No 'Buddy' Does Cake Better

While Buddy was at the Grand Opening of the Township of Pine Market District, I sat down with him, one-on-one and interviewed the CAKE BOSS! As I sat right next to Buddy Valastro, all I kept thinking was "WOW, I wish my daughter was here and not taking mid-terms!"

Buddy is her Hero and as I learned that day, he is the ICON/Heart throb of a bunch of other young girls! The Market District of Pine Township had many young, future CAKE BOSS divas yearning to meet Buddy! The truest testament to this was when Buddy walked downstairs, and the line of girls saw him, there was a "awwwwww" heard throughout the whole store just because he walked past.

It is not just the younger generation who is enthralled with Buddy, the CAKE BOSS phenomenon spans across all generations, as the show and BUDDY are vivacious and inspiring.

Anyone who has ever worked in a family business can understand the steps it has taken to get to the PLACE Buddy is in right now, through dedicated hard work, and that makes his story all the more inspiring. I did not want to ask typical questions - those are boring to me. I wanted to know the lows, highs and the in betweens, to see exactly WHO the Cake Boss is!

Let me start by saying, I felt as if I knew Buddy forever, from the minute he started talking to the time we ended our interview almost 45 minutes later. He is so relaxed and comfortable and confidant with the person he is, you know he has worked hard to get to this point in his life. Buddy takes nothing for granted and finds every Cake baked a learning experience. Buddy apprenticed under his father and spent countless hours with his dad in the family bakery. The craft that Buddy presents goes beyond Artist. Buddy has a passion and an undying devotion that propels Carlo's Bakery and the Hit Series Cake Boss into the successful venues that they are.

THE BUDDY METHOD

Buddy explained that there is always a way to do things better. Elaborating on this it goes like this: The method is do, do and do again, until a method is perfected, and then perfect it again for the tools and the amount of ingredients that will be used. Good is never good enough for the CAKE BOSS. Beginning LARGE CAKE designs was a venture that was expensive and time-consuming. Buddy would, by his own admission, be obsessive and compulsive in order to get every last detail down pat, and then do it again better with less time, and less materials. The large jobs required practice and work to perfect the method of working with each material and making sure it was precise and would create the appropriate look. Buddy works a project over and over again until he gets it perfected, trimmed down for both time and cost. When the show began taking off financing these things became less of a concern, but the timing remained very important because TIME is MONEY. Business is Business, however, larger budgets do not change perfection and precision which is exactly what sets BUDDY, Carlo's Bakery and the CAKE BOSS apart from anyone else out there!

Figuring that many of you would like to know a few personal things about Buddy I asked about the Most Complicated Cake that he had produced, The Biggest Disaster he had, and Where to next?

MOST COMPLICATED CAKE

His answer: The Transformer Cake!

BIGGEST MISTAKE

Buddy said his biggest mistake had to be dropping the Chandelier cake.

WHERE TO NOW?

I asked Buddy if he had anyone that he really wanted to make a cake for. Buddy said he had wanted to make a cake for OPRAH, but that then he was asked and that is now done. His next real WANT would be creating a cake for any occasion for the President of the United States, a Past or Present President no difference, however, the President would have to request the cake. Buddy felt this would be the a great honor. As soon as Buddy said this Presidential Inauguration came to mind because who better to bring on the sweets in a Trendy, elaborately-crafted presentation?You got it!!THE CAKE BOSS.

THE CAKE BOSS CODE

After speaking to Buddy for a while, I came to learn that there are traits that will help you become successful and it is those traits that Buddy is consistently looking for in others. Buddy described an undying drive, no giving up, no caving- in attitude with a constant pulse and vibe for everything that he does. The business is a business 24/7 not 8 hours a day. Buddy is self-proclaimed obsessive-compulsive and it works really WELL for him. Buddy promised his mom that Carlo's Bakery would live on after Buddy lost his father when Buddy was 17- and live on------ it has. Buddy has breathed a new kind of life into the business and the VIBE has driven the business to success beyond belief.

Buddy has worked on Carlo's Bakery, piece by piece to evolve it to the point that it is, and as Buddy stated, the Show is just a part of it, his work is what is most important. I think the thing that is most curious and mentioned by Buddy is that a lot of times people forget that he still just makes regular cakes and cupcakes, not just the elaborate ones that everyone see on the shows, and he adds that there is enjoyment in creating the basic cakes. ( I can tell you that my daughter has already requested a BUDDY Cake for her graduation)

Meeting and speaking with Buddy was awe-inspiring, fabulous and unbelievable. The person behind the bakery is an absolute force who creates an amazing no-nonsense aura and yet is very approachable and humble. Going into the Market District Of Pine Township Conference Room to meet with Buddy I had no idea what to expect! After speaking with Buddy for about 45 minutes I can tell you, I felt privileged and humbled. My husband, who was with me while I spoke with Buddy shook hands with Buddy, I went to shake Buddy's hand, and instead was met with a HUG, just more KUDOS and testament to the person that Buddy is!  

I would like to thank The Market District of Pine Township for allowing me this special meeting & I would like to thank Buddy for taking the time to speak with me!