Jo Hameister held the fancy piece of paper, a certificate she had earned only on a technicality. After being an insurance broker behind a desk for 10 years, she wasn’t sure if this was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

Jo grew up in a proud lineage of farmers. Her family had owned the same farmland for over 110 years and six generations, leaving Jo with plenty of experience about the enterprise. Although Jo was happy to help out however she could, she felt like there was more she wanted than the simple farm life. Ambition led her to chase a business career that she felt she could be proud of. 

Now after a decade of working in an office, Jo felt certain that there was still so much more that she wanted from a career.  She got a general role at Lamonts, working closely with artists and galleries, the Winery and Restaurants in an almost all-woman, all-star team. 

Time passed, and Jo was feeling much better about herself and where she was in life. Just for fun and to learn something new, she took a cooking course, where she completely fell in love with the art of baking. She would any excuse she could to bake, even making customised cakes for her friends and family. 

One day, a friend of Jo who loved her baking asked if she could commission Jo to make their wedding cake. Initially, Jo said no; but after thinking about the chance to make something great for a special occasion, she agreed. This one moment became the spark of confidence Jo needed to turn her hobby into a profession, crafting culinary artisan cakes.

After finding a job that she loved wholeheartedly, Jo took everything from her life and put it into her passion. Her time working in an office gave Jo a head-start on how to organise legal documents and run her business. Life on the farm provided an appreciation for fresh, locally sourced ingredients and rich tastes. She often experimented with ingredients, ensuring each slice is rich in flavour and aesthetics. Her love for art was a part of her, and it drove her to create cakes that didn’t need to look like the traditional cake designs. 

Customers would often think Jo only made one cake a week due to the amount of attention and care she put into each cake. In reality, she worked on around six orders per week, but her love of giving her clients their perfect cake was one of her favourite parts of the job. But her best moment is when her clients send her the most beautiful and meaningful thank you note, where she can sometimes get emotional. 

This love for her work and clients is exactly what cultivated her drive and passion.

Jo’s handcrafted cake business started from curiosity that she decided to explore. Because she took chances to discover what she loved, Jo found exactly what she was searching for, and became happier and more satisfied with both her work and life. 

Everyone has their own experience and a unique story to tell. Once you’ve found the thing that you are passionate about, take a chance and make it yours. The secret ingredient that makes truly great artists is to take everything you love, and put it into your craft. It will be something the world has never seen before because it comes from the only you in the world.