Meet Janette Chhuon-Chan | Cake Artist & Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Janette Chhuon-Chan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Janette, what do you attribute your success to?
I think the most important factor behind my success is my passion, uniqueness and determination. I am so passionate about my business that I put so much hard work in perfecting details and go the extra mile to create edible masterpieces for people’s celebrations. Another factor is how I enjoy creating different designs and styles with my cakes and treats. With any brand/business, it’s definitely crucial to have a selling point of what makes you different and to have a competitive edge. This will become the heart and soul of your success. I absolutely love to challenge myself and am always looking to further better my craft. The want to do better and to grow as both a cake artist and entrepreneur is the root of my success. I love to push my boundaries and see how far I can go along this journey. I have definitely put a lot of hours into building up my business. The countless late night hours baking or decorating has given me so much strength and motivation to keep pushing me forward. I think having the discipline to do this everyday is another factor as well. Literally almost everyday, I have done something almost everyday that adds value to my business such as preparing an order, making posts for Instagram, running errands to buy supplies, or researching new ways to improve my business. There is a difference between wanting something, and actually going after it.
Not only have I focused on bettering my skills, but I believe that creating a brand image for my business has helped me become successful as well. It’s one thing to be a business, but by actually creating a brand image, this takes your business to the next level. I love creating unique treats and cakes that have allowed me to develop a personal style. Essentially, I specialize in custom orders and put my own style and twist on it! The success of any brand is also built on good content.

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I think what sets my cake art apart from others is my uniqueness in designs. I am inspired by trending designs on social media platforms, while staying true to my own style. I like to challenge myself as well as work with different textures and mediums. Before I started my business, I had a history of drawing and painting when I was younger. Between elementary to high school, I was drawn to pencil drawing using graphite. However, as I got a bit older during college, I wanted to experiment more and started doing acrylic painting. As a result, I would have to say my artistic background has definitely helped me when it comes to decorating cakes. Since my parents have owned a bakery since I was 4 years old, I was always around the baking environment. It was tough at first for my parents when they first got the store. I had to stay there with them from opening to closing until they were able to get more workers to help. Along the way, I learned how to decorate donuts and bake pastries from my mom. In fact, my sugar cookie recipe is actually hers!
Although my parents’ bakeries do not sell cakes, I would still say this part of my life has had a major influence and role in helping me with my skills. I have always loved baking from a young age, and I would actually always make cakes for family members and friends. These cakes were not as detailed as the ones I do today, but is just a reminder of my roots and how far I’ve come. I am specifically proud of how I have been able to do more detailed piping on cakes as well as larger cakes. I can take on more detailed designs than what I would have been able to do 2 years ago.
There are some days where it feels difficult, since I bake and decorate everything myself. But it is just a constant reminder of how far I’ve come and learned, not exactly how far I have to go.
I am also still in college right now. I did my undergrad in business admin and am currently doing my masters in business admin (MBA) both at CSU Bakersfield. So balancing both a business and graduate courses is challenging, but has helped me apply what I learn to my everyday business.
I am definitely proud of how much more skilled and advanced I have become in decorating. I started my hobby in July 2020 and it has gained momentum since and I literally do this full time now. I decided to make an Instagram page just for fun to post photos of my cakes, and eventually I started getting orders. It is so exciting to me how much has happened within the last two years, I cannot wait to see what happens in the future.

My favorite skill as of now, is vintage detailing and piping on cakes. There is something so nostalgic about this and I feel as though it has become part of my uniqueness. When people view my Instagram, I want them to see how colorful, unique and fun all of my cakes are.
I also love approaching the baking industry with a modern twist. Not only do I provide edible items for consumption, but I have also created merch as well. I have keychains of my cakes, notebooks, poster prints, and pillows for sale. I also have started experimenting with fake cakes and jewelry boxes as well. I believe my business can be much more than a bakery and love the idea of branching out into collectibles or accessories of my most popular cake designs. I also like this option because a customer may not necessarily want to purchase a cake but would want a keychain to keep.

I would love for people to know that you can pursue your passions and create income for yourself. If you are truly passionate enough, the business will soon come after. That passion you have? Find a way to turn it into your everyday reality! You just have to believe in yourself and have faith in the journey 100%! Patience is key, everything will come to fruition.
There are some days where you may doubt yourself, but as long as you believe in yourself, that’s all that matters. Being a self-employed entrepreneur has its difficulties, but the rewards outweigh the difficulties.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Without a doubt, my Asian heritage plays a key part in my cravings for amazing Asian food in town. There are so many diverse Asian restaurants in Bakersfield, I have to categorize each one based on cuisine. For ramen, my ultimate favorite spot is O’Ramen on Ming Avenue. I always get their Spicy Tonkatsu ramen, which has the perfect soft boiled egg, tender pork chashu and the noodles are the perfect tenderness. For Thai food, if I want to eat somewhere a bit more casual without compromising on taste, I absolutely love Jasmine’s Thai Cuisine, which is located on Chester Avenue next to Jerry’s Pizza. My favorite items from there include their shrimp pad thai, pad kee mao (drunken noodles), and tom yum noodle soup. Another Thai restaurant I will have to shout out is Blue Elephant, which is definitely one of the OG spots in town. Their customer service is top notch and the ambiance of the restaurant reminds me that I am in Thailand. For pho, I love New Saigon on Union Avenue, their pho ga (chicken pho) is so delicious and is topped with fried onions. Another pho spot I love is Rolls ‘n Grill, which is also on Ming Avenue next to the Ross. Their spring rolls have fried egg rolls inside, which is the only place in Bakersfield I know of. I would have to say Ming Avenue has some great eats, a classic is Bakersfield Pizza Co. They have a wide variety of unique pizzas, such as the Bangkok Boom, as well as so many different appetizers (including vegan options!). Their drinks resemble so much of Bakersfield and Kern County, featuring some of their cocktails like the Oil Spill or Kern County Blues. I can’t not mention how their interior design is unlike any other in town, with a unique early 1900s feel.Since we aren’t too far away from LA, I think we do have an LA influence with food and have quite a few gems in town.
I think people would be surprised at how diverse the food is in town and how many options there are.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would definitely have to say my parents have provided me so much mentorship and encouragement. My parents currently own 3 businesses. The first is College Coffee & Donuts, which we celebrated the 20th anniversary last year. The second is another bakery, College Smoothies & Donuts, which recently opened last late September/early October. The third business is Waba Grill on Panama and Ashe. By growing up in a family business, I quickly learned that being a business owner, with hard work, you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it. My parents both moved from Cambodia in the 1990’s, but they are both examples of how you can work extremely hard and become successful business owners in the U.S. I feel like they are living the American Dream, and also what I would consider, the ultimate dream team. My dad handles all paperwork and financial aspects of the businesses, while my mom is the heart of the baking aspect as well as helping customers, etc. I believe any successful business needs to have an equal ratio of both to be prosperous. I am so lucky to have my parents as mentors. For example, my dad has helped me get a seller’s permit, business license, insurance, and do taxes for my business. My mom has also helped mentor me in baking and I do ask for her advice on how my cakes look every now and then. There is no doubt that the only thing I can do is admire them for their hard work and inspiration. I am inspired by their story to be self-employed and own businesses myself.
I also want to shoutout anyone who has supported me along the way, from the beginning of my endeavor until now, and into the future. The motivation and support I receive from others is mind blowing and continuously touches my heart. I am still shocked there are people who want to support me and my craft.

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Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/100068981958925/

Other: https://sweets-by-janette.myshopify.com/