Today we’d like to introduce you to Jody Stevens.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jody. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As an avid baker my whole life, I knew in college (after seeing a very cool cake at a party), that this is what I wanted to do… fast forward several years and through a very successful career in finance, I decided to move to Los Angeles after my father passed away.
It was in Southern California and some soul searching that I decided, life is too short to be in a place that did not satisfy the soul. I worked with some other bakers/chefs and it dawned on me that there was a need for REALLY GOOD dietary restrictive baked goods… specifically cakes. After many failed recipes and attempts at trying to make vegan and gluten free goodies taste good and seem normal, I hit a groove. I honed my skills with some really awesome people but in my heart of hearts, I missed Houston. I missed Texas. After a 3 year stint in sunny Cali, I came back to Houston in 2008. I continued to work a corporate job as I transitioned into the culinary world here locally – working as a pastry chef for a local caterer for nearly 3.5 years.
I found the need for gluten free, dairy free, vegan, eggless and organic cakes but had a lot of pushback from the naysayers – people telling me to go back to crunchy California or Denver and sell my stuff there….that nobody ate like that here…
I persisted and held on to my beliefs and preached the gospel of my baked goods. All of a sudden, I begin to get more and more requests… a mom with a child that had severe allergies here and an Indian bride there and before you knew it, I was on my way to becoming very busy.
What started out as mostly a marketing strategy has turned into my proverbial “bread & butter”, with a huge following and a lot of repeat and referral business for those in our fair city thcan cannot/choose not to eat gluten, dairy, eggs, and the likes! It’s such a rewarding situation and I am reminded that I provide a HUGE value to a great many people in our city who like to eat cake too!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Smooth! Ha! Hardly smooth… I have had a lot of push back with people that simply do not understand what I do or why I do it. People can be very narrow-minded. I think it’s changed a lot over the past 2-4 years and more are following a gluten-free lifestyle or a vegan lifestyle… but man, oh man, the times that I heard “Don’t you know that we here in Texas eat meat… we eat eggs… what do you mean ‘Gluten-free’? pfft….” People tend to mock the things that they don’t understand.
The challenge to SHOW people through a quality product that these dietary restrictions CAN be delicious… can taste “normal”… can be like regular cakes… even in the decorations. I LOVE A CHALLENGE.
I would love to show these people the numerous emails and text messages that I have received with SO MUCH HEARTFELT THANKS because I made their child feel “normal” because they could have cake at a party… I have many parents literally call me in tears to thank me.
Originally, I was baking from my house under the Texas Cottage Law… I suffered a devastating house fire 4 years ago – right at what I thought was the height of the growth in business (NOTE: fire was NOT due to baking – it was electrical that happened on the back patio; caught and spread through 3/4 of home while I was working an event for another chef). This fire was something that really tested my strength. I feel like I didn’t miss a beat. I took that week off (except for a wedding… can’t bail on a wedding!) and started back up. I was fortunate enough to have the use of a catering kitchen until I could land on my feet… found a commercial bakery space and the rest, as they say, is history… I have grown exponentially in the last four years. I like to think that was the fire I needed (under my ass) to leap into the unknown and grow even bigger!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the jodycakes story. Tell us more about the business.
I make custom cakes! I specialize in dietary restrictive baking. Mostly, my business consists of gluten free cakes, gluten free/dairy free cakes, vegan cakes, eggless cakes, soy free cakes, GF/Vegan cakes (yes, this is a thing… and yes, it tastes good) and organic cakes. I also do REAL all butter, all fat, all sugar, all flour cakes too! 😉
I am most proud of how far I’ve come in the last ten years in Houston! I am so proud to be part of the food movement that has happened since I came back from Los Angeles. It’s an amazing feeling to see my colleagues and peers come up as they have. I feel like I have made a really solid name for myself in this very niche market. I feel like jodycakes is synonymous with awesome cakes that can fit any lifestyle.
Also, in trying to spread awareness, Houstonians can find my gluten free goodies at Adair Kitchen in the Galleria area and at Melange Creperie in the Heights.
I am forward thinking, I am very positive, I am upbeat and NOTHING.CAN.STOP.ME. I live by this – day in, day out.
Another HUGE milestone for me personally and professionally – five years ago, I read an article about a worldwide initiative to raise awareness about depression and mental illness. This is something I’ve experienced first hand both in my life and in my family – it SCREAMED TO ME! I used the template based on the Depressed Cake Shop initiative and created an annual event here locally – Depressed Cake Shop Houston is a once a year bake sale and cake auction that includes some of Houston’s top chefs and bakers with all of the proceeds going to local organizations that specialize in mental health in some capacity or another – such as The Montrose Center (LOVE LOVE LOVE).
Please see details here – https://www.facebook.com/depressedcakeshophouston/
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
What could’ve been a deal breaker – make me fold in on myself actually propelled me further, faster… I love that this happened. It was a cleansing in a sense. And as I said, literally lit the fire under my ass to MOVE onwards/upwards.
I do believe there is some luck involved (right place/right time) but I’m extremely intuitive and I believe in chance meetings, etc. Things happen for a reason but you also have to “listen” for the opportunities. Sometimes, we just talk too much… if you take a moment to really listen to what is happening around you, so many opportunities lay at your feet. If you roll over it or don’t slow down for a moment, you will always think that things are not going your way.
Do I have bad days? OF COURSE, I DO!!! I question why I do what I do most weeks… what small business owner doesn’t? But I shrug that stuff off… and move forward.
I feel like I’ve had a very auspicious path in my life.
Contact Info:
- Address: We do not provide this as it is not a retail outlet
- Website: www.jodycakes.com
- Phone: 832.722.4123
- Email: jodycakestx@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @jodycakestx
- Facebook: @jodycakeshouston
- Twitter: @jodycakes
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/depressedcakeshophouston/
Image Credit:
Main photo: Houston Chronicle
Jody Stevens, jodycakes
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
