First how do we get that dreaded disease.  "overworkaholic cake decorator syndrome".   When we first begin cake decorating for others we are thrilled to be asked to use our skills and talents and actually get paid for having fun creating those sugar masterpieces.   Then the orders begin to come more frequently and we adjust by staying up later and later at night to be able to fulfill those orders.  Of course our day jobs  or  regular schedule must be carried on also.   Then we have enough orders to be able to quit the day job and just do cakes.  Now comes the real challenge being able to fulfill those cake orders and keep up with the family expectations also.  Mom is no longer working at a "real job" so she is called upon to run more errands - pick up the kids more often - run the kids to dance, soccer and etc.  And she is actually busier with the family expectations than when she was working at "a real job".  Of course the cake orders have picked up so she also must spend more time at night with those orders.  Then you find yourself frustrated with the demands from family and customers and on your way to burnout.  Or overworkaholic cake decorator syndrome

Those orders are what pay for the dance lessons, sisters new dress, that set of pans you want and etc.  So you can't say no to a cake order because of the things that are a must have for the family and you new business.
 "wrong"
You are putting yourself in line for a major burnout - overworkaholic syndrome.
One of the first things you must learn to do to keep your own sanity and prevent that burnout feeling is learn to use that little two letter word  "no"
"no"  with a smile on your face.             Now try it out.  First step  -  the smile
Second step -  say "no".   Gently at first so as not to cause your face to break   lol
Now say it again - this time with a little more conviction please            "no"
Practice  "no"  "no"  "no"  "no"  "no"  "no"   until you are comfortable with the word.
It is ok to use it.  Legal to use it.  Moral to use it.  Liberating to use that word  "no"
It is also non-fattening to use it. (you won't be eating the scraps - lol)

Now we all know the first step to preventing overworkaholic cake decorator syndrome.

The second step to preventing this syndrome is learning to charge enough for your cakes.   If you charge $10 for a 9 x 13 cake and it takes you half a day to do that cake you are going in the hole financially.  Since when is your time any less valuable as a cake decorator than it would be as a sales clerk or a book keeper.
If you were paid in a job elsewhere $6 per hour and it takes you three hours to bake, make your icing, color your icing, fill your bags and decorate that cake.  It should be worth at least $18 plus the cost of the ingredients.  Now if you also count your time to shop for the ingredients - you can add a little more.  So you see if you charged $10 for that cake you are really working for nothing.  Why work for nothing?   Your time is valuable to you and your family.  If you raise those prices to compensate you for your time you might cut down on your orders.  But if you only do half the number of cakes at double the money you are really better off.   Anytime you spend half the amount of time for the same amount of money you have gained for you and your family.

Third - learn what your limitations are and book your cake orders accordingly.  Keep records on a calendar in a diary or on your computer.  Somewhere so you can go back and check them occasionally.  If you book 10 birthday cakes to go out on Saturday and it requires you to work all day Friday and Friday night and you only get 2 hours of sleep - that is an obvious overbooking of what "your " abilities can do in a reasonable amount of time.  The key word there is "your".   Write down the time you start on the cakes and the time you finish - how many cakes you did.  After a few months check back on your calendar to see how your orders are averaging out.  If you find you have done 30 birthday cakes in the month and it has taken you 75 hours to do those cakes, then you know it takes you an average of 2 and 1/2 hours to do one birthday cake.  Now you know better how to manage your time and you can book orders accordingly.  As you gain in skills and speed in decorating you will be able to cut that time per cake down and take more orders.  But to begin with you must gauge what you can do by your present skills.

