Meet Chelsea Pilipiszyn | Retail Manager and Baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chelsea Pilipiszyn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chelsea, what role has risk played in your life or career?
If you had told me five years ago that I would be doing what I do now I would never have believed it. Up until my second year of college, I was certain I was destined to be a veterinarian. I spent the majority of my college career invested in a future in the sciences. My plan to be a veterinarian eventually shifted to an interest in biomedical lab work. Then later into working in Student Affairs, and then eventually into the career I am finally pursuing as my side hustle: running my own business as a baker. I have learned that risk-taking is so critical to becoming the next best version of myself. When I took the risk of leaving my first job post graduation and moving to California I was so terrified but I also loved the thrill. Baking began as a sort of therapy for myself when I was struggling heavily with feelings of overwhelm and unfuliment at my first real world job. It slowly progressed into a true passion. I knew that somehow some way I would find a way to pursue baking as a career. It was a scary thought as I had always imagined myself in careers like being a vet, being a scientist/researcher, being a student counselor, etc. I had never pictured myself as a creative career type person. But I knew that on the other side of me wanting to begin something new was a happier, more fulfilled version of myself. After moving to California for a new beginning, I began my daytime job in retail while pushing myself to stay creative and enjoy baking as much as possible. I was constantly trying new recipes and practicing my baking skills in my spare time. I would bring baked good for my co workers to try and give me feedback. I was loving it. Eventually during the pandemic I decided it was time to fully commit to being a true business. I got my business license in 2020 and since then have been working now as a manager at my retail job by day and taking care of orders by night and on my days off. My story of how my business came to be and continues to grow is truly a testament to how important it is to take risks and believe in yourself. Once I was able to let go of the idea of what I thought my future was suppose to look like, and let myself dream and have fun, that is when I knew I was becoming the next best version of myself. I am eager to keep growing and failing my way to success. It has not been an easy road by any means, and I have made PLENTY of mistakes, but with every mishap, I have been able to learn so much. I cannot wait to see where this all continues to go!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My motto when it comes to my business is “everything is a lesson.” When I go into a project, especially one that requires me to try some sort of skill for the very first time, I have to remind myself of this. Becuase here’s the thing: I don’t have any formal education or training for my art. My bachelor’s degree is in animal science and my day job is managing a resale boutique (which I also love!). So when I tell you that I am ALWAYS teaching myself how to do things. I really mean it. I like to joke that all my education in my business comes from Youtube Univeristy. And it’s true!! From simply learning how to begin my business to mastering the skill of the perfect french macaron. Everything I know all began in my google search bar. Oh and probably a few hundred failed attempts before figuring out how to do things correctly. And I honestly would not have it any other way. I think coming from a science background, especially one that involved a lot of time in a lab surrounded by petri dishes, has really helped me as a baker in many ways. First off, I appreciate a good step by step protocol aka recipe. And I understanding the importance of patience and refining your methods as you gather your data. While mishaps and catastrophies are a pain to deal with it when you have a deadline to meet, they also provide you with so much more information than when you began the process. It has taken me a good 2 years to master the french macaron. Failed attempt after failed attempt I have made sure to document every little thing that I did so that I could run to google, figure out what I could do the next time around for a better result, and then try and try again. I recently reached a big goal of mine, which was to make my first tiered cake. And that was absolutely terrifying. But I knew I wanted to do it, and mastering that would open so many more opportunities for events such as weddings! So I watched youtube video upon youtube video and read several articles from food bloggers about their tips and tricks. And eventually I just did it myself! It turned out so beautiful and amazing! I am beyond proud of myself for this accomplishment. I spent so many hours dedicated to achieving this goal and finally just trusted myself and believed I could do it. Now that I’ve done one tiered cake I know I can handle more! This makes me so eager and excited for future opportunities to showcase my skills. The biggest thing that I would want people to know about me is that I really put my all into my craft. I am often staying up very late into the night or even the next morning to get my orders done. I redo and redo something until I feel satisfied with the outcome. I know that practice makes progress. Of course I want things to come out as perfect as possible, but at the end of the day I am one person. One young woman trying to do her best. Like most women in business, I wear many hats and I am often too hard on myself. So I put my all into everything I do, but I also have grace with myself (or at least try to) which of course is a lifelong journey. I do hope it inspires other women to do the same. There really is room for everyone at the table and no one should be expected to be perfect 100% of the time. I think that’s also why I really love the name of my brand. “Catastrophic” is a play on words with cats because I love cats and their silly goofy nature, but I also embrace the chaos that comes with things not going the way I had planned them to. To me it’s like a little reminder not to sweat the small stuff. And let me tell you, I have definitely needed that reminder a time or two.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of my favorite places to visit/things to do: -Strawberry Shack in Carlsbad Village-love the strawberry dole whip!
-The rooftop of Fresco Cocina in Carlsbad Village-the sangria and chicken Peruvian sandwich are incredible
-Running the Rail Trails route in Solana beach
-Going to Lofty Coffee for the blood orange hibiscus iced tea and acai bowl
-Eating character Buns and ramen at Harumama
-Getting spicy chicken curry at Bahn Thai
-Riding a lime scooter in Hillcrest at sunset
-Shopping at the Encinitas flea market
-Grabbing tacos at the Encinitas Taco Stand
-Eating garlic parmesan fries at the Roxy while listening to live music
-Going to a comedy show at the American Comedy club

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My friends and family have been beyond supportive from the beginning and continue to cheer me on! I have this specific memory of my mom and me raiding the clearance section of Michael’s shortly after I moved to California, sifting through all the bakery equipment and tools. She kept picking out items for me saying”you could use this for XY and Z!” It really lit a fire in me that someone so close to me not only believed in me, but actually knew that I would continue to carry out this passion. That it wasn’t just a cute hobby for me. That memory and feeling has really stuck with me.

And my co-workers at my retail job have constantly shown their support and encourage me to keep going! I absolutely love how they themselves are loyal customers of mine! They want to commission me for their personal celebrations and that truly means the world to me. I would not have been able to continue to grow my business without their support.

Website: http://www.catastrophicconfections.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catastropic_confections/?hl=en

Image Credits
Marcus Weber