Today we’d like to introduce you to Chrislynn Eikel.
Hi Chrislynn , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Of course! I was born and raised in southwest Louisiana, where I was a creative oddball. When I turned 18, I flew the coop to San Antonio, Texas, to attend art school at the Art Institute of San Antonio. It was there that I got my first baking job at a cookie/ice cream parlor, decorating ice cream cakes and celebration cookie cakes. I worked in a few different places in college, but no matter what I tried, sweets were always following me. When the military moved my family to Fort Hood, I finally realized that my two callings could become one – as a spectacular cake artist. I started honing my skills there, taking medium-specific classes, competing in local and international cake shows, and attending conventions. All of this knowledge I gained, I brought with me to Georgia, where I officially launched Chrislynn’s Confections as a business. Today, we offer large sculpted and exquisitely decorated wedding and event cakes.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey has been anything but smooth. I worked three jobs just to make ends meet in college. I quit my job to focus on cakes full-time right before COVID hit, and boy, did it hit us hard. No one was having parties, so no one was ordering cakes. This is where I really honed in on testing out flavors and perfecting them by trading cupcakes for honest critiques. Just when I was starting to make a name for myself in Texas, the military moved us halfway across the country to Georgia. All of these things helped to build my character, though, and showed me just how resilient I was. I built my business back up with a husband that was overseas, an infant on my hip and exceeded all expectations, building a name that is spread from Hilton Head to Jekyll and beyond.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a luxury custom cake artist, specializing in tiered cakes with depth and texture, edible sculpted toppers, and fully sculpted gravity-defying cakes. I am most well known for creating hyper-realistic cakes depicting animals, foods, and products that lead you to ask the question, “Is this REALLY all cake?!”
I am most proud of my attention to every minute detail, such as the texture of a sheet cake cutting board, the way tiny sculpted hands rest together, and action poses on every organic cake I carve. My absolute favorite thus far has to be my beer-drinking armadillo – he was so cool to study and work on!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I believe that owning a business comes with a certain amount of risk-taking. I quit my job to focus my energy on this business full-time. I took the risk of uprooting my business and restarting in a different state. These risks were necessary and calculated, but paid off greatly every time, and this is just the start.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chrislynnsconfections.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrislynnsconfections
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrislynnsconfections
