| Redefining Success: Attorney Warren Brown Leaves
Law to Pursue his Passion for CakeLove
By Debra A. Henry
 Most
Ivy League graduates with advanced degrees in Law and Public Health strive for
the trappings of conventional success; however, Warren Brown, an attorney-turned-baker-turned-entrepreneur
differs from most people of his ilk. This 31-year-old Texas native, who was raised
in Ohio, listened to his inner voice. By walking away from a potentially lucrative
law career to pursue his passion for baking cakes, he has redefined success in
the process.
Listening to one's inner voice is one thing; leaving behind
job stability to follow a passion is another. As he prepared to open his new bakery,
CakeLove, Brown's skeptics
wondered if he could make a legitimate living baking. Brown's reply was based
on his keen understanding of his customers' needs and the void that his services
would fill. "You don't eat cake every day, but you do need special occasion
cakes at least three or four times a year. It [cake] promotes itself," says
Brown. In order to calculate the risk of his new endeavor, he conducted market
research in the form of Cake Open Houses where his friends and associates could
sample his goods and help promote his product.
A pragmatic idealist, Brown
eased into the transition from lawyer to baker by working as an attorney for the
U.S. government by day and baking cakes by night. In 2000, he was ready to make
the leap and become a full-time baker. He asked for a leave of absence from the
Department of Health and Human Services [HHS] where he worked as a litigator.
"I had a lot of fun at HHS but I have more fun baking cakes," said Brown.
Last March, he opened his first CakeLove
storefront.
The untimely deaths of three young friends have influenced
his decision to leave the law in order to pursue his passion. The first friend
died when Brown was in eighth grade; another passed away when he was in college;
the most recent death occurred four years after he graduated from college. He
says that he is living as vigorously as he can now because he does not know if
he will have a chance to do so later. "I made this decision to live fully
for [them] and for myself," he states. "The time that I have to do things
that I will remember is right now." The opening of CakeLove
took a physical toll on Brown. At one point, he collapsed from exhaustion. When
asked if he feels that he is "burning the candle at both ends", his
reply is that he has finally "lit the candle."
Brown's spirited
approach to life is echoed through his cakes and confections. At CakeLove,
baked goods are made from scratch with natural ingredients and have irreverent
and quirky names like "Buzz Balls" and "Crunchy Feet." With
a funky façade and colorful décor, this new wave bakery serves familiar
sweets with an edgy twist. Located in Washington D.C.'s historic "U"
street corridor, CakeLove
may not be your grandmother's idea of a bakery, but Warren Brown is certain that
CakeLove will be everyone's
bakery once they taste his cakes.
Despite Brown's business acumen and charismatic
personality, CakeLove has
experienced some of the typical challenges of new businesses. Nevertheless, Brown
is satisfied with his decision to breakaway from "the 9-to-5." Overall,
he feels that the quality of his life has improved. He has more time to pursue
his passion. As an entrepreneur, he states, "it is not as overwhelming as
people make it sound. You just have to stay on top of things, stay with it and
it will be OK." He tries to find time to recharge by running for exercise,
sleeping soundly and eating well. Actually, he feels like he has more time by
being in business for himself. "I do not have to be there [in the shop] for
the work to get done. People think that I am working alone or with one other person.
Before, I was doing everything myself." He now has a staff that can do the
work so that he can do other things such as plan for the future of CakeLove.
What's
next for Brown and CakeLove?
Across the street from the current location, renovations are underway for Brown's
next venture, an eat-in cafe featuring his cakes. Additional CakeLove
locations are a possibility both locally and nationally. E-commerce could be an
option. A line of natural sugar-substitute baked goods is also in the works. Executives
from a cable network have approached Brown about the possibility of a TV show.
By
fate or by design, CakeLove
is a phenomenon. Brown and his bakery have been featured in The Washington Post,
Kiplinger's, The Shuttle Sheet and People magazine among other publications. People
named Brown one of the most eligible bachelors of 2001. The media attention all
started with a chance meeting with a Washington Post reporter at a local grocery.
Brown had no intention of going to shop there that day but he says that his "gut
told him to be there." So, he headed toward store. Upon meeting the writer,
he declared "Have I got a story for you!" This unexpected meeting led
to an article in the Post that described his journey as a start-up business. Such
publicity has stimulated the interests of others to tell his story.
The
tale of Brown and CakeLove
engages the fantasy that finding passion is possible. He has by-passed the safety
of a conventional career in order to design his dream job. How did Brown find
his fervor? He contends that listening is important. He states that if you listen
to yourself, it [passion] will "come to the surface. Let it happen."
For Brown, the pursuit of passion is really the quest for contentment. "People
just want to be happy. CakeLove
makes me happy. It's fun. It's satisfying to my soul."
To learn more
about Warren Brown and CakeLove,
you may visit his website, www.CakeLove.com.
Copyright © 2003 Debra A. Henry
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