This weekend we have a wedding cake order that required over a week for two of us  just to make and color the gumpaste flowers for that one cake.  That is not an inexpensive cake.  The flowers are done and beautiful - Gerber daisies in orange, red and yellow - freesia in white with pink edges - peace and gold roses, rubrum and soft yellow lilies, yellow alstromeria, red anemones, variegated ivy and rose leaves.  Then we needed to make two kinds of lace points (one to go on the cake and the other to hang under the cakes).  Last we had to make columns to stand around the outside edge of the grooms cake bottom tier with bottom and top caps.   Believe me that is labor intensive work. That cake is not inexpensive.  I will try to get some good pictures to share with you later.  EARLENE’S GUMPASTE FLOWERS (A PICTURE)

Fourth - schedule yourself to do some fun things with your sugar artistry.  Away from your normal schedule to learn some new techniques and get those creative juices going again.  Take another class locally,  check out the message boards and if a guest teacher is coming into your area - stretch your abilities by learning from someone who does something totally different than decorators who are in your area.  Most teachers who travel and teach are excellent decorators to begin with and when people begin to ask them to come into an area to teach you can bet you will gain some really good instructions.  Something you will not be able to learn in a local Wilton class schedule.   Schedule yourself a weekend away for a cake show - first take a cake and participate in the show - second do get acquainted with some of the other decorators there and share information with one another.  Be sure and take your camera to capture those really cute ideas for cakes that might come in handy for your customers.  After all cake shows are one place for sharing of ideas with other decorators as well as educating the public in what can be done in sugar.

Fifth - schedule (on your calendar) time for you to be away from the cake decorating world.  Vacation time with your family.  Soccer, baseball or football games with the kids.  An evening with your significant other to just be together and spend some time as a couple.  This "overworkaholic cake decorator syndrome" will rob you of those things if you let it.

Cake decorating is a wonderful creative hobby or lifetime vocation.  But don't let it run your life - life is about living, loving and caring about people - not working in a kitchen 18 hours a day away from the people you love.  Be aware of those possibilities so that you can prevent that overworkaholic cake decorator syndrome.

WHAT IS IT: You will never know what we are talking about until it happens to you.  Its the 'blahs' - Its when you think you never want to even look at another cake ever again. This makes us a very good living and its good if we can continue. I never dared get the burnout bad enough to quit when the kids were small....<<I>> thought!!! I needed the money for the kids. So I think when it got so bad, I just went on "automatic." LOL...I think I really did. I just tried to work without thinking.

WHERE AND WHY: We get it because we are creative and artistic...we want to create...we LOVE to create...up to a point, that is. But in the spring and summer when we end up over worked, we change our minds LOL. Some people get it so bad they end up quitting altogether. This is not a good solution since cake decorating offers a special fulfillment of our desire to create.

A good example is the young couple I told you about a year or so ago who started off making tons of money (the ones with 50 box-of-roses cakes one Mother's Day at $20.00 each - before their 12 week course ended!)...Now they have almost quit all together. They just started off too fast and worked too hard. That was NOT creative! It wasn't fun. For whatever reasons (more than just burnout maybe), they couldn't cope. They had such a great business going. They had a new baby and she could have stayed home to be with her child forever, doing cakes. I see a lot of this.

Having a cake decorating supply shop I have seen a lot of people start off doing very well, making lots of money...and boom, they quit! Have a talk with yourself, know yourself. How many hours do you want to work - or think you want to work? Lucky YOU! You have a choice.

When you own your own shop, as I do, this isn't so easy. First you are scared you can't pay the rent. So you are afraid to say no. But I have said NO plenty of times this spring. Some people can hardly believe they can't get a cake when they call one day and want it the next....gee, we've been cutting orders off at the beginning of the week lately. My daughter (who does the all-occasion cakes), just does not want to work past 10-11:00 PM. And I don't want to work past quitting time...7:00 PM. And I rarely do. This week I may. I have so many wedding cakes I haven't even counted how many. I'll do all the prep work I can. I already have all my flowers made, the cake boards covered, my plates and columns out for each and all the cakes baked. Tomorrow I'll ice and decorate them. Saturday I will deliver them.

WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT: Learn the BIG word <<<NO>>>.  Or raise your prices to the point that you don't have so much work...that won't work for long...as Earlene knows. LOL. For my wedding cakes, I can sort of guess by how many servings and how complicated the cakes are, as to how many I can do. Once I have as many as I can handle I add that date to my cut-off list.

