Shawna is a creative powerhouse, especially with a mixer or piping bag in her hand. Her cake decorating talent, combined with her infectious enthusiasm, has stimulated a large following - including nearly 1.5 million Facebook fans. She has an early model of the DreamBox and has been using it to stay ultra organized since April of 2016
Learn more about Shawna, her journey, and her expert organization tips.
Of all the incredible cakes she has made, this would have to be our very favorite!
Q: We heard that you went to school for Elementary Education. When did you learn how to decorate cakes?
A: I had always been into art and loved to draw and paint as a kid, but kind of set that love aside in college thinking I could never support myself with anything art related. (A putz, I know.)
One day, (married with kids and having left my teaching job at this point) I decided I wanted to start making my kiddos some cool birthday cakes. I just thought that would be fun.
Turns out, “fun” was an understatement.
I looked up some YouTube videos... started dabbling in a lil bit of this and a lil bit o that, and my inner artist came roaring back to life. I was instantly addicted and was having the most fun ever. Hence, McGreevy Cakes was born and later Cakeheads.com.
Q: Tell us about the behind the scenes. What does a typical day look like for you?
A: Now with running Cakeheads.com, our online cake art school, I'm either in the kitchen filming a new cake creation for our members, interacting with our members in our online forum, helping troubleshoot ideas, offering advice and checking out everyone's work, or editing photography and new video tutorials to be added to the website. I also continue to write posts for my McGreevy Cakes blog.
Q: What is your favorite part of the creative process?
A: Working out a design for a new project. I love cruising the internet for ideas from all different areas... fashion, fabrics, illustrations, and then putting the ideas together to create something new.
Q: How did you store your supplies before the WorkBox?
A: They were anywhere and everywhere I could find a nook or cranny to shove them. Mental stress! Unhappy brain. (And heart, and person...and house.) The WorkBox helps me organize my stuff. Which makes my brain happy...which makes my heart happy...which makes me a better cake artist (and errr, better person in general.)
Q: What is your favorite project you've ever worked on?
A: I don't think I really have a favorite. I just love it when one of my projects comes out even better than I was hoping in my head (which doesn't happen all that much, btw) and I can sit back and be satisfied with my work. We're our greatest critics, you know? So it's great when that actually happens.
Q: What is the best part about what you do?
A: The best part of this whole gig for me is that I love it. I love it all. It's hard work running your own business and is certainly not for the faint of heart, but getting to wake up each day and support your family by doing something that you love is not ever something I want to take for granted. It's a pretty crazy feeling, and so incredibly worth it.
