamer Updated 11 Aug 2009 , 3:32am by CakeRx

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SugarFrosted Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 7:19am
post #31 of 53

I was an ER nurse for about 10 years and then I was a chemo nurse in a cancer clinic for 3 years. However, people on many occasions looked down on me for being a nurse. In both of those jobs, patients often cried, or screamed, or vomited, and sometimes they died. Friends and family members would say "Oh... Anna... I could NOT do what you do. It's just too hard." After a while, it became too hard for me too. I wanted to do something happy. So I quit nursing.

I have been making and decorating cakes for other people for a long time. My clients and their kids smile and laugh and are delighted by what I do for them. I have encouraged quite a few of my clients to take the Wilton Courses at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Some have tried, but most have declined and said "Oh..Anna...I could never do what you do. It's just too hard!" It's all a matter of perspective and interest. Most of what I do is simple and easy. I'm a buttercream decorator, nothing really fancy schmancy about what I do. But no one has ever looked down on me for being a cake decorator. Not once.

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Texas_Rose Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 7:48am
post #32 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by adonisthegreek1



I hope your mother doesn't teach culinary then.




No, math.

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Jen80 Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 8:28am
post #33 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by DisneyDreamer

anyone else feel like they are looked down on for "just" doing cakes?




Nope!! I love it so much that I don't care what anybody says or thinks.

If anyone did try that with me I'd be too busy thinking about my next design that I wouldn't notice. For me, at the moment, caking is all I think about.

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Rylan Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 9:09am
post #34 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by bakermommy4

First...Rachel Ray...she does not have the title "CHEF"...she is a cook and will admit it publicly. There is a huge difference between being a cook and having the title CHEF. You don't even get the title of chef after graduating culinary school. That title is pretty much earned. I like to call myself a chef because I've just recently graduated culinary school but I haven't earned the title.

Oh, and on the topic...I always get oooh's and aahhh's and people pretty much admire what I do and I love the attention. I love to hear my daughters tell their friends "my mom's a pastry chef". I just laugh to myself.




I have to respectfully disagree. There are plenty of chefs who did not attend culinary school and still have the title "chef".

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lopsidedTurntable Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 12:28pm
post #35 of 53

Rylan, that's what I think she's saying--you have to earn the title chef--you don't just get it by going to school.

You guys said the same thing yes?

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beanbean Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 1:37pm
post #36 of 53

I make cakes as a hobby for friends and family. I have always loved to cook and bake, but had other career interests. I was a biomedical engineer, a stay-at-home mom, and then I went to medical school and became a doctor. So I have heard just about every career-related ignorant comment there is!

When I was an engineer people were so impressed! My husband is also an engineer and a much better one than I ever was! Most people are not impressed by the fact my husband is an engineer. Except for the fact that he went to MIT - then I hear "Oh you are so lucky to have married him, he must be so intelligent!" So, if you are a guy engineer: "Oh, that's nice". If you are a girl engineer: "OMG you must be so smart! How did you ever learn all that math and science?"

When I was a stay-at-home mom, I was either a saint for staying home with my kids or an idiot wasting my education (depending who you talked to). I had someone tell me a was setting a bad example for my daughters by staying home and should be working so they would know girls can chose to do anything.

So, with my daughters starting school I decided to go back to school and ended up following the dream I had always had to become a doctor. The fact that I am a "doctor" just freaks some people out! People seem to either worship you for your title, have great disdain for you, or really don't know what to say! Of course being female I get called "nurse" all of the time - which I consider a compliment. However, when people realize I am their physician, not their nurse, they are so apologetic for having called me a nurse. For goodness sake, its not an insult!

And then there are cakes! The last cake we made was for a friend's daughter's 7th birthday. We made a really cool castle cake. I say "we" because my husband made the cake too. He is a great baker and likes making cakes as much as I do. At the party other parents were a little confused. When they found out I was a doctor who worked with Emily's dad they couldn't believe I had made the cake too. Like you can't be smart and a talented baker at the same time! What people really couldn't get their brains around was the fact that my husband made to cake too!

