Today we’d like to introduce you to Pascal Simon.
Hi Pascal, 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 went to culinary school at 43 to start a new career. Going into culinary school, I did not have a clear plan on what I was going to do with the decree, but I had a passion for baking and really loved my teacher, Chef Pavla. Once I graduated, I thought of starting a cake decorating business, but a friend asked me to teach her daughter how to bake and this is where my Kids Culinary School was born.
It all started in my living room with one stand mixer and a bunch of kids that were eager to learn how to bake.
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?
Of course, it was not a smooth road, I think being an entrepreneur is probably the hardest job I have ever had. It is difficult to ever stop, the business always pulls on you in some capacity. I am very fortunate that I have a wonderful community and people that really love what I do, so when big things happen, like the pandemic, for example, we rally together to find solutions.
When the business was very young, the biggest challenge for me was how to learn all the different skills that are necessary when you work from a limited budget. I had to become the advertisement agency, the social media expert, the accountant, the bookkeeper, the cleaner, the shopper, the CEO and of course the teacher.
I think the biggest challenge though to this day was to pivot my business from in-person to online.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I teach kids how to cook and bake in their own kitchens. My passion is in empowering kids to learn how to create amazing healthy meals on their own by taking the fear out of using kitchen tools. It is my mission to teach kids life skills that they will carry with them into their future, creating a healthy relationship with food and also feeling the freedom to do hard things and accomplish goals that they previously might have not been willing to tackle. I think what I am most known for is my patience, I encourage kids to ask me questions in our classes, I care deeply about what they are working on and I am 100% there for each one of them.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I absolutely love Brene Brown.
Contact Info:
- Email: bakeaustin@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.bakeaustin.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bakeaustin
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bakeaustin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwfcKSmmfqGu964suMu5h2A
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bake-austin-austin
Image Credits
The two photos of the kids working were taken by the parents. The photos in the IceCream Museum (image with pink tile and cotton candy) are by Alina Prax
