09/06/2025
Settle in. This is a long one. š
(TLDR at the end)
At the beginning of 2021, I was lying in bed in a pretty low spot. I started homeschooling my kids because online school wasnāt their thing. Marcus worked long hours in a hospital, which stressed us out because - COVID. I knew I needed to find something that was just for me. Not for Marcus, not for any of my kids, just for me. From the time I woke up to the time I fell into bed, I was doing things for others. I didnāt have anything that was mine. Once I realized I needed this, I started looking for things that were āpopularā at the moment that I might enjoy learning, and bonus points if I could help make some money with my new hobby.
I honestly couldnāt have told you what a macaron was then, but they were everywhere. So, I told Marcus I wanted to learn how to make them. I had never tasted one, The only thing I knew about them was they were hard to make, and I wanted a challenge. I didnāt realize how big of a challenge I was giving myself, but it was so good. After LOTS of research, I finally got brave enough to try a batch. They werenāt great in the beginning, but shout out to my family for encouraging me and telling me they were good. ... or telling me, āMom, I love you, but I donāt love your macarons.ā Ha ha.
Six months later, I got brave enough to try and sell them. When I say this took me out of my comfort zone, I mean WAY out of my comfort zone. Iām not good at putting myself out there for rejection. I am not an adrenaline ju**ie and just like to stay in my lane minding my own business. Somehow, I did it anyway. This was honestly probably the bravest thing I have ever done in my life.
I didnāt realize at that moment that macarons would take over my life. I say that quite literally. I hyperfocus on things and obsess over them. Constantly thinking of new flavors, what should I do next, how can I make them better, what flavors should I sell next, do people like them, do people not like them, on and on and on. I also didnāt realize that selling macarons would turn me into a web designer, graphic artist, social media manager, saleswoman,.. The list goes on. All these new things that I needed to become successful were added to the list. Is this flavor guide cute enough? Can they read this font? Does this link work for this? How can we make ordering easier? I need to post something today,., etc. Itās quite exhausting!
Through this journey, you guys have given me so much confidence. I am so grateful for every positive comment Iāve gotten and every time someone recommended me to someone else. You will never know how appreciative I am for the support and love. The most memorable moment - I was selling at a market and a lady passed by my booth, but her daughter stopped and bought a two pack. A few minutes later, the lady returned to talk to me. I started getting nervous when I saw her focused on us - clearly she had something to say. She started talking and I could have died when I heard her accent. She is from EUROPE! Oh crap. I knew what was coming. She was going to tell me I was a fraud and shouldnāt be selling macarons. How dare you disgrace macarons with this terrible imitationā¦ Every negative thought went through my head. I was stressed and ready to run out the door.
ā¦
I was dead wrong. She told me, āThese are the best macarons I have tasted in the United States. They usually donāt compare to ones back home, but these taste just like the ones I get there.ā I almost fell over. Seriously. That is NOT what I was expecting, but I will forever be grateful for this interaction. She gave me the validation I didnāt know I was seeking. I never truly knew if my macarons were like authentic ones. I had never tried one, and nobody I trust to tell me the way it is had tried one either. Now that someone who has tried both told me they are the same, I really felt I had nailed it and didnāt feel like an imposter anymore. The high point of this journey. I will forever be grateful for her.
I had big dreams to get a bigger kitchen and make this business bigger. I wanted to start a bakery truck, maybe open a commissary kitchen so I could make whatever I wanted, or if I got really brave, a store front. I was enjoying selling macarons and loved hearing that people enjoy what I made. Everything was going great. Life was good.
In the past 6 months, I started having carpal tunnel pain in my hands, and the joy of making macarons has been fading. When I make a lot of macarons in a few days, I have to sleep with braces on for days after to recover.
After much consideration, almost 5 years later, I have decided that it is time for me to end this COVID passion project. Itās kind of funny because in about 4 months, I will have the bigger kitchen Iāve dreamed about making macarons in for years. Itās funny how Godās timing works sometimes. I will not miss the late nights, 24/7 stress, and tears. I will miss coming up with new flavors, trying to figure out how to turn things into macarons, and hearing how much people enjoy them. With that said, I am ready to move on and find something else to hyperfocus on. It has been fun sharing my macarons with you and Iām so glad youāve all enjoyed them.
Even though I wonāt be making macarons professionally anymore, if you ever need or want any for a special occasion, hit me up. I still enjoy making them, itās just not worth it at this point in my life to do it professionally. ...And donāt you worry, thereās a good chance teacher gifts and thank yous for others will still be macarons. I didnāt take years refining this skill to lose it! So, honestly, if you ever want macarons for anything, let me know. Thank you! Love you all!
TLDR: Iām no longer making macarons professionally, but if you ever want a special order, Iād be happy to make some for you!