Party person: "Oh, what a beautiful cake. I can't believe you made that! "
Me: "Thank you. This is my husband Joe; he made the cake as well."
Party person: "Really???? Its nice to meet you. You know, your wife made an amazing cake"

So don't feel bad if other people look down on your profession. Those kind of people find fault no matter what you in life.

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marknelliesmum Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 2:48pm
post #37 of 53

lol This thread is making me laugh - i'm a hobby baker but also a primary school teacher. I often get told i should start a cake business (nowhere near good enough - i'm not fishing for compliments here - my family and circle of friends just don't know people can make cakes like Leahs, JenniferD and Tonedna icon_biggrin.gif so they think mine are good) When people ask me what i do and i tell them i'm a teacher i usually get comments like 'oh it must be great to be paid well for being on holiday most of the time ' or similar to which i reply 'if it's so great why are you not a teacher?' i've yet to get a reply icon_wink.gif

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Rylan Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 5:21pm
post #38 of 53

Maybe I didn't understand it too well. My fault hehehe.

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dailey Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 5:39pm
post #39 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spuddysmom

Response to "my kid wants to be that when he grows up" is:"Wouldn't it be great if we all got to be what we wanted to be when we were kids. I'm lucky I guess"...................
Most folks around here seem to think that is a dream job. I do.
After being hired to oversee a local school's kindergarten working with severly autistic students (mainstreaming them into regular all day classes) my husband (a one time prosecutor) actually said, "Well, maybe some day you can do something important". icon_rolleyes.gif




sounds like a keeper... icon_confused.gif

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SharonK1973 Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 5:49pm
post #40 of 53

Here's what I do for a living: 1. Clean house, 2. Make cakes, 3. Just got into nursing school.

When people ask me what I do, I have experimented by telling one or two out of the three, and I get different responses for each!

Housecleaning - marked discomfort and they don't really know what to say. Some say "that is hard work!" And a lot of the people I work for treat me like I was born just to clean their houses. ( But as they say where I come from, "You have to kiss until you can kick!" I'll be ready to Kick in September! Hallelujah!)

Cake decorating and housecleaning - until they see my work they think that by cake decorating I mean sprinkles and frosting so they don't think much of the cake decorating part. When they see a cake, then they are like, "why are you cleaning houses?!"

Nursing - mixed from "Why when you make such beautiful cakes!!!!!" to "Well I guess you won't be making any more cakes"

My dream job is to nurse three days a week, cake four and have the other off!

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bakermommy4 Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 6:08pm
post #41 of 53

Rylan...we are saying the same thing. There are many chefs who aren't traditionally trained...they own restaurants and are executive chefs and so on and so on, but they didn't just wake up one morning and go work at a restaurant and was a chef. They all EARNED it with a lot of hard work and sweat and tears...probably starting from being a dish washer (not exactly but you know what I mean) and then working up the ranks. Chef is like a management position and you don't get those just from graduating business management school.

Oh, and sorry if my post is a little (a lot) off topic.

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7yyrt Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 6:16pm
post #42 of 53

Oh, the 'What do you do for a living ' question...?

I tell them I'm a kept woman.

Drives my MIL bats!

heh, heh

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lmpedersen Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 7:47pm
post #43 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by 7yyrt

Oh, the 'What do you do for a living ' question...?

I tell them I'm a kept woman.

Drives my MIL bats!

heh, heh




LOL! icon_lol.gif

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morgnscakes Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 8:47pm
post #44 of 53

All I can say is that I've received mixed reactions. I have my doctor of pharmacy and when I was a practicing pharmacist, I would do cakes on the side. Many people would comment that I should open my own cake design place or my own bakery. But when my job was eliminated and I was able to fall back on my God given talent (I did not go to culinary school), I get the mixed reactions. Some people think it's absolutely phenomenal and some others give that "but aren't you a pharmacist? And isn't your husband a physicist? Why would you both do cakes when you could be doing something much more financially rewarding?"

