Conversations with Chelsea Berman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Berman.

Hi Chelsea, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m originally from Seattle, where I first began my culinary journey. After taking an intensive culinary program in high school and completing an apprenticeship at a Seattle-based custom cake bakery I moved to Denver in 2012 to attend Johnson & Wales University where I received an AS in Pastry Arts and BS in Food Service Management.

I worked at some amazing places along the way including an internship at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA, and serving as the Executive Pastry Chef here in Denver at Little Man Ice Cream. When the pandemic hit in March 2020 and I was furloughed from my current full-time pastry chef position at a high-volume catering company, I decided to begin baking for friends and neighbors to fill my free time while sitting at home.

Reception to my products was fantastic and business started to increase, so I resigned from my previous position, started working farmer’s markets that summer, and began to get all the licensing prepared to fully establish my business. In October 2020, I moved into a professional commissary kitchen space and have been going full-force since!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Along the road of building this business, there have been countless struggles, bumps, and setbacks. There are challenges I knew beforehand I would face along the way, and some were completely unforeseen. In fact, starting a business has been the single most challenging AND rewarding thing I have done in my entire life. Building a business from the ground up almost sounded like an impossible task before I immersed myself in it and got to work. I would say the biggest challenge with being a solopreneur is that you are only relying on yourself. Every task needs to be completed at some point, and you are the only one to do it. This means utilizing your strengths, but also improving on your weaknesses.

There is no avoiding certain tasks, just jumping into it and tackling whatever needs to be done! While it can be incredibly difficult to handle all aspects of the business yourself, it’s also incredibly rewarding when you do. Even if it means some sleepless nights! You find out your true strength and perseverance as a person and business owner.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in custom cakes, sugar cookies, and other custom desserts! I consider myself very lucky with my business and have found myself in a very unique niche that couldn’t be more aligned with my own artistic expression.

My biggest passion and hobby outside of my work is music- especially live music! My favorite band is Phish (which is where the “Phresh” comes from!) and the community surrounding the band has blown me away time and time again with their support. My first custom orders were all from other fans of the band. They were so excited to not only support another fan, but also a local person creating delicious items with their favorite music themes! Through word of mouth and online postings, my customer base grew through these first customers.

Now about 70% of my custom orders are Phish, Grateful Dead, or other music/band themes! Being able to combine my biggest passions in life and essentially creating a new niche market while also fostering community is a huge source of pride for me.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Without my determination and passion for what I do, I don’t believe I would still be running this business. I have always had a clear vision of exactly what I want from this business and am determined to get it there. As a business owner, you need that tenacity to get you through the early mornings, the seven day work weeks, and the sleepless nights.

Pricing:

• 6″ cakes start at $60+
• 8″ cakes start at $80+
• 10″ cakes start at $115+
• Custom cookies start at $50/dozen

Contact Info:

• Email: phreshbakedgoods@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.phreshbakedgoods.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phreshbakedgoods/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phreshbakedgoods/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/phresh-baked-goods-denver-3

Image Credits
Soulshine Photography, Colorado Spenser, and Chambers Photography