Exploring Life & Business with Shannon Bond

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Bond.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My love of baking came from my grandma, Dot, at an early age. Grandma was a true renaissance woman who not only loved to bake but also loved the arts. She passed on her love for the arts – dance, music, painting, museums, etc. – To my mom and her siblings, who also passed down that love to my sisters and me. We were blessed to be exposed to many art and culture, even growing up in a small town!

Throughout the years, my dual loves of baking and the arts formed an alliance in cakes where I am able to stretch my creative muscles through design and combine it with baking. I have emotional memories tied to baking which carried over when I had my children and eventually into my business. I started out making cakes for my kid’s birthdays. My husband and I have six, who I homeschool until they reach high school, so there was a lot of practice! I went back and forth for a few years about whether I should start a business and finally just asked God if He wanted this business to be successful if He would open some doors and guide this venture.

I opened my home-based cake studio for business in 2013 and really did not expect it to take off as it did! A few months later, I was asked to design a cake for a Cake Central Magazine contest where viewers would vote for their favorite, and the winner would be published in their magazine. I was surprised when I won, and that first published cake took off, and my business exploded. Over the years, I have developed a somewhat “couture” style, and I love to blend rustic, organic elements with delicate details inspired by fashion and architecture. I love creating custom pieces. I view each cake as my canvas and especially love it when I have complete creative freedom just to let it fly!

The thought that my cakes may speak to people like the arts speak to me is extremely humbling.
In 2016, I was awarded the prestigious Cake Master’s Award for my Wedding Cakes and in 2017 was named one of their Top 10 USA Cake Artists and was a finalist again in 2020 for the North American Cake Awards in the Wedding Cake category (unfortunately, the awards were canceled due to Covid). Those awards brought publicity and name recognition within the cake world and allowed other opportunities to open up with filming classes and some television. I am humbled and grateful for every opportunity God has given to me through the cake.

Along with making wedding cakes and celebration cakes in the KC area, I have also been invited to travel and teach in many different states. I have met the most amazing people who have enriched my life, and hopefully, I have enriched their lives as well. I could not have gotten this far without the support of my family and friends, my faith, and wonderful cake artists around the world who were mentors and became friends.

I am currently growing my business and making cakes for clients in the KC area and hopefully will be traveling to teach again soon. And to think it all started with a cake!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not completely smooth. Since I was homeschooling all six of my kids when I started my business, I learned a lot about life balance. Thankfully, I have always been a “scheduler,” so I am used to multitasking and sticking with a schedule, but there were some tough times when I felt like I was flailing on the inside trying to get everything completed and everyone’s needs met.

There were so many things I didn’t think I would need to know to “just” make cakes, like social media pages and management of those pages, website design, photography for my cakes, and a crash course in business 101. I try to pass on those lessons to my students, so hopefully, they can learn through my mistakes and not make them on their own.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Shannon Bond Cake Design?
I am probably most known for artistry in design and the details within those designs. I frequently blend rustic, organic elements with delicate details from fashion and architecture. I view each cake as an edible art design with a modern aesthetic.

Every cake is made from scratch , focusing on fresh, natural, gourmet ingredients to provide our clients excellence in both taste and art. It’s more than just a cake. It’s making memories for you to share with your loved ones to last a lifetime.

I am honored that Shannon Bond Cake Design has been featured in Cake Masters Magazine, American Cake Decorating Magazine, Cake Central, Cake Design France Magazine, Papilles Magazine, EA Bride Magazine, Australia CAKE! Magazine, Sweet Magazine, DIY Weddings Magazine, Party Cakes Magazine, Cake Geek, and other multiple online blogs and websites Internationally. I am a Satin Ice Artist of Excellence, the 2016 Cake Master’s Wedding Cake Award winner, and in 2017 was named by Cake Master’s Magazine as one of the Top 10 Cake Artists in the USA and 2020 finalist for the North American Cake Awards for Wedding Cakes.

When I am not making cakes locally in the KC area, I am a master instructor in buttercream and fondant who travels around the country to teach cake design and decorating classes.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I think something we share with everyone in the world is that everyone has been affected in at least some way by Covid. The wedding industry was hit very hard, I know several vendors who closed for good, and I know this is true for other food service areas and small businesses too. During that time, when gatherings were not allowed, I transitioned to ZOOM consultations and to-go tasting boxes to keep in touch with prospective clients. I started teaching some online classes and was asked to be a virtual judge for the 3rd season of Buddy v Duff on Discovery and Discovery+. I transitioned as much as I could online, and thankfully, we are now able to meet in person again.

But, I think the most important lesson I learned was more personal than business. In a way, it put everything into perspective, and first and foremost, I made sure to spend the best of my time with the people I love and let them know how much I love them. I struggle with the “mom guilt” of dividing my attention between my business and family as a mom. And, I am sad to say that sometimes, my kids get my leftover attention and not my best attention. This crisis reminded me that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow, so today needs to be the day I show them how much they mean to me.

Pricing:

• Every cake is custom, so pricing varies with a $500 minimum order amount for any order.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@sbcakedesign.com
• Website: https://www.sbcakedesign.com/
• Instagram: @shannonbondcakedesign
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sbcakedesign