First love
"Growing up, I lived in one of those households where dessert was more important than dinner. As a child, it was my dream to open a bakery, but I never ever thought I would actually pursue it."
A different path
"I majored in math and economics at Bucknell University and ended up in finance after college. I went into it with big hopes and dreams. It was exciting at first. I had a lot of big-name clients and a nice paycheck. But it didn't take long for me to realize that it wasn't what I wanted."
Turning point
"It was a bit of a quarter-life crisis. I didn't want to work in finance. I didn't want to sit behind a desk. I never wanted to have another boss again. So the answer seemed to be: Open my own business. I kept coming back to my childhood dream of opening a bakery."
An education
"I went to pastry and baking school at The Institute of Culinary Education. Once I finished school, I worked at Brownie Points Bakery in Summit, NJ. Being on my feet for 9-10 hours a day, I would get home at the end of the night and just crash. Baking was very different than sitting behind a desk."
Overcoming the doubt
"I did hesitate for a moment. I asked myself, 'Do I want to do this?' But as I continued baking, I knew there was nothing I would rather be doing."
Opening a bakery
"The stars aligned, and I was able to get this space in Morristown. Sweet Lucy's Bakery opened in March 2011. It was totally crazy and a lot of fun. I didn't sleep at first, but I loved every second of it."
Who's Lucy?
"Lucy is my dog, a yellow lab. After I finished pastry school, there was a period of time when I was baking a lot of cakes at home really late at night. Lucy would just hang out and keep me company. So I came to associate her with all of this. We sell dog treats at the bakery. I bring the treats back to Lucy to pay her royalties."
>>>Check back tomorrow for Tracy's tips for the aspiring baker.
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