Something else you can do to prevent burnout is to find a way to forget all about cakes when you don't need to think about them. On your day off, go somewhere and enjoy yourself. My girls are going kayaking this evening LOL...now that sure has nothing to do with cakes...nor does my fishing : ). Also, try and set specific hours and try to stick to them. This gives you something to look forward to. When I first opened my shop, I was SO worried about money that I would have been ill had I not found a way to cope. I figured I had to take in over $3,000.00 per month just to pay the overhead...then hope for a little profit. What I did was to take up other hobbies when I got home. I found that when I was doing cross stitch or needle point I could forget all about the shop. I even built a wooden miniature playhouse around the first year I opened.

Gigimama: How much are you charging for that cake, Pwd?
CCChefPwd: The brides cake is $12 a serving
Gigimama: Wow!  I couldn't imagine eating a piece of cake for $12!
IbeBakin4U: I can't wait to see that cake Pwd
CCChefDol: Pwd, that seems like a good price. Do you think so now?
CCChefPwd: me either.  But then we have a five hour drive to deliver it Saturday
Cindycake1: What flavors are you serving this wedding cake?
CCChefDol: Pwd, do you tell them '$12.00 per serving' or give an overall price?
Icing Wiz: 5 hours?
CCChefPwd: The price is probably good where it is.
Bridal1: Does the $12 include the extra 5 hour drive?
CCChefPwd: I tell them $12 a serving and they tell me how many servings they want.
CCChefPwd: No the milage is another extra $300
CCChefDol: Em, that is pure hard to do!
CCChefPwd: Kaluaha Fudge and Sour cream white cake.
CCChefDol: oh Pwd, I think you must have covered yourself this time
CCChefPwd: The brides and grooms cake total almost $3,000 for that one wedding

CHEFKEV: $10 for a 9x13? I'll take 20
MISTWI: I charge $15 for a 9X13
CCChefPwd: My prices start at $25.
CCChefDol: our base price for small cakes is $15.00...roses & HB...who EVER wants THAT LOL
Em1walt3: i charge by the piece now
CHEFKEV: I get $35 for a 10" round.
IbeBakin4U: I've always had trouble putting a price on my work
CCChefPwd: That is about what the bakeries are charging here.
GOOO8: When you say small are speaking of 8" 9" or less
L2jlu2: I get $25 for 9" including filling? is this a good price
CCChefPwd: That is a good starting price for fondant.  But when you add on all the extras the price...needs to be higher
Em1walt3: I have found out that other home bakers in the area are getting $3-5 for fondant
CCChefDol: maybe we should raise our prices when we start turning down so many customers?
Gigimama: L2-that's about right.  I get $20 for an 8", $30 for a 10"
CCChefDol: Icing, we make them put the flowers in a wired arrangement IF we do them free
Icing Wiz: yeah that is what I thought the florist said he would be doing. I guess I now have to take florist lessons
CCChefDol: Icing...nope...not unless you like this. One gal I know offers florist flower service...charges of course, picks the fl. up even
CCChefPwd: Right - because you don't really know what they want when you agree to take the cake

Icing Wiz: I lost money on the wedding cake I did last Saturday. She had an old price list so I agreed to the old price and then I still had to buy the stand and tulle and by the time I was finished it cost over $100 and I only got $95. I should of charged at least $200 for this cake esp. after getting to the reception and the flowers were still in boxes I had no scissors and was in tears
CCChefDol: Icing, ignore the florist flowers and leave...I do! I don't get paid, the florist did
Em1walt3: flowers are the florist's job
Icing Wiz: That is what I tried to explain to the bride she insisted I do the flowers but, I thought
CCChefDol: Em, right on...unless you get paid for it.
Icing Wiz: they were going to be in arrangements already

CCChefDol: does anyone here make gumpaste irises? I am making miniature irises
Winbeckler: The May issue of the ICES newsletter has a gum paste iris in it.
CCChefDol: Oh, thanks Marsha! I'll check it out
Winbeckler: The July issue has a candy paste iris in it.
CCChefDol: I'm kinda making my own method as I go, so far

