Meet Alison Smith | Cake Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alison Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alison, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
The simple answer to this question is that I’m from Franklin, TN. But, I’ve never really been a simple, short-winded kind of gal, and I think it’s important to mention the other places in Tennessee that made me who I am and will always hold little pieces of my heart. I was born in Nashville, raised in Franklin, educated in Knoxville, and lucky enough to have loved ones in Murfreesboro, Bell Buckle, Perry County (just to name a few) that made those places just as beloved by me. You could say I’m pretty rooted in Tennessee! I learned to bake, to garden, to appreciate tradition, to embrace innovation, to stand up for myself, to treasure the little things, to trust my instincts, to chase dreams, to foster creativity, to fail and to succeed – all because of these places and the family and friends that brought me there. My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, extended family – they helped me find my way and embraced my chaotic, creative, driven self, while guiding me to stay on track and reminding me who I am and who I want to be.

When I look at who I am and who I’m becoming, both in my business and in my personal life, I can see all of those people and places in the little parts of myself. The encouragement, love, and support poured into me gave me the confidence and faith to be my own person and start my own business, and to persevere through all the hard and challenging things that have come along with entrepreneurship. My roots make my business even more special, because I am being given the opportunity to connect my past with my present and future through recipes and memories, and to share all of that with my clients during some of their biggest life moments. The southern traditions embedded in celebrations big and small, are organically incorporated into my cake artistry because of who I am and where I come from. I get to meld those traditions with big, bold, new methods and ideas, and I believe it sets my work apart. I believe it sets me as an individual apart, too.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a luxury cake artist, focusing on highly customized, one-of-a-kind wedding and celebration cakes that incorporate the client and their unique personalities into the design. I specialize in tall, buttercream cakes with handmade accents, often crafted from wafer paper, fondant, or modeling chocolate, and hand-painted designs. All of my cake designs aim to stay cohesive with the clients’ event aesthetic (florals, tabletop items, invitations, event focal points, traditions and culture, etc.), using attention to detail and a design-oriented eye. I pride myself on bringing a contemporary style to the classic cake traditions we all know and love.

My background in events has helped me to grow Cakes + Co. into what it is today, and myself into the event professional that I am. I have spent years working in events, specifically weddings. From assisting planners with wedding setup, venue management experience, corporate event involvement, and the bulk of my past event experience in event rental coordination and design, I have learned a lot along the way that I am able to incorporate into my role as a cake artist. My past endeavors have helped me to understand the inner workings of an event and what is important to event professionals and clients, not just the standard responsibilities of a baker on an event day.

The transition through my roles in the event industry have been pretty seamless, but of course, taking my own business full-time was a terrifying and uncharted challenge. I heard a lot of “you just have to take the leap” into starting your own business, and while I agree that it takes a certain amount of audacity, it is just as important to make sure you have your goals and plans in order before you jump. My biggest advice, especially for creative brains like myself – hire the business accountant… immediately. Save yourself the headache. Know your biggest weak points, and get help sooner rather than later. For me, I can measure out buttercream ingredients all day long. Buttercream math is easy… tax math is NOT.

What should the world know about Cakes + Co. and myself? They are woven together with a lot of love and intention. From my client relationships, to my cake creations – I pour myself genuinely into this company and I am humbled and honored by the way my clients allow it to continue flourishing.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
How do we even keep up with Nashville at this point?! I’m a “unicorn” being born and raised here, and I can’t even stay on top of all the fabulous new places that open every day. But, if you know me, you know my favorite go-to places are laid back, fun, and authentic – not necessarily the “new” Nashville. Ideal itinerary in the Nashville area would include hikes at one of my favorites – either along the Natchez Trace or in Beaman Park; lunch at The Cafe at Thistle Farms (turkey bacon avocado sandwich is IT); walk through a local town square (Franklin, Columbia, Murfreesboro are among my favorites); concert at The Ryman; and if we’re feelin’ wild (and there aren’t any cake orders going out the next day) – a trip to listen to some GOOD live music downtown… AJ’s, Robert’s, Losers. I’ve got to stop somewhere – I could ramble off places all day.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This is a tricky question, because I am so grateful to SO many for the support I have received in both my personal successes and business successes. In your previous question regarding where I come from, I touched heavily on how crucial my family has been in my journey to becoming the Alison Smith behind Cakes + Co.. So, for this question, I’ll focus more on those directly intertwined with my business success.

As a small business owner and entrepreneur, success doesn’t come easily. It takes a lot of work… some fun and fabulous, some not so much (hello, never-ending dish pile of a baker). But ultimately, I have found that the relationships in the event industry – wedding planners and clients, but also those of other vendors in all parts of the event world (photographers, florists, venues, caterers, etc.) are absolutely priceless for growing and maintaining a business. Not only for the connections they foster, or the business they send my way, but also for the knowledge they impart and the inspiration they stimulate. I have also found friendships in this industry that have lasted for years, and have kept me sane through both business life and personal life. To find individuals who feed your business, your soul, and your creativity – that’s a blessing I couldn’t have ever understood the importance of until I was lucky enough to experience it. In some way, these “friendors” have felt like my coworkers. Like my own personal team. And y’all – I am surrounded by the DREAM TEAM.

Of course I wouldn’t be properly answering this question if I didn’t mention my beautiful, wonderful, supportive, inspiring clients. They have made Cakes + Co. what it is, and supported me before I even knew what I wanted this business path to look like. From little 4″ smash cakes, to massive four tiered wedding cakes, they see through the sometimes exhausted eyed, messy bun, powdered sugar dusted exterior that is me after a busy baking week, and they keep loving on me and this company to depths I could’ve never imagined. I hope they know just how much every single order, instagram tag and share, recommendation to a friend… how much it ALL means to me. To a little twelve year old Alison who was baking boxed cake mixes and adding an absolutely unacceptable amount of green food coloring to store bought frosting, forcing her loved ones to act like they loved it. To a now 29 year old Alison, a business owner, who has been lifted up and empowered to do things that I never thought possible. The freedom you give me to work for myself, to let my creative brain run wild, to be a small part of your biggest days – that feels like success to me.

Website: cakesandco.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_cakes_and_co/

Image Credits
Justin McGregor with SAMKOMA