I love being a pharmacist; my husband loves being a physicist (he used to teach until hurricane Katrina eliminated his job); but we love being cake artists (what we feel we are)!! My mother and father are very supportive of whatever we do as long as it's positive. My sister is a housewife with 4 children and I don't envy her at all!!! And like both of our parents always have told us...Whatever you do, make sure you do it to the best of your ability. If you're going to be a janitor, be the best janitor; if you're going to be a nurse, be the best nurse; if you're going to be a pharmacist, be the best pharmacist; and if you're going to be a cake artist/decorator, then bake and create the best cakes that you can!

PS--if someone want to look down on you for what you do, challenge them to do what you do (like that tv show). I bet they would have a whole new appreciation for what you do.

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JaimeAnn Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 8:55pm
post #45 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by 7yyrt

Oh, the 'What do you do for a living ' question...?

I tell them I'm a kept woman.

Drives my MIL bats!

heh, heh






I want Your Job!!!!!! You are my hero .. LOL

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JaimeAnn Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 9:10pm
post #46 of 53

I had a housecleaning business with my Mom. Our business name was "Partners in Grime" We did really well for a few years then when the economy tanked people started cleaning their own homes. Most of our clients were very wealthy (still used the economy excuse, The wealthiest people are also the cheapest.) But when you clean homes the people treat you like you are born just to clean for them, always trying to add jobs that aren't included in your duties! UGGHHH couldn't do it anymore, besides it being very hard work physically, moving furniture all day to vacuum really sucks .. hahhahah ..

I could never be a teacher I have no patience with children ! I admire ANYONE able to do that job and to me teachers don't get paid near enough for what the do!

I could never be a nurse or caregiver, Utmost respect to ANYONE able to do those jobs also... We may all end up needing one ourselves.. And I have seen nurses put up with some very mean rude people (MY DAD when he was dying was the worst).

As far as anyone looking down on people for what they do I agree with LaBellaFlor

Quote:
Quote:

I don't see how anyone could look down on ANYONE for doing honest work


!


I know toooo many lazy ass people who don't want to work at all ! Those are the ones who I look down on...

Heck even strippers work their butts off Hahhahahaahhahah

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CutiePieCakes-Ontario Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 9:16pm
post #47 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by morgnscakes

All I can say is that I've received mixed reactions. I have my doctor of pharmacy and when I was a practicing pharmacist, I would do cakes on the side. Many people would comment that I should open my own cake design place or my own bakery. But when my job was eliminated and I was able to fall back on my God given talent (I did not go to culinary school), I get the mixed reactions. Some people think it's absolutely phenomenal and some others give that "but aren't you a pharmacist? And isn't your husband a physicist? Why would you both do cakes when you could be doing something much more financially rewarding?"

I love being a pharmacist; my husband loves being a physicist (he used to teach until hurricane Katrina eliminated his job); but we love being cake artists (what we feel we are)!! My mother and father are very supportive of whatever we do as long as it's positive. My sister is a housewife with 4 children and I don't envy her at all!!! And like both of our parents always have told us...Whatever you do, make sure you do it to the best of your ability. If you're going to be a janitor, be the best janitor; if you're going to be a nurse, be the best nurse; if you're going to be a pharmacist, be the best pharmacist; and if you're going to be a cake artist/decorator, then bake and create the best cakes that you can!

PS--if someone want to look down on you for what you do, challenge them to do what you do (like that tv show). I bet they would have a whole new appreciation for what you do.





Totally agree! I'd rather be a happy janitor than a miserable CEO anyday.

To anyone who says "I couldn't do that. It's too hard" I say, "Then let me do it for you!" Voila! New customer.

Most people just don't want to take the time to learn to do something for themselves. We're in just an instantaneous world, everything is ready quickly, or they just have someone else do it for them. No fuss, no muss, for them.

Right now, my full time job is working in a law firm. I work off hours (and have done so for nearly 7 years) so as to avoid daycare. I have tried to do start my own business once before (aesthetics) in my home, tried selling clothes at home parties (Weekenders), neither of which went well for me. It's hard to do nails and facials at home when you've got 2 little ones to care for - and everyone wants it done on a Friday or Saturday, which is went I work. Weekenders went belly up last year.

However, I am at the beginning of what I hope will be a career change - Cake Decorating. Whenever I talk about it -- my cake designs, in-house kitchen design, everything -- I light up with excitement. It's been a long time since I was this excited about work. This job pays the bills - cake decorating pays my soul.