L2jlu2: Marsha love your rolled buttercream recipe, just tried it this weekend
Winbeckler: Thanks!
L2jlu2: you are welcome, i will be ordering your book, to learn more about it.  tried recipe in ACD mag.
Winbeckler: You can do almost anything with it.
L2jlu2: can you make decorations, like with rolled fondant?
Winbeckler: Yes, and flowers, and figures, etc. etc.
L2jlu2: is all this in your book, sorry for all the questions
Winbeckler: Yes

Em1walt3: I am curious about a few things.  I would like to start a business but keep sane while trying to work a day job
Cindycake1: Em1. Its not easy and there are a lot of sleepless nights
Cindycake1: Sunday afternoon is a real crash day
JWGPKG: Not a "get rich quick" thing; a labor of love.
GOOO8: I agree with those comments, EM1; very hard to do without eventual burnout
Em1walt3: I was wondering if I should buy premade fondant Well, my I am going to be laid off by Christmas so I would like to ease into it
Cindycake1: I like homemade fondant because it is cheaper. But takes a while to make.
CCChefDol: Em, then it doesn't seem too bad...then you can take classes
Em1walt3: I have made homemade fondant, but it takes too long
Icing Wiz: Em where do you live?
Em1walt3: Miami fl
Icing Wiz: I live in Naples
CCChefPwd: I don't make my fondant - I buy it pre-made because of the time factor
IbeBakin4U: I would love to take more classes it seems there is always so much more to learn new ideas e
Em1walt3: hi neighbor
Icing Wiz: I have a day of sharing June 27 in Naples
MISTWI: Pwd, how do I find out if someone is coming to my area?
Icing Wiz: It is an all day cake demonstrations for $5
CCChefDol: MIST:::check my announcements page...I post it there if they let me know
L2jlu2: love to take classes, but it seems that all classes are in Texas, MN etc none in NY
Icing Wiz: there are people from Miami and Ft. Laud. coming
CRE8CAKE: Has anyone taken classes from Nicholas Lodge?
OnlineHost: Happcook has entered the room.
Em1walt3: well, i was once kind of offered to teach dec classes at Michael’s, but I am not Wilton cert
Mahsue: Hi Meyer....:-)
CCChefPwd: Classes are where someone organizes and invites a teacher in. Nicholas Lodge is a great teacher
I have had a couple of classes with him. Nicholas teaches mostly in Atlanta - I have a friend who just took one of his classes there and loved it.  They furnished everything - you just had to arrive for class
CRE8CAKE: I go up about once a month to Atlanta-I'm in Tampa Florida.

Cindycake1: Well hello neighbor. Are you an ICES member?
MIST, we have an ICES meeting coming up in July. You are more than welcome to attend!
In Vincennes - July 13 I believe. I haven't received the newsletter yet. I'll be demonstrating Air Brushing
Cindycake1: We have a lot of fun and talk cakes, cakes cakes!
MISTWI: What do you do at one of these meetings?
Cindycake1: First we have breakfast then a short meeting, then 3 demonstrations from various decorators.
CCChefPwd: Share, watch demos, learn, learn and learn MISTWI
Cindycake1: We also have lunch and a lot of talk time. We go the night before to spend the night in a nice hotel with other members and we have a great time. ICES dues are not expensive and the benefits are tremendous
Icing Wiz: I have met so many great people thru ICES and have learned so much
Cindycake1: Yes I do. We did a little advertising and now I so busy the phone doesn't stop ringing.
CCChefPwd: ICES is the best for learning and meeting the nicest  people
MISTWI: What's the name?
VALRIOS1: what is ICES??
Cindycake1: Cindy's Country Cakes. I do a lot of artwork that is different than anyone else’s here. I guess that is my niche.
CCChefPwd: International Cake Decorating Societe --> "Icing Caring Everyone Sharing" Different places every year.  THis year in St Paul, MN --- Next year in Kansas City, MO
CCChefDol: VAL, I have a full explanation of ICES on my website
Icing Wiz: International cake exploration society

