I’m such a different person now than I was four years ago, when we started the cake shop. The ways that I’ve changed and grown and the things that I’ve learned, I feel like I’m a better mom because of it. … I’ve been able to take the skills and the strategies and just things that I had to learn managing and working with a staff and a team, and I can take those same things and apply them back into my home and see that structure and consistency and order. – Janell Brown
In the past four years, Janell Brown has appeared on national TV, been featured in a New York Times article and made nearly $1 million in revenue annually.
But before she made her mark on the cupcake scene, all she knew was that she enjoyed being creative. When her husband, Trent, lost his job a few days after Christmas in 2010, her baking hobby became a full-time job.
In the spring of 2011, Brown, a mother of four from West Jordan, signed a lease and opened her own bakery, One Sweet Slice, in South Jordan. Now, three months after closing the company's doors, Brown explained that while it was time for her to leave, she wouldn't change one thing about the experiences she had.
"People always ask me, ‘Would you do it again, knowing what you know now and the things that you’ve done?’ ” Brown said. "And I would. I would still make the same choice because of the things that I learned and really the relationship that Trent and I were able to develop working together and running a business together and trying to balance home life, as well, between the two of us."
Brown made cakes for weddings and other events from home for roughly seven years before opening her own shop. She started by making a cake or two a month and was eventually making six to 10 cakes a week. The time commitment began to be too much and forced Janell and Trent to decide whether the business was worth pursuing.
Janell Brown ultimately decided to close her home business. Shortly after, however, Trent's company closed its Salt Lake office, and he lost his job three days after Christmas.
“I thought, ‘Well, there goes that idea of quitting doing cakes for a while,’ ” Janell Brown said. "So I thought, 'Well, I’ll just take on more orders until we kind of figure out what we want to do.’ ”
The couple played around with multiple ideas that kept returning to the fact that Trent Brown had always been interested in running his own business. They decided to combine forces and open a cake and cupcake shop.
The Browns knew the first few years would be difficult, but after Janell Brown participated in Food Network's "Cupcake Wars" in 2012 and won, business was booming, and the couple felt truly overwhelmed.
"We knew that the first two years were going to be hard and crazy," Janell Brown said. "Every business book you read, they always talk about how the first little while is really hard. Then after 'Cupcake Wars' — which was a great thing, I’m forever grateful for it and glad that I got to be a part of it and do it, it really launched our business and the cupcake side of things, which, again, was super awesome — but it really made things grow really big, really fast."
As business picked up, the Browns opened a second shop in Sandy. The company had grown to roughly 25 employees and was bringing in nearly $1 million annually.
Although the success was exciting, the workload caused Janell Brown to miss many moments with her family.
"To give you an idea, I had a futon in the office down there, and I literally slept at the shop," she said. "I had a brand-new baby, 3 months old, and I would keep her down there with me. Sometimes Trent would keep her at home with a bottle, but I literally lived down there the first year I was there."
Trent Brown took over caring for their other children at home.
"When we first opened, I was the stay-at-home dad, so I learned a lot," Trent Brown said. "I was able to fulfill my role in the business from home while being with the kids. It was a challenge and such a large task to raise kids and take care of the home. I learned we have understanding kids that love their mom. We had many FaceTime phone calls while Janell was working late to fulfill an order."
After the first few years, running the shop became more manageable, and early in 2014, Trent Brown applied for his dream job and was offered the position.
"Any small-business owner knows that the opportunity to have insurance and a regular consistent paycheck is like, ‘Oh, you don't want to turn that down,’ ” Janell Brown said.
With Trent Brown accepting a separate job, Janell Brown took over the management of both stores, which meant working 60-80 hours per week in the summer, the height of wedding season. Even with the help of staff members, there was always something to keep Janell Brown working late.
"You need to work on your business from like 6 in the morning until like 3 in the morning every single day," Janell Brown said. "You never have everything caught up. But the hard thing too in the wedding industry, but I’m sure that it’s this way in every industry, but you feel more pressure in the wedding industry because it’s their big event. You can’t just say, ‘Oh, I’ll do that tomorrow’ when their wedding is tomorrow. There’s things you can’t push off if a crisis or something happens; you have to drop whatever you’re doing and go take care of that or handle whatever is going on because it’s the wedding. It’s a big event."
Janell Brown soon found herself constantly hoping that work stresses and time constraints would get easier. Missing out on her kids' activities also led her to wish she could be around more often. She realized that what began as a hobby had taken over most of her time, and not just from 9-5.
During the summer of 2014, Janell and Trent Brown decided to sell their shops. They placed them on the market right away, hoping to find a buyer before accepting any orders for the next summer.
"I know it was the best choice for me and for our family to kind of keep my sanity and keep my family moving in the right direction," Janell Brown said. "People are like, 'Oh, it's so sad that you closed' … but it's not a question whether that was the right or the best thing for us to do."
The Browns had several potential buyers, but the prospect of managing two stores and maintaining the quality Janell Brown was known for ultimately turned away all who were interested. The new year approached, and the couple knew they had to make a decision fast.
"January is when all the big bridal shows happen, and everyone starts to book their weddings," Janell Brown said. "So we knew if we were to close, that would be the ideal time to do it because we had the least amount of cake contracts already contracted out."
The Browns announced plans to close One Sweet Slice the first week in January, without having sold the company, and officially closed on Jan. 17.
Janell Brown explained that although the first few weeks at home were an adjustment and included more fights than they had had for quite some time, she is grateful to have time with her family again.
"The biggest thing I’ve noticed with my kids and with my family is it’s the time," Janell Brown said. "It’s being able to be home to read them a story and tuck them into bed instead of being down baking at the shop at 2 a.m. It’s being able when they call in sick at school to be able to be there and check them out, and they know that somebody’s there."
The Browns' four kids, ages 11, 9, 7 and 4, have also noticed the difference at home and have shown their appreciation for her presence through notes and pictures.
While leaving her business was the right decision for Janell Brown, she knows it's different for everyone. Having worked away from the home full time and worked in the home full time, she has learned the most important thing is having time to choose to spend with family.
Looking back, Janell Brown also recognizes how running her own business changed how she manages her household.
"I’m such a different person now than I was four years ago, when we started the cake shop," Janell Brown said. "The ways that I’ve changed and grown and the things that I’ve learned, I feel like I’m a better mom because of it. … I’ve been able to take the skills and the strategies and just things that I had to learn managing and working with a staff and a team, and I can take those same things and apply them back into my home and see that structure and consistency and order."
Running their own business also strengthened Janell and Trent Brown's relationship.
"We both grew such an appreciation for each other’s responsibilities," Janell Brown said. "I think that’s how any marriage is; when you go through something difficult, it can either rip you apart or pull you closer together, and that’s something that I will forever be grateful for. This experience bonded us together more than anything. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I would do it again and again to have that same outcome."
Looking ahead, Janell and Trent Brown don't have any definite plans for the future of One Sweet Slice, but they hope to use it in a way that not only is successful but also can include the entire family.
Learn more about the Brown's current and upcoming projects at JanellBrown.com.
Email: spetersen@deseretnews.com | Twitter: @Sarah_DNews