Whisk Management

By Blayre WrightArts Food

Whisk Management episodes

June 23, 2025Pastry is Poetry, Pastry is Political, Pastry is Community: Emily Wilson | Em Wilson Pastry
Today’s guest shares the importance of not JUST offering baked goods through your business, but having an intention and a purpose behind everything you do as a business owner and creative.
Join me as I chat with Emily Wilson of Philadelphia’s Em Wilson pastry. Not only does she make the most drool-worthy pretzels, laminated pastries, and other delicious treats, but she also places a big emphasis on filling a need in her West Philly community by offering local and sustainable products.

Today we’re chatting about:
Emily’s start in the pastry scene and how she worked her way through several Philadelphia bakery institutions
How Emily faced burnout and decided to leave the industry and start running bake sales to make rent
Em Wilson Pastry’s transition from shared church kitchen to a spacious studio in Philly’s Global Dye Works
Emily’s approach to pastry, workflow, and menu development
The importance of transparency as a business owner
How to determine the needs of your community and serve that through the way you do business

Support Emily:
-Visit her website or follow her on Instagram
-Check out her Hotplate to place an order!
Also mentioned in this episode:
-The Malvern Buttery
-Emily’s studio-mate, Bake Bake Philly!
-Emily’s supper club
Support Blayre:
-follow the pod on instagram
-follow the pod on tiktok
-follow Blayre’s biz on instagram or check out the website
1 hr 7 min
May 27, 2025 S3 Ep.6: Luxury is a Mindset | Minette Rushing, Minette Rushing Cakes
Get out your gum paste and make sure those petal dusts are ready, because today we have a wedding cake MASTER in our midst!
Today’s guest episode features the incredible Minette Rushing, owner of Savannah-based Minette Rushing Cakes. From her impressive roster of clients to her passion for sharing her knowledge with other bakers, Minette is the epitome of a seasoned professional.
Today we’re chatting about:
-Her foray into the cake World and how she took the jump when opportunity presented itself
-Her decision to scale down from a brick-and-mortar shop (which she ran for 10 years!) to a home-based studio
-Alll about the luxury wedding market- how she leveled up her business to cater to this clientele, how to position yourself to do the same, and her tips to make sure you’re not just talking the talk, but walking the walk!
-Minette’s Cake pricing tips! How to price for profit and how to confidently present pricing to make the sale
Support Minette!
-Follow her on Instagram and check out her website
-Subscribe to her Substack blog, Company & Cake
-Join The Wedding Cake Group on Facebook
-Take a class with her
Support the Pod!
-Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok
-Check out Blayre’s biz instagram or website
-Check out the Whisk Management Shop (use the discount code WMPOD - only a few left!)
55 min
May 12, 2025S3. Ep. 5: The 5 W's of Wedding Cake Consultations (and the Whisk Management Shop is OPEN!)
Get out your throwing sprinkles because the Whisk Management Shop is officially open for business! 🎉
Today I walk you through the two digital products now available—my Wedding Cake Consultation Guide and Ultimate Wedding Cake Cutting Guide Toolkit—and how they’re designed to help cake designers like you streamline your process and elevate your client experience.
In this episode we’re talking:
What’s inside the new Whisk Management Shop
Who these digital products are perfect for
How the Wedding Cake Consultation Guide can help you feel more confident and organized
How the Cutting Guide will be a communication game-changer on delivery days
A sneak peek at the 5 W’s of a successful wedding cake consultation
Whether you’re just starting your cake business or ready to tighten up your systems, this one’s for you.
🛍️ Check out the Whisk Management Shop here and use code WMPOD for $3 off of your total order!

Support the Podcast on instagram and don't forget to share with your baker friends!
Support Blayre on instagram or check out her website for more info about her biz
28 min
April 29, 2025S3 Ep. 4: Right Place, Right Time | Kristina Malone, Kristina's Kitchen & Kristina's Cakery
In this episode, I sit down with Kristina Malone, the passionate force behind Kristina’s Kitchen and Kristina’s Cakery in Millville, DE. With roots in hospitality and a heart for her community, Kristina shares her entrepreneurial journey—from launching a café during the height of COVID to becoming a go-to spot for gluten-free and vegan baked goods. This conversation is packed with real talk, valuable insights, and plenty of inspiration for anyone building a business with purpose.
We chat about:
Kristina’s background in hospitality and the spa industry and how it led to café ownership
What it was like opening her business during the COVID-19 pandemic
Lessons learned about managing a team and yourself as a business owner
How she’s grown her brand to include a successful bakery alongside the café
Creating gluten-free and vegan offerings that truly serve her customers’ needs
The importance of listening to and serving your local community
The dynamics of running a business with your spouse and how to make it work
Support Kristina!
Follow the cafe or the bakery on Instagram
Check out the cafe or the bakery online
Give Kristina's Kitchen and Cakery a visit!
Check out Santa's Letters, her non-profit

