Netflix ‘Is it Cake’ contestant Justin Ellen makes 6-figures in business

When Justin Ellen acquired a “random” direct message on Instagram asking if he want to be a part of a Netflix present known as “Is It Cake?” — he thought it was “very sketchy.”

It was solely once they stated there was an interview that he realized, “OK, it is legit,” stated the youngest contestant of the favored baking present.

After a Zoom interview and a month of ready, Ellen — who was 18 at the moment — was picked to take part.

It was very overwhelming, he admitted.

“As a result of I used to be tremendous younger … and I noticed I needed to fly and keep in a lodge on my own. Filming was a complete month. I’ve by no means been away from my household for that lengthy,” he instructed CNBC Make It.

Ellen even needed to skip his highschool commencement for the present’s recording.

“Is It Cake?” is a baking contest, the place cake artists create edible replicas of on a regular basis objects — equivalent to sneakers and purses.

At first look, the 19-year-old didn’t appear to have as a lot expertise as the opposite contestants. The younger baker solely began creating hyper-realistic truffles two years in the past. Considered one of his opponents began baking even earlier than Ellen was born.

But, earlier than showing on Netflix, he was already working his personal profitable cake enterprise, All the things Simply Baked.

“Final yr, we grossed $100,000 in gross sales,” stated Ellen, who’s from New Jersey.

“With [the] Netflix [show] popping out, I have been getting like much more inquiries … my calendar is flooded. I am tremendous grateful for it.”

Ellen discovered the best way to bake from his mom and grandmother when he was simply 7 years outdated. They used to bake collectively throughout holidays like Thanksgiving.

From breads, to pies and cookies, they baked all the pieces — however unusually, “by no means truffles.”

However he rapidly outgrew being an assistant and when he was 14, went down the rabbit gap of cake tutorial movies on YouTube and received impressed to start out his personal creations.

“I simply watched movies of different individuals doing it, YouTube’s an awesome factor. You simply received to essentially apply and take the time to study,” he instructed CNBC Make It.

“I’ve failed a whole lot of occasions … I am going to suppose it is such a simple cake after which all the pieces’s going unsuitable.”

But, Ellen was undeterred. He was in highschool when he started immersing himself into baking — which was “positively arduous” as a result of he didn’t have a whole lot of free time on his fingers. He remembers participating in a baking competitors and getting to high school at 5 a.m. to apply.

“I used to be tremendous busy. [But] in case you’re actually decided, you will discover the time,” stated Ellen.

The most important problem Ellen confronted as a younger entrepreneur was realizing his value — he was pricing his truffles like he was buying together with his personal pockets.

“Again then, I did not notice how precious my artwork is. I requested my mother and my mother’s identical to me, she’s low cost. Like, ‘I am not going to get a $100 cake.’ However right this moment, persons are simply paying that.”

When he first began, he was promoting a six-inch cake for $60, however now it is “simply $150 for a similar measurement.”  

From January this yr, he began incomes as much as $12,000 a month after working his enterprise full-time.

“I noticed persons are shopping for designer purses for hundreds of {dollars}. You’ve got to make your clients perceive the price in your model and what you are offering them as a result of the cake tastes nice and [I] use high-quality substances.”

Although the costs of his truffles have greater than doubled in worth over time, that has not stopped him from constructing a “very worthwhile enterprise.”

“Artwork is tremendous precious and folks pays for it. Actually, my worth barely goes up on daily basis … relying on my temper,” he stated.

And if a buyer asks why his truffles prices this a lot? “I am going to simply be sincere and say, on daily basis I progress in my ability, so the value has to go up. You are paying for somebody’s experience … it took me 5 years to learn to do this.”

Dreaming huge has definitely paid off for Ellen. What he envisioned for himself got here true — he now sells cake mixes and baking instruments on-line. Often, he holds courses for aspiring bakers too.

Ellen added that he accepts round 6 orders every week and they’re “greater orders now.” On a typical day, he can be up at 8am, engaged on his orders in his house kitchen single-handedly.

“Actually, most of my shoppers do not select hyper-realistic truffles, they’re extra like wedding ceremony truffles.”

His mother and father are actually “positively satisfied” that he has made the fitting resolution to pursue baking as a profession — in actual fact, Ellen, who began as an assistant within the kitchen, is now the boss.

“My mum works for me now,” he stated gleefully. “She helps me quite a bit with the backend stuff … like deliveries.”

Whilst he marvels at what he has been capable of accomplish at simply 19 years outdated, the younger entrepreneur will not be achieved dreaming.

“Continuous, I am desirous about my enterprise and new methods to raise it. I wish to have an appointment-based studio … however my remaining aim is to be like Wilton, the cake adorning firm.”

Headquartered in Illinois, Wilton produces a variety of bakeware, decorations, baking instruments and substances which are widespread amongst bakers.

“My aim is to be identical to that … [Everything Just Baked] is minority-owned, black-owned and I believe we’d like illustration as a result of there’s like no main minority manufacturers within the baking group.”