Julia Baker of Julia Baker Confections

Julia Baker is a world renowned chocolatier who has shared her personal story with us. Check out her creations at http://www.juliabakerconfections.com/.

By Taylor Pineda

Was there a pivotal moment in your life that led to your decision to give up one career and follow your dream?

In my prior life, I traveled throughout the country as a statistician with a software company. During my travels, I dined at some of the world’s best restaurants such as Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago and Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in LA, and the more I enjoyed their meals, the more I realized that I wanted to learn to cook like these chefs. When the software company went public, I decided the time was right to make the move to follow this dream. I headed to Paris for the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu Paris and I graduated first in my class with the school’s highest honors for cuisine and pastry. Throughout my studies there, I realized that among every type of food I prepared that my true passion was really in desserts, and specifically, chocolate. This is what ultimately led to the creation of Julia Baker Confections.

Graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Paris would provide you with many opportunities, why did you select Scottsdale for your business location?

I came to know Phoenix and the Scottsdale area through my business travels and always enjoyed it. Besides the beautiful setting and the world-class leisure activities, the area has a reputation as an advantageous place for business and especially entrepreneurs. So when I had the option to move here, I jumped at it. Arizona has been good to Julia Baker Confections and me. It’s our home.

What has been the most rewarding part of your career?

What’s rewarding is the pure joy I see on people’s faces as they take a bite of a dessert or chocolate I’ve created. There’s something so exciting knowing that all the passion my team and I put into our work leads to these types of real, pure reactions. We get to see it all the time now at our new store in the Biltmore Fashion Park!

Being a world traveler and highly sought after chef, what has kept you grounded and focused on your creations? This business is a 24/7 job and one that requires my full attention. I always have a note pad next to me to sketch out different things…whether it’s a new chocolate, a cake design or a new type of unique packaging. It’s all about telling the Julia Baker Confections story, and ensuring that everything positively reflects on the brand. I am constantly asking my team and myself if what we’re doing is the best it can be and where do we need to improve. I am always looking for inspiration and that is part of the reason why I love traveling. There is so much inspiration out there in the world.

What has been your most unique creation? That is always a tough question to answer since we’ve made so many custom cakes, desserts and chocolates, and I really believe they’re all unique works of art. That being said, I do love the sugar shoes I created, that were mini versions of my favorite designer shoes. I’m also partial to my signature petal cake. We actually share photos of some of our most beautiful and interesting creations on our Facebook page, and those are among our most popular posts!

You have modernized chocolate and infused unique taste in your creations, what are your future innovative ideas to continue to revive taste buds and please customers?

We’re always looking at ways to extend upon our product offerings, whether it’s further perfecting our existing products or adding new flavors or styles. There’s a lot of research, trial and error, and behind the scenes work that goes on, all designed to deliver the best chocolate experience for our customers.

Where do you get your motivation for new recipes and designs?

Fashion has had a strong influence on the design of my desserts. Good training has motivated me to continue to create something new, flavorful, unusual and exciting. And of course my custom clients keep me especially focused. They seek in us the professional expertise to create something quite exquisite, and something that beautifully reflects them and their special occasion as well. That intuitive, sometimes spontaneous, process keeps me challenged and constantly in a creative mode.

There is a certain level of competition to have the best chocolate in town; what makes a great chocolate?

You always need to start with the finest ingredients; there can’t be any cutting of corners here. Everything must be properly sourced and recipes tested, over and over, until it’s just right. Once the ingredients and recipes are where they need to be, meticulous care and great attention to detail is critical in ensuring the quality of the chocolate. The combination of looking good and tasting good is absolutely critical in the world of fine chocolates and desserts.

Being successful in so many different avenues, including as a business woman, what advice would you give to young women wanting to be successful in any industry?

Have a thick skin and the willingness to persevere, even in the face of challenges and self-doubt. Be willing to put in your time and pay your dues; realize that you ultimately are responsible for your success. Finally, be passionate about what you do. Even if you’re not doing exactly what you want to do in your career, work hard to find the positives and use those to motivate you to be the best you can be.