Kook – Community Leader Profile on Danielle Kattan
Whisk-y Business: Where there’s a whisk there’s a way
Danielle Kattan Cakes of Winston-Salem
By E. Emma Kook
The woman rummaged through her purse, past the school notes, the home bills, and the ‘To- Do’ lists, until she finally found what she was looking for. The paper was crumpled and weathered. Yet there on the page were beautiful works of art.
Danielle Kattan, owner of Danielle Kattan Cakes, does not just bake cakes. She crafts edible artwork. She may run her business from her home kitchen but her creativity and skill have earned her several baking awards, including the 2017 Couple’s Choice award from the website Wedding Wire.
“I have always had this fire within me, this strong desire to do something of my own,” Kattan said in a recent interview.
A native of Honduras, Kattan grew up in an entrepreneurial family. From a young age, she believed she would work in the fashion industry alongside her father. Initially, Kattan traveled to Mexico and Miami to pursue her career in Fashion Design. But things changed when she returned to Honduras, met her husband and started a family.
When she and her family moved to Winston-Salem, Kattan became driven by her desire to do something. She returned to school to study culinary arts, winning high honors. Uncovering her passion for cake design, she then studied as an apprentice to Chef Donald McMillan at the Stocked Pot, a local kitchen used for teaching, where she became the chief pastry chef.
“Danielle came to me full of energy, and not once did she lose that spark. There were those days that family and responsibilities took center stage, but that did not stop her,” said Chef McMillan “She held her ground with all of us men.”
Kattan knew she could do this for herself but the dream kept slipping from her grasp. Family took priority.
“You have to take one day at a time. Do you pay someone else to raise your children so you can focus on your business?” Kattan said, as if asking herself, “Family is very important in Honduras and many people do not have the luxury to work for [what they] want.”
So she started working from her home kitchen. This gave balance to life and work while providing an example to her sons. The business launched in 2006 but she encountered a great deal of backlash from community friends. “Other mothers were not supportive,” Kattan said. “They were not afraid to share their opinions. Many thought it was stupid of me to open a business because of my children or because of my family’s mortgage.”
In spite of that criticism, the greatest obstacle Kattan overcame was personal dissuasion. To let go of sacrifices and risks are hard, especially when the mother is the glue that keeps the family together. But able to silence the discouraging voice, Kattan realized everything she needed was right there along with her family support.
In 2009 the Kattan family’s relocation to Thailand was a major turning point for Danielle Kattan Cakes. Kattan returned to culinary school and successfully completed the Thai Cuisine program at Le Cordon Bleu School. With her children a bit older and living in a foreign place, she was able to reach out to the community through her baking. Networking with locals, in particular, helped strengthen her goals. Among the many people she met, Allena, a Greek chef, left a special mark. The owner of four Greek restaurants in Thailand, she helped Kattan see the value of sticking to your dreams.
Kattan’s business was fueled by the support of female entrepreneurs. Working with InnovateHER, a local Winston-Salem company that helps women with start-up ideas, her confidence grew to move the business forward.
“When I first met Danielle I was impressed by her drive and desire. She had done so much research and preparation,” said Fay Horwitt, owner of InnovateHER. “I saw her confidence grow working with InnovateHER. I realized this woman was going to accomplish whatever she set her mind to.”
Kattan believes starting a business is often easier for a man. There is no worry of running out of time to start a family nor any pressure to have a family in the first place. However, Kattan mentions the importance for women to be open to advice and mentorship from men.
“When I first started out, the chef career was like a men’s club. They thought because I was a young woman I could not possibly be experienced,” said Kattan, who won first place winner in the Kellogg’s ‘Make It Special’ dessert recipe contest in 2007. “Because of their ignorance, I was able to hold my ground and learn. I am proud of myself.”
By 2012 Danielle Kattan Cakes was re-launched in the Winston-Salem area – this time with a new desire to achieve. More advertising, more networking, and more time went into the business. Now the only thing holding back Danielle Kattan Cakes is funding. Still in hopes of finding an angel investor, Kattan has continued to delay her expansion project. Kattan’s long-term goal is to turn her cake business into a wine-and-cake evening café. But nevertheless, Kattan is very pleased with the success of her company.
She proudly folds the piece of weathered paper and places it back into her bag. It falls to the bottom, below the school notes, the bills, and the ‘To-Do’ lists, but it stills holds an important place in her purse.
“If you want to taste the fruits, you have to be willing to plant the seeds, shower it with nutrients and love, and have the patience to watch it grow through all types of weather and seasons,” Kattan said. “But I promise, if you do this, it will give you fruits.”
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