Em1walt3: can you pay the mortgage on what you make in this biz?
GOOO8: I can't possibly imagine 70 cakes or anywhere close to that for me anyway.
CCChefPwd: Some of us choose to only do large specialty cakes and yes you can pay the mortgage
Bridal1: I can't imagine 70 cakes in a week, much less a day!
CCChefDol: GOOO, neither could I a few years ago
Gigimama: The key is to start slow, then build up gradually as you perfect your skills and learn to manage your time and resources
CCChefPwd: Right Gigimama. Build your skills as your business grows
KBius: cindy, do you do gumpaste
Cindycake1: Yes. Gumpaste is a little difficult at first but there is so much you can do with it
KBius: do you give lessons
Cindycake1: Not just flowers, but decorations and pillars . I give lessons in my spare time if. I'm not a Wilton Teacher. I'm self taught. But I can't see m to learn enough and learn a lot more
Em1walt3: i am self taught too
Icing Wiz: I am self taught and I am the only teacher in our county
Meyerinc01: is there any classes in Nebraska by chance
Bridal1: Where in Nebraska?
CCChefDol: Cindy...I'm self taught too...just until classes became available! Can learn so much
Cindycake1: Its a lot of fun. I could teach you. I would love to take a class up in Fort Wayne
KBius: me too, isn't that soon
CCChefPwd: Meyer I was supposed to come up to Nebraska last March to teach but  a death in the family prevented me from coming
Bridal1: Omaha, I can probably get you some leads to check if you e-mail me later.
Bridal1: Meyer, my e-mail is bridal1@AOL.Com
KBius: Cindy could I get your e address for lessons
Dee 0946: looking for someplace to take classes in Bucks County, PA area.
Does anyone know of any?
EffieGreen: where in bucks cnty?
Dee 0946: levittown
EffieGreen: Dee where are you in bucks co.?
CCChefDol: Dee, have you checked the cake dec. supply shops?
MISTWI: KB  ICES meeting in Vincennes on July 13, wanna go?
Cindycake1: The meeting is in Vincennes, IN. I don't know the exact place yet. I believe it will be at the Holiday Inn

Em1walt3: do you guys use cake mixes or from scratch?
Icing Wiz: scratch
CCChefDol: Em, mostly yes
CCChefPwd: You bet Em1walt3 - doctored cake mixes
Em1walt3: I have been doing scratch cakes
Cindycake1: I use mixes but the prices have gone through the roof!
CCChefDol: Em, Pwd has her doctored recipes on her web site too
Em1walt3: does, the box cake mix come out too soft to handle sometimes? Especially for tiered cake?
IbeBakin4U: Ive not had any trouble with it coming out soft
Icing Wiz: I think so Em too soft to ice for me I think scratch cake has
better texture and taste
CCChefPwd: Em1walt3 - the receipes I use handle like a dream - very firm but very moist
Em1walt3: I was wondering how to firm it up?
CCChefDol: Cake to soft, more eggs will toughen it...if you really want to
Em1walt3: do you guys use any soaking syrup?
Gigimama: I don't have any trouble with mix cakes
Gigimama: It's all I've ever used, guess its just a matter of what you're used to
IbeBakin4U: I've only used cake mixes

Dbpurple: how far in advance do you start to bake your cakes
CCChefPwd: Tuesday and Wednesday
CCChefDol: bake on Thurs, dec. on Fri, deliver on Sat...
Bridal1: I bake on Mondayor Tuesday usually and freeze
CCChefDol: don't have freezers...good idea
Dbpurple: how long would you freeze a cake?
CCChefDol: Db...freezer life for cakes they say is 3 months...
Bridal1: Mine are usually only frozen a few days, but I have had them longer - 2 -3 weeks.
CCChefDol: I've eaten cake...decorated etc, that was frozen MORE than 3 months and was really good too

Gigimama: Can you freeze piping gel? I have to freeze a decorated cake that is going to have a piping gel pool on it
Icing Wiz: whyb would you want to freeze piping gel?
CCChefPwd: Freezing piping gel might change the consistancy since it has gelatin in it
Icing Wiz: maybe you can draw the space w/a toothpick and put pool in later
Gigimama: That's probably what I'll do.  I'm going out of town, and a customer needs a cake during that time, so I'm going to make it and freeze it and let her add the get later
CCChefPwd: Give her a bag of piping gel and she can fill the pool herself
Cindycake1: I had a lot of fun with a birthday cake. I put edible glitter in the icing and piped the borders with it. It worked great!
JuleeJohns: Are you supposed to refrigerate gel after the container is opened?
Icing Wiz: not necessary Julee