I've said it before in this thread, but it bears repeating ...

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION. THE MONEY WILL FOLLOW.

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Rylan Posted 9 Aug 2009 , 10:37pm
post #48 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by bakermommy4

Rylan...we are saying the same thing. There are many chefs who aren't traditionally trained...they own restaurants and are executive chefs and so on and so on, but they didn't just wake up one morning and go work at a restaurant and was a chef. They all EARNED it with a lot of hard work and sweat and tears...probably starting from being a dish washer (not exactly but you know what I mean) and then working up the ranks. Chef is like a management position and you don't get those just from graduating business management school.

Oh, and sorry if my post is a little (a lot) off topic.




Oh yes, I totally understand. I am so sorry, my mind wasn't thinking at that time. It it my fault. I didn't think we were talking about the same thing.

Forgive me fellow Las Vegan?

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Echooo3 Posted 10 Aug 2009 , 12:09am
post #49 of 53

I HAVE to bake. I can't help it. When I am baking I loose all focus of time. I can go a whole day without eating so focused on getting the perfect whatever. I am not formally trained, but my last name is Scheff, pronounced "chef" so -- I am a chef, right?

I am so passionate about baking cakes and cookies. I don't think anyone else can understand how HAPPY this makes me. Actually my blood pressure has gone from way high 220/110 to below normal since I started really getting absorbed in the baking/decorating.

I give my creations away because I am doing them and someone needs to eat them. Just gave a castle cake to feed 70 people to church. Everyone I talk to says I need to open a business. I just don't have the funds to do so. I don't care what anyone thinks. I am happy and I believe God has given me this blessing. Tell me a child needs a birthday cake and I'll do it.

Sorry for the soap box but those folk that are degrading are unhappy themselves IMHO.

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Butterpatty Posted 10 Aug 2009 , 3:54pm
post #50 of 53

I have incredible respect for all professions. I say every day that I am glad that God gave each of us a heart and talent for various jobs because there are so many that I would never, ever be any good at doing.

I am a nurse and I work in a Special Care Nursery for preemies and sick babies. I get soooo tired of hearing "oh, you are so lucky, you get to sit and rock babies all day". NOT! I wish this was true, but if I did that all day, I would never get my IV's started, never manage the intake and output balances, never get labs drawn, never get endotracheal tubes suctioned, never get the urgent medications given and never get the million and one other care tasks done that must be done. Hello here- I love to rock babies, but I have a RN diploma and much specialized training in order to even allowed to touch those preemies and little sick ones.

I pretty much figure cooks, chefs, cakerators ( icon_biggrin.gif ) and all other professions are the same in that each requires a particular skill set and needs to be respected for such skills.

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peg818 Posted 10 Aug 2009 , 6:36pm
post #51 of 53

There are so many people in the world that will look down on you. If you allow these shallow people to get under your skin then they have won. Really i think people who look down on you for doing an honest days work, are really to be pity, for they can't possibly be happy with themselves or their lives. And the saddest thing is they don't even know it most of the time.

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diane Posted 10 Aug 2009 , 6:43pm
post #52 of 53

that's sad icon_redface.gif why is it that you have to be a doctor or lawyer or a college grad with a high paying job to get respect? icon_confused.gif i wouldn't take it to heart. the main thing is that you're happy with what you do, and that's all that matters! icon_wink.gif

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CakeRx Posted 11 Aug 2009 , 3:32am
post #53 of 53

After being hired to oversee a local school's kindergarten working with severly autistic students (mainstreaming them into regular all day classes) my husband (a one time prosecutor) actually said, "Well, maybe some day you can do something important". icon_rolleyes.gif[/quote]

Thank you so much for your work with autistic kids. I worked like He@# with my oldest son and if not for a few key individuals, he would not have attended public school, not have succeeded, and would not have been released from special ed for the first time in his life. He will graduate from high school next year with a regular high school degree with an emphasis in math. I thank my lucky stars for him and for the release cake decorating gives me in giving joy to so many people. The only people who "get it" are, in some capacity, also artists.

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