There’s something deeply unhinged (and honestly impressive) about deciding, “Yeah, I’m going to start a business…” after already working a full-time job. Like… most people clock out and rot on the couch after work (me). Alex clocks out and starts baking custom cakes. Different breeds of people.

Meet Alex Skoda or just “Skoda” to pretty much everyone who knows her. (Yes, that’s her real last name and no, she didn’t hire a branding team, she just got lucky.) Alex is the face behind Baking Skoda, a custom cake and pastry business that started the way a lot of side hustles do: Out of boredom. Out of curiosity. Out of COVID isolation. Out of “let me just post this and see what happens.”

What happened was… people started ordering. And ordering often. Now, a few years later, she’s creating insane custom cakes, building a loyal community in Denver, booking weddings and events, creating pastries and curating dessert boxes…All while still working her regular 9–5 job during the day. Because, as she basically said during our conversation: “Insurance is cool. I can’t give myself that yet.” And honestly? I think that’s something people need to hear more often. Not every successful business starts with someone dramatically quitting their corporate job and “betting it all.” Sometimes it starts after work hours. Sometimes it starts tired. Sometimes it starts in the middle of life. And that’s exactly what makes stories like Alex’s so cool!

Let’s kill the fantasy real quick. I know social media loves the: “Quit your job and make six figures overnight!” entrepreneur story. Respectfully… relax. This is what building a business actually looked like for Alex: Working all day, then working again at night, spending weekends baking instead of relaxing, googling cottage baking laws at 10PM, forgetting to eat actual meals because buttercream apparently doesn’t count as nutrition. It’s not aesthetic. It’s not a soft life.

It’s not “I woke up and made passive income in my sleep.” It’s discipline. It’s consistency. It’s choosing your future over your comfort over and over again. And somehow still remembering to answer emails. Which, according to Alex, might actually be the hardest part. Because surprisingly? The baking isn’t what overwhelms her most. It’s: admin work, scheduling around life, organization, backend systems, legal requirements, social media, trying to keep up with algorithms that seem personally designed to humble small business owners daily.

And I think a lot of people underestimate how many jobs a single small business owner is doing at one time. You aren’t just “the baker.” You’re marketing, customer service, inventory, operations, social media manager, accountant, production coordinator, and emotional support representative for yourself. It’s a lot. But one thing Alex has stayed incredibly intentional about through all of it is quality.

What makes Baking Skoda different from your regular bakery? She prioritizes: real ingredients, actual flavor, and being transparent about the process ensuring your vision comes to life. Which feels obvious but isn’t always the norm.

Also… she’s accidentally starving herself. Not intentionally. Just… entrepreneur things. You know that thing where you get so locked in you: forget to drink water, forget to eat, and then suddenly you’re irritated for no reason. Yeah. That. Recently, she’s trying to build actual habits like: slow mornings, yoga before locking in, taking care of herself before the chaos hits. Because you can’t build a business if you’re running on frosting. (Advice we could all use.)

And after personally trying Baking Skoda’s creations… I fully understand why people keep coming back. Not only are the desserts genuinely insane, but the branding and presentation immediately stood out to me too. Everything felt intentional. Nothing felt generic or thrown together just to make a sale. The packaging, the details, the heating instructions, the overall experience; it all very clearly reflected her. Thoughtful. Creative. Fun. Elevated without trying too hard.

Inside my treat box was:

a pistachio brownie
a pistachio cinnamon roll
a Biscoff cookie
a tiramisu cinnamon roll

And yes, every item came with heating instructions because apparently I’ve been eating desserts incorrectly my entire life. Holy hell did it change the experience.The cinnamon rolls personally altered my brain chemistry. Those were my favorite. But because I’m a decent person, I shared them with friends and the brownie and cookie were tied for a very aggressive second place.

And this wasn’t even my first experience with Baking Skoda. Alex previously made a massive custom cake for my 30th birthday with around 90 people attending and let me just say something controversial:

Large party cakes are usually either: A) beautiful and taste like drywall or B) taste decent but look like they survived a minor car accident.

Baking Skoda somehow refuses to participate in either category.

Not only was this cake visually incredible, but it was genuinely one of the best tasting cakes I’ve ever had. Moist, flavorful, balanced, not sickeningly sweet, and somehow every single slice tasted just as good as the first. And most importantly? Nobody missed out. Every single guest got a slice, people kept going back for more, and by the end of the night people were already asking for her information for their own events. And honestly, I think that says more than I ever could. Because pretty desserts are easy to find on Instagram. A dessert people won’t stop talking about after the party? That’s different.

And I think that ties directly into something Alex said during our interview: she genuinely loves baking people happy. You can feel that in everything she creates. Not just in the flavors, but in the care behind the details, the creativity, and the experience people walk away with.

The thing Alex loves about building Baking Skoda is the flexibility and freedom it gives her. She loves being able to work from home with her dog Koda (current employee and treat line CEO), being able to pause orders for travel, and slowly creating a life that feels more aligned with what she actually wants. And now? She’s even hiring help. Which is such a weird but exciting milestone for small business owners. That moment where you suddenly realize: “Wait… this thing is getting too big to do completely alone.” She’s brought in her partner to help and has friends helping with backend systems and admin work too, which honestly feels like such a natural next step for where the business is headed.

And speaking of growth… Alex is currently going through a pretty intentional shift in the direction of Baking Skoda. While she still loves custom cakes and absolutely plans to continue doing them, she’s becoming more selective about how many she takes on. Because constantly trying to perfectly execute someone else’s exact vision? Exhausting. Art is subjective. And creating fully customized work for every single order takes an insane amount of mental energy, planning, and production time. So instead, Baking Skoda is shifting more toward: curated dessert boxes,

pastries, corporate orders, semi-custom themed cakes, more accessible options for people who still want beautiful desserts without fully custom pricing. Which feels incredibly smart.

It gives her:

more creative freedom
better systems
less burnout
more efficiency
and more room to grow sustainably!

Are you taking notes yet?

And the coolest part? She’s still dreaming bigger. The long-term goal isn’t just “sell cakes.”

The dream is eventually having her own bakery space. Not just a storefront, but an actual community space. Pop-ups. Music nights. Events. A place people genuinely want to gather in.

And considering she built all of this after work hours while balancing a full-time job? I wouldn’t bet against her.

One thing Alex said that really stuck with me was the reminder to stop being so hard on yourself. Because when you’re constantly creating, constantly working, constantly trying to improve, it’s really easy to forget how far you’ve already come. Until you look back at old work and think: “…oh wow. We’ve grown.”

And she has! Not only as a baker, but as a business owner, creator, and someone building something meaningful from scratch. Twice, actually. Because Alex originally started Baking Skoda in California before moving to Denver and rebuilding her business and community completely from the ground up. No guaranteed clients. No built-in audience. No safety net.

And now? Denver has absolutely shown up for her. Through word of mouth, repeat customers, event orders, and genuine community support, Baking Skoda has become something people remember. Not just because the desserts are beautiful. Not just because the branding is cool.

But because the experience feels personal. And in a world where so much feels automated and mass-produced now, that matters.

So if you take anything from Alex’s story, let it be this:

You do not need perfect timing to start.
You do not need unlimited free time.
You do not need to quit your job overnight.

You can build something incredible in the margins of your life. After 5PM. On weekends. Between responsibilities. One order at a time. And eventually? Those small steps become something real. Just ask Alex.

Want to follow along Baking Skoda’s journey or try her creations for yourself? Find her here:

Instagram

Website