IbeBakin4U: Can you put something in buttercream icing when you are tinting it dark colors to keep it from staining teeth
CCChefDol: Ibe:::didn't know it stained teeth????
IbeBakin4U: Black  Red And Dark Blue
Em1walt3: i had to make a "snake cake" for my nephew's 6th Birthday. Since it was all little kids, I did all cupcakes and put them together
CCChefDol: I've never seen people's teeth get stained with icing...CAN they folks?
CCChefPwd: If the coloring is strong enough - like the black
Gigimama: I've seen dark colors "stain" teeth until you drink water or brush them.
Em1walt3: i hate using dark colors for that reason
Gigimama: What's worse is what very dark blue does to your poop!
CCChefDol: I have never eaten red icing etc. I don't think the kids do either, not appetising I think
MISTWI: come see Stephen when I get done using those colors. I've seen it. So is purple
Cindycake1: The dark green is horrible for bleeding into other colors
Gigimama: I made a cake with a lot of dark blue for work, freaked everyone out the next day!
CCChefDol: Bleeding icing:::use powdered food coloring...guarenteed not to bleed or taste
Em1walt3: i did a bowling cake for 100 people for hubby's birthday with red, blues, yellow., and black
KBius: people hate dark colors in icing
CCChefDol: ...not guranteed not to stain the mouth LOL
MISTWI: can you get powdered coloring in all colors?
IbeBakin4U: I thought I was di\oing something wrong but i didn't know what??
OnlineHost: Bigsislkb has left the room.
Cindycake1: Some of my wedding cakes this year is Dark Purple and hunter green.
CCChefDol: Ibe:::no you can't, but is avail in the popular ones
CCChefPwd: CIndy - not iced in those colors surely
CCChefDol: <---doing a LOT more purple this year
Cindycake1: No, just floral work but to a minimum. Most white or off white icing

Em1walt3: how do you box odd shaped cakes for transport? My cakes end up weighing a ton
CCChefDol: Em...I prop the lid and staple on the OUTside
CCChefPwd: Put some non skid matting under them and box - then they won't move
Em1walt3: I need to do some heavy duty support on the boards
CCChefDol: My car always has the non-skid mat in it...great for groceries too!
Icing Wiz: I use it even for taking supplies to teach class on a cart
CCChefPwd: Big cakes really require some wooden boards for support - or masonite
HLeftyD: i keep two in my car and cut up one for my students

Em1walt3: i bought a mirror the other day and want to glue it to plywood
CCChefDol: Em, my mirror didn't last long...it tarnished like it was real old after only a very few uses
Em1walt3: I did a baby shower cake last week for a friend and put it on a mirror. It was fondant, pastel and in the shape of stacked gifts with a gumpaste ribbon. People asked "where's the cake" they thought it was a centerpiece
CCChefPwd: Good job Em - isn't that fun when you do that good a job

Shavkin: I have something to inform ICES member of that I believe most of you would want to know. Past ICES Board Member and Co-Show Director for the Indiana 1987 ICES Convention. Andrea of Indiana has passed away. Marsha informed Bridal and Bridal just informed me. I think that I should not give last name here, but will share it with whoever IM or e-mails
CCChefPwd: Was it an accident or was she ill
Bridal1: Had ovarian cancer. Didn't make it through surgery on Tuesday.
CCChefDol: she did!!! oh my, she wasn't old at all! I sure know who you mean Diane, terrible news, thanks for telling us
Shavkin: I served on the board with her and so did bridal and Pwd
CCChefDol: She worked at Cake Create when Jean Adams had it - I think
Bridal1: don't know any details. Yes, I think she did work for Jean

CCChefPwd: A bit of good news.  Al Prachyl is doing great in his recover from heart surgery
Bridal1: Great to hear Al is doing good! How's Cap??
CCChefDol: yes, how is Al doing?
CCChefPwd: Doing great.
Cindycake1: Oh no
Icing Wiz: was she sick Diane?