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

Hi Julien, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
When I first started, I ended up working till midnight, 2-3 AM on some nights. I hadn’t perfected my skills (still not perfect to this day), so there was a lot of studying, researching and experimenting. I was really learning on the go, and at the same time, I was also working full time. I didn’t really know when to start or where to start, or what was most efficient to do first. Because this business is for myself, no one was there to tell me what to work on or when to start on a project. I had no sense of organization or scheduling whatsoever. I had to learn the hard way. However, there are benefits to learning the hard way. You don’t learn anyone else’s bad habits and I can build my own skills and methods from the ground up, the way that works for me. This resulted in a very flexible schedule that allows me to still experiment and learn while meeting customer’s deadlines and not working late nights. Now I work “9-5” but still love what I do.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Summer Sweets Bakery is a licensed home based bakery, specializing in custom cakes and cupcakes for weddings, elopements, birthdays and any special events. I pay attention to details, LOTS of details. I always try to give customers more than what they pay for. Nobody wants a sad cake! I’m also excited about what the future holds for me. What kind of custom orders I’ll get. I never know what the customer will request. It’s always fun and exciting designing a cake based off of movies or shows that I’ve never even heard of. I guess I’m not as trendy as I like to think I am.
The business is here today because I took a risk. A very “not calculated” risk. I’ve learned that the most important ingredients are patience and persistence when it comes to building a customer base.
We’ve recently delivered a cake for a friend’s grandmother’s birthday. She didn’t want anyone to eat the cake because it’s “too pretty”. This is the experience that I want to create for every one of my customers.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The sweetest place to take friends (besides my bakery) is Soda Jerk in Desert Ridge for a late night milkshake run. Ping-pong match, ribs and beer at Culinary Dropout on N 7th St is really fun. Drop by at OHSO Brewery with the doggos for some of that Steak and Fries. I guess a lot of our favorite places involve food. But if you want to burn off some of those calories, take a hike up in Spur Cross Trailhead in Cave Creek, to see some of that desert beauty. Or stop by Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale for a charming experience. A highlight of any trip in Arizona would be a dinner cruise on the Dolly Steamboat in Canyon Lake. I guess we’re back to food again.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are two people in my life that deserves a whole lot of credit (and more) for my story. My mother and my husband. My late mother, was a lover of all sweets. Anything with sugar, she loved or ate. I told her that I wanted to make cakes for a living and she didn’t bat an eye. She gave me my very first KitchenAid mixer (bronze color). Still going, after 6 years later.
And of course, my husband. He gives nothing but unconditional love and support. He believes in me so much that he built me my own kitchen studio and sometimes cleans the dishes for me! He’s also my cake structural engineer (that’s his formal job title), when it comes to complex designs or ones that require something unique like lighting in a cake. He’s always a listening ear, to bounce ideas off.

Website: https://www.summersweetsbakery.com

Instagram: @summersweetsbakery

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

Other: Google – https://g.page/summersweetsbakery?share Zola – https://www.zola.com/wedding-vendors/wedding-cakes-desserts/summer-sweets-bakery

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona 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.