Melissa Forman on Creative Cakes

Melissa Forman, a Chicagoland native and popular radio personality shares how decorating cupcakes with her girls turned into a mission to spread joy through giving away uniquely designed cakes. Meet our Guest Melissa: Melissa Forman grew up in the Chicagoland area. She got her start in radio while a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She was the first woman in the country to simultaneously host both a show in the morning and in the afternoon drive. She is kind-hearted and always looking for ways to give back to her community having helped raise over $500,000 for local charities. But mostly she's a mom, just like you. Connect with me and let me hear your thoughts: Website - www.thismomknows.com FB - www.facebook.com/thismomknows IG - www.instagram.com/thismomknowspodcast Topics we cover: Melissa was the first woman to host both morning and afternoon radio showsMelissa's philanthropic work, raising over $500,000 for local charitiesMelissa as a mother and her perspective on motherhoodMelissa's creativity in radio and other aspects of her lifeMelissa's memories of her mom baking and the significance of the kitchenHow baking and cake decorating became a bonding activity with her daughtersThe influence of "Hello, Cupcake" books on their cupcake decoratingThe transition from cupcakes to cake decoratingThe therapeutic and bonding aspects of baking, the emotional connection and memories created through bakingMelissa's decision to take a year off and focus on baking cakesMelissa's philosophy of not charging for her cakes and giving back to the communityThe sources of inspiration for Melissa's cake designs, the creativity, and resourcefulness behind her cake designsBehind-the-scenes challenges in delivering unique cakes like the Domino's Pizza cakeThe idea of starting a blog called "Baking it Forward"The joy of giving and receiving through bakingJennifer's experience with a food pantryBalancing cake baking with a full-time jobThe importance of setting limits and saying noDonating cakes for fundraisers and charitiesAdvice for beginners interested in cake decoratingMelissa's favorite time-saving gadget Resources mentioned: Hello, Cupcake!- https://www.amazon.com/Hello-Cupcake-Irresistibly-Playful-Creations/dp/0618829253 Betty Crocker- https://www.bettycrocker.com/ Duncan Hines- https://www.duncanhines.com/ Melissa's favorite gadget is...her  Blendtec blender! Link to transcript:  https://www.thismomknows.com/blog/episode-16 Connect with Melissa: Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/melforman/                      https://www.instagram.com/melissaformancakes/ Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/melissaontheair Website:  https://melissaforman.com/ Shows: iHeartRadio  https://939litefm.iheart.com/featured/melissa-forman-in-the-morning/ About This Mom Knows Moms know a lot of things, and when we start talking, ideas form, energy builds, and we take action. This Mom Knows is a place for moms to mompreneurs to find encouragement, connection, and maybe even collaboration but most importantly community with moms who know.  So, grab a cup of coffee, maybe a paper and pencil to jot down an idea or two, and let's discover what This Mom Knows.