Support Blayre & The Pod!
Follow the pod on Instagram
Follow Blayre's biz, Flouretta Sweet, on Instagram or check her out online

And, as always, be sure to leave us a review and tell your baker friends about us!
1 hr 5 min
April 14, 2025S3. Ep. 3: Leveling Up My Cake Biz- Pt. 2
We're BACK with Part Two of my business relocation and glow up story!
Join me as I fill you in on the nitty gritty details of this complicated process and what I'm learning from them.

This episode, we continue the journey and I'm spill ALLLL the tea on:
The process of applying for and speaking at a public zoning hearing and how I was faced with some opposition
The endless back-and-forth with our favorite person, the health inspector
Hiring and working with an Architectural Designer to come up with plans for my studio
Getting things situated with alllll of the local municipalities that need to approve my business plans here in NH
Where I am in the process now
If you want to watch my public zoning hearing for yourself, check it out here! My section starts at 1hr 24mins

Support the pod:
-Follow WM on Instagram
-Leave a review and be sure to tell your baker friends about us!

Support Blayre:
-Follow Flouretta Sweet on Instagram
-Flouretta Sweet Website
34 min
March 24, 2025S3. Ep. 2: Trends, Seasonality & the Art of Flexibility | Bronwen Wyatt, Bayou Saint Cake
Today's guest sets trends, concocts gorgeous flavor combos, and is a pro buttercream squiggler
(yeah, I said squiggler!)

It's the first guest episode of Season 3 and we are starting things off with a BANG!
I'm honored to welcome one of my personal favorite cake creatives and pastry chefs, Bronwen Wyatt, into the studio.

We're talking:
Trends! Is nothing original anymore or does it need to be that way in order for us to learn our own sense of design style?
How Bronwen went from a full-time pastry chef to suddenly a full-time cake business owner
Seasonality and flavor building! Satsuma? Chicory? Fig Leaf Buttercream?!! How does Bronwen infuse the skills she learned throughout storied pastry career into her bakes now?
Bronwen's tips on how to remain flexible when things change, and how to recognize when something isn't serving you anymore
What life is like in NOLA!

Support Bronwen!
Follow her on Instagram
Check out her website
Check out her courses
Read her newsletter
LAMB CAKES?!

Don't forget to follow the podcast on Instagram and keep up with Blayre on her Instagram or her website.
And of course, be sure to share the pod with your baker friends and leave me a 5-star review if you loved this episode!
53 min
March 10, 2025 S3 Ep. 1: Leveling Up My Cake Biz Pt. 1
We're BAAAAACKKKKK (For Season 3!)
Hello hello friends! My winter break is officially over, the weather is starting to rise above 20 degrees here in New England and it's TIME for Whisk Management Season 3!
I literally can't believe we're here, but because of all of you, your interest in my content, and the amazing community of Whisktakers (both listeners and guests) have made this so fun for me and worth continuing :)

This episode, I'm updating all of you about my big relocation and how it's truly upleveled my business. I'll be walking you through the steps I've taken so far and giving you tips to manage all of the things that come up when you relocate your business, switch to offering new product, or even just start from scratch!

We'll discuss:
-WHY I decided to uproot my life and business and move seven hours North
-How I prepped for the announcement of my relocation
-All the things you need to research ahead of time AND once you arrive at your destination
-How to expect the unexpected and be ready for whatever comes at you (even when it's scary!)
Mentioned in this episode:
-Our March guest (!!!) Bronwen Wyatt of Bayou Saint Cake
-Season 1, Episode 13: So Ya Wanna Start a Home Baking Business?
-Season 2, Episode 10: So Ya Wanna Be a Wedding Cake Designer?
-Niche- a website to help with relocation research
-Minette Rushing Cakes

