Pivoting to Survive

How the pandemic changed the trajectory of my life and career.

In July of 2020 my career and life, much like the rest of the world, took a hard and unexpected turn. Working as a content specialist for the Social Media and Public Relations department of an advertising agency had given me confidence and security in my job. I had recently graduated in 2018, secured my position at the agency in 2019, and was well on my way in my design career until COVID-19 triggered a wave lay offs, which I was unfortunately a part of. Being put in an impossible position as a young designer, I had a decision to make. I could attempt to freelance in an already uncertain and now frozen marketplace, apply for a new position at a new agency and run the risk of yet another lay off, or I could blaze my own trail.

To be clear, I was absolutely terrified. I started working when I was 14, worked hard throughout high school to save enough money to move across the country, and continued to work full time during my college years. This was different. This was completely unknown territory, and I was lost and confused and struggling to find hope in my situation.

As we all retreated into our homes during shelter in place, we found ways to pass the time, stay connected, and maintain our sanity. People acquainted or reacquainted themselves with new or old hobbies, and for me that was baking. I’d always found peace in tinkering away in the kitchen, gifting cookies or muffins to friends and family, and using sugar as a creative outlet.

So, I started making macarons. This small French dessert is a finicky little cookie that requires a precise hand and much practice to get right. For me it took many truly hideous batches and plenty of curse words to get it right. But with several years of baking under my belt and all the time in the world, I eventually defeated and mastered the elusive macaron. Initially it was a way to pass the time, feed my roommates, and bring a little lightness into our days.

I wanted to share that joy. One afternoon I quickly threw together a brand, a social media page, and put the word out. Macarons for sale. No contact porch delivery included (I gotta get out of this house). A portion of the profits go to local charities. Let’s do this.

Orders flooded in. Everyday I baked from the time I woke up until I went to bed late into the evening. On delivery days I drove anywhere from five minutes to an hour away to drop off these little sweet treats that would hopefully brighten someone’s day during the crappiest year ever. And it worked. Throughout the rest of the summer my clientele and order volume continued to grow until I had a decision to make. With the design landscape still being incredibly unstable and having not recovered from the trauma of losing my job, I decided to take a leap and go full time with expanding the bakery.

Expansion started with wholesale pastry orders with local coffee shops, then maker’s markets which led to custom cake orders. Eventually I earned a permanent pop-up slot at the American Solera Brewery kitchen where I served a fresh pasta dinner, signature cakes, and a limited pastry menu twice a month. Between my wholesale accounts, private orders, and biweekly dinner pop-ups, I had somehow found a way to cobble together a living. More than that, it checked a lot of my “dream job” boxes. I was passionate about the work I was doing, worked with local charities to make what small impact in my community I could, and I made people happy. It was that simple.

I continued running the bakery until 2022. I would forever be grateful for what this little business had gifted me, but I knew in my heart that it was time to move on. What had started as a simple way to pass the time and take my mind off the train wreck that was my life had somehow evolved into something much more profound. I survived. I can continue to survive even when it feels hopeless.

I will always keep the years I spent with my bakery close to my heart. Even now, when things get difficult I use this experience as a compass to direct my decisions and as proof that I am more than capable of persevering in the face of uncertainty.

xx,

Lauren