Trigger warnings: death, loss of a loved one, grief, infant loss, depression

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After a long absence, I'm back with what will be a raw and vulnerable piece on the last few months and the changes that have happened from and since then. If you weren't already aware, the reason for my absence was the sudden and unexpected loss of my baby boy in July at just 7 months old. To say that the last few months have been the hardest times of my life would be an understatement. There are just no words to describe what no parent should ever have to go through. Honestly, if it weren't for my faith and trust in God, I don't know that I would be out of bed, let alone standing!

Regardless, it still wasn't easy. Especially with my history of depression and anxiety. But this was just a whole different ball game. I discovered what panic attacks were, and how easily and also randomly they could be triggered. I've broken down more times in these last 3 months than the rest of my life put together, and besides a few people that I've felt "safe" enough to be around, I've pretty much avoided most adult/social interactions for fear of making things awkward if I do break down at some point. And although I've started leaving the house, interacting more, and even returned to work, all this actually leaves me feeling so exhausted and mentally/emotionally drained that I've barely even had time to recover before the next outing/activity.

And for the first time in my life, I felt lost. Even with my mental health history, I don't recall ever feeling lost like this - it was like I wasn't sure what my purpose in life was anymore, and I didn't know what I was meant to be doing. And this was especially so with my business. Caking used to be mental health therapy for me, but for the first time, understandably, it didn’t bring me joy and I struggled to feel inspired or creative. And I felt like if I continued with my business that I would be lying to everyone especially when one of my business missions is to spread love and joy.

But on the other hand, I struggled with the idea of giving it up as my business was something that God called me to do, to serve Him and my community. Plus I’ve invested so much into it that I felt like giving it up would mean that it was all for nothing. So I did a lot of praying, meditation, and soul-searching, and I got signs after signs telling me that I have a duty to continue with my business. And that's why I decided to be obedient and come back, but not without some changes.

Some of you might have noticed that my business has a different name, and you’ll find in the coming weeks that everything is going to be looking a little different as I go through a rebranding. Treats by Lynn got its humble beginnings as a baking fundraiser for mental health awareness, and over the years I’ve felt it slowly shifting direction and purpose, and those of you who have been with me from the beginning have probably noticed this too! But I admit that I was always afraid to rock the boat and make too many, too big, or any changes really! After what’s happened though, I decided this was the perfect time for a new beginning, so let me properly introduce you to the next stage in my business evolution: Lynn’s Cake Collective.

As of last week, Treats by Lynn is now known as Lynn’s Cake Collective (LCC) to better reflect the new direction and future I have planned for it. LCC will comprise of a Brisbane-based physical product side, Lynn’s Cupcakery, and also an online education side, Lynn’s Cakecademy, but overall still keeping my focus and specialty in buttercream cake-based treats. Now, I guess you’re probably wondering what all this means, and will this affect you?

Well, if you're in Brisbane, my Cupcakery side of business will still be accepting orders, but only for cupcakes. I will no longer be taking custom cake orders, not even as a case-by-case basis. This has been a long time coming, and even though I’d been moving towards this direction for the past 1.5 years, I’ve always been too scared to cut the cord completely but now it's time. I know some of you will be disappointed, and while I have loved making your cakes, and especially my regular clients and their kids birthday cakes, I want you to know that I didn’t make this decision lightly. There are a few reasons behind it, and while I won't go into all of them now (that might be a story for another day), I hope you trust me when I say that this was necessary.

Plus, I’m already known for my beautiful and delicious cupcakes (I'm literally called The Cupcake Lady!!), and with my speciality being kids birthdays and other themed celebrations/events where cupcakes are the popular less-mess choice, it just seemed logical to just focus on them! This decision will not only take a lot of stress off me, it'll also allow me to focus on what brings me joy, my specialties, and also the education side of my business, which is quickly becoming a passion of mine.

So now that I’m no longer taking cake orders, plus the rising cost of living these days, I want to help more mums still be able to celebrate their loved ones with cake, minus the stress and financial burdens, and instead with extra special memories and family moments! I want to take my skills and years of caking and business experience to fast track your journey to becoming a buttercream cake pro! Let me be your teacher and guide as you learn all about baking and decorating professional-quality buttercream cakes, and if you wish, I’ll even teach you how to take your skills and turn them into your very own home business! You can have all that and more inside Lynn’s Cakecademy, my exclusive membership to help you go from cake amateur to cake pro. And that won't be all; I’ve got other courses and digital resources in the works as well ;)

So in the last month, I've pretty much gone from lost to purpose-driven about my business! I am so excited for the future of Lynn’s Cake Collective and I can’t wait for you to see what I have planned. I really hope you will stick around on this new journey & season with me. I will be rolling out all the changes (new name, new branding, new website and email address, updating social media and all that as well), so please don’t be alarmed and please bear with me! I’m hoping the switch will go as smoothly as possible but your patience is so appreciated during this crossover period. And also a huge thank you for all the love, support, and kind words in this season of grief, and thank you for being so patient with me while I've been away these past few months. Words can't express how blessed I feel to have such a wide community of people who care, including people I've never even met! 

And on the note of community, I’ve got something exciting happening this week with Lynn's Cakecademy that I would hate for you to miss out on! So if you're not already on my VIP Waitlist, sign up now and be the first to hear the news before I tell the general public!