Support The Podcast by giving us a follow on Instagram and leaving a 5-star review wherever you listen!
Support Blayre and stay updated with her by following Flouretta Sweet on Instagram
36 min
December 30, 2024S2 Ep. 14: You Don't Need a New Year to Start Anew | Maria Sylvester Terry, Non-Diet Nutritionist
New Year... Same BADASS you!
Well friends, it's the FINAL episode of Season 2 and we are going out with a BANG (and maybe a little treat too)!
Today we welcome Non-Diet Nutritionist, Sturdy Girl, and Mayor of the Little Treat Life, Maria Sylvester Terry to the pod! She is one of my FAVORITE content creators ever ever on IG, and if you're looking for someone to pump you up and tell you things you need to hear (lovingly) with big BFF energy, Maria is your girl!
Today we're chatting about:
Maria's journey to find healing and self acceptance after years of dieting, uncertainty, and burnout.
drowning out urgency culture and the importance of tuning into what your body and mind need instead
how to survive New Year, New You marketing (and how to avoid trying to sell to your own clients in that way)
how to navigate working in a industry that glorifies good food and hospitality while living in a world that demonizes sweets and pleasure
Maria's tips on how to use food neutrality to shift your perspective on your body, food, and even how you work with clients
Maria's life living and working in New Orleans
Connect with Maria:
-On Instagram
-Through a class with her
-Through one-on-one coaching
-Through group coaching
-Join her (free!) Sunday Brunch newsletter

Other awesome accounts mentioned in this episode:
-Dalina from Your Latina Nutritionist
-Lauren from Lauren Leavell Fitness
-Rest Days Podcast

Follow Blayre's journey setting her biz up in NH!
1 hr 30 min
November 18, 2024S2 Ep. 13: Fostering Creativity & Lifelong Learning | Jenna Jenkins, buttersugarflour & Cescaphe Events
Today we welcome a true wedding cake chameleon to the pod,
because she can DO IT ALL!
Sugar flowers? Yes. Modern, colorful fondant cakes? Yes. Buttercream ruffles, petals, Lambeth? YEP. Baroque classical beauties? You know where I'm going with this.
Jenna Jenkins is the face behind ButterSugarFlour, 2024 winner of Best Wedding Cakes at the American Cake Awards, AND the Executive Cake Designer at Philadelphia-based Cescaphe Events.
Today we're talking about:
Jenna's experience working in a high-volume cake design environment by day, and running her solo cake biz by night
The importance of communication with your team, employees, and clients when working with tons of details
Jenna's thoughts on how to be a lifelong learner and building long-term client relationships
The excitement of working toward and finally WINNING Best Wedding Cakes at the American Cake Awards
Jenna's tips on how to hack your workflow and how to find a cake design job that will improve your skills
Support Jenna on Instagram and Facebook!
Support the podcast on Instagram, or follow Blayre's biz on Instagram

And be sure to tell your baker friends about the pod and leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen!
56 min
October 31, 2024S2. Ep. 12: From the Big Stage to the Soundstage (and many pastries in between) | Zac Young, Pastry Chef & Food TV Personality
HAPPY HALLOWEEN WHISKTAKERS!
It’s become a thing on the podcast to have a fun episode for Halloween. After filming Halloween Baking Championship Season 8 in 2022, Halloween has become a super meaningful holiday to me! Last year I welcomed two past HBC winners for a fun roundtable. This year, I knew I had to go even bigger… so I invited HBC JUDGE, Pastry Chef Extraordinaire, and the entrepreneur behind the infamous Piecaken, Zac Young, to join us in the studio!

This episode has ALL THE THINGS:
Hear about Zac’s unique journey from a musical theater career to somehow finding himself enrolling in culinary school
Zac’s adventures working as part of the opening team at Bouchon Bakery, as the pastry chef for Alex Guarnaschelli, and consulting for (and ultimately becoming a partner at) The David Burke Group.
The story behind the creation of the Piecaken, Zac’s foray into large-scale production desserts for wholesale, and the opening of his newest venture, Zac Young’s Sprinkletown
How Zac landed his “night job” doing Food TV, and how he balances his crazy schedule
ALLLL of the behind-the-scenes tea about Halloween Baking Championship, what it’s like to be a judge on Food TV, and a fun round of HBC-themed rapid-fire-questions!
Support Zac!
Follow him on Instagram
Check out Piecaken Bakeshop on Goldbelly or visit Zac Young’s Sprinkletown
Watch Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship, now streaming on MAX

Support the Pod!
Follow us on Instagram
Be sure to leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts!
1 hr 57 min

About Whisk Management

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to Whisk Management, the podcast for cakers, bakers, and sweet entrepreneurs! If you’re looking to run a sweet business that makes you money, allows you to express your creative voice, and…