Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali Syndergaard
Hi Ali, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It’s funny, I would have never guessed life would take me to this point. I have always loved dessert. As a teenager, I periodically had a thought in the back of my mind of how cool it would be to work in a doughnut shop. But I was afraid that I would hate doughnuts after being around the smell all the time that I avoided working in the food industry all together. Healthcare from that point on was my main focus and have always loved helping people, it was so rewarding for me stepping into that career path. Yes, days were hard but I knew I was doing something with a purpose and that was motivating to me. I toyed with so many different ideas of where that career would take me (from nurse, doctor, PA etc). Even after I graduated with my Surgical Technology degree, I thought maybe I should look into becoming a surgeon because surgery was just fascinating and I loved all the intricate details that went into it. I have worked with many different surgeons throughout my career who have been incredibly inspiring and I will forever have a great love for them, even though some were hard to work with. I loved what I was doing being a surgeon’s extra hands but it was ironically taking a toll on my health. I was exhausted and worn down from the long hours and hard surgeries my coping mechanism was baking. As a kid, I would bake anything and everything that was sweet. I never really wanted to share them because I didn’t think people would like them. My family were really the only ones that got to enjoy the plethora of desserts I would fill the kitchen with. When it came to a very hard time in my surgery based life I kept dreaming of working in a bakery because I was already waking up early I could totally bake cakes and pies instead. I had a few people that supported me in that decision but I pushed it aside until my sweet husband suggested I should actually go for it. Instead of me looking for jobs I started looking for culinary schools because what’s a better way to build talents and learn new skills. I quit my taxing job that I loved so much and went off to school. Throughout school my focus was to grow my skills to maybe one day open my own bakery. After graduating, I put in a lot of time and energy into the process of finally opening up my bakery! It was a refreshing accomplishment! Yes, we are small and it is from my home, but we all have to start somewhere right? Maybe one day I will have a storefront somewhere in Utah but for now as we slowly grow I am happy doing it from my home and building a more personal relationship with my customers.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No matter what you do in life challenges always follow. So inevitably yes, I wouldn’t say it has been completely easy. Watching recipes I have done hundreds if not thousands of times flop can be absolutely devastating! Learning how a business works, budgeting, marketing etc. It is a completely different world and it will forever be a work in progress. However, it has been an adventure that I have enjoyed! I have never thought I would run a business in my life, and here we are! I started from the ground up and I help people in a different way now! I personally feel there is a power in giving a little sweet treat to someone you have been thinking about, it’s absolutely endearing and I love being a part of that!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My little bakery specializes in the sweets you crave but not necessarily want to always make yourself. From cookies, to pies, cheesecake etc! They are all made to order desserts that I love and many others have come to love as well. My macarons have become my biggest seller, with many flavors to choose from! They aren’t the fully traditional French way because I am allergic to almonds. However, with them being nut free, more people can enjoy macarons! I have also worked through my menu to provide gluten free options for those that need it. I wanted to provide a bakery that is allergy and celiac disease friendly because I know how hard it is to find things to enjoy or had originally enjoyed that fits in hard dietary standards. I am always open to new ideas of what to add to my menu and provide to my customers because one size doesn’t fit all.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Integrity, I feel like it is always important to put in your honest best effort in anything that you do. If there has only been partial effort made, it’s hard to be proud of what was actually put into it. So I value that sense of hard work to provide the best I can for my customers. We aren’t perfect and mistakes happen (sometimes more times than not), but we have to keep trying so we have a product we are excited to share! There’s value knowing the desserts I make are quality products, made with effort I can be proud of.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bakesy.shop/b/south-farm-bakery
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southfarmbakery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563783489614&mibextid=LQQJ4d
