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

Hi Erin, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
My parents are the hardest workers I know, they never let me quit any job, no matter how much I begged. This mentality mixed with a passion has truly made me a workaholic. It’s hard to not get sucked in and get burned out when you really love what you’re doing. I do not think this is a healthy way to live any more. I got so burned out that I wasn’t taking care of myself at all and started some bad habits to cope for comfort. It makes it really hard to recognize yourself in the mirror.

The only way I crawled out was to take the pressure off of myself and to rely on the support system I had around me. Now I work the way that it mentally beneficial for me, make sure to have self care days, and make the time to spend time with family and friends. I’m lucky enough to no longer be the person that says, “Can’t, have to work in the morning” (my brother actually made me a shirt that said that).

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
A lot of people wouldn’t recognize cake as art but that is what it is. I like to think of the outside of the cake as my canvas and the buttercream, my paint. Everyone’s art is different and their own style but I like to set myself apart by learning new techniques with new materials. Anyone can go on Pinterest and see what the new hip cake trend is but I like to go to create from and aesthetic. Our style words of 2024 are romantic, modern, minimalist, & artistic and we’re pumped to see what time years brings!

There are always challenges to achieving a goal but in baking and pastry it’s more of a “practice makes perfect” type of skill. for success you need to create muscle memory and eventually you’ll be able to do it in your sleep. Whenever I’m teaching someone who is new to cakes, I have them practice practice practice. The best part about learning cakes, is that if you’re struggling with a specific thing like piping a border, it usually can get remedied by making a small adjustment with your hand.

Going into the food industry is a very tough road. It’s not a lucrative career and stress is always at a high but if you love it, it’s worth every second. I’ve worked in several different bakeries that offer variety of desserts and have learned new skills from each place. I’ve worked hard to get where I am today and put all my love and passion into my work.

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.
Being a Nashville transplant, I have had first hand experience with this situation. If they haven’t been to Broadway then I’ll take them there for a night but other than that, I’ll sbring them to the east side or bring them to Germantown. East is my favorite neighborhood, by far but I’m bias because I live there. I’ll first take them to brunch at Frothy Monkey, Hearts, Flora & Fauna, or Von Elrods. Then we’d probably spend the day at Cheekwood or go for a walk around the greenway. Vintage shopping is mandatory in East so we’d definitely go to Anaconda Vintage or Dashwood Vintage.

In the afternoon, we’d probably go to Monday Night Brewing, Chopper, of Inglewood Lounge to grab a beer or cocktail. Dinner would be El Fuego, Jack Browns, Dinos, or Red Headed Stranger. Then we’d end the night with a concert at the Basement East and maybe a late night cocktail at Golden Pony.

These are all of my absolute favorite places to go, each I have great conversation, great drinks and food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Sugar Jones Bakery in Rockford, Il is where I learned to love baking. The owner, Kathy Pomerene, taught me everything she knows. I learned how to create flavor combinations, how to frost a cake and cupcakes, how to decorate sugar cookies, how to pipe with both buttercream and royal icing, learn do wedding cake tastings, I could go one and on. I would not be where I am today with out her guidance and encouragement. I absolutely loved working there and recommend to anyone in the northern Illinois area to stop by and grab a sweet treat.

Website: frothymonkey.com

Instagram: @shetalkscake @frothymonkeybakery

Image Credits
@_alimiller @brucepittmaninc

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutTennessee is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.