Meet Harlee Renner | Single Mom and Self Taught Baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Harlee Renner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Harlee, why did you pursue a creative career?
I developed a love for creating through baking about 10-11 years ago. I made Minnie Mouse themed cupcakes with mini Oreos and a chocolate bow mold and they were a huge hit! It sparked my further interest in creating more with baking and I taught myself everything I know through trial and error and watching videos online. I made my sister’s wedding cake in 2015, which felt like such a huge accomplishment and I have only grown since then! I have found such joy and peace in what I create and the joy it brings others pushes me to continue doing so.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a full time single mom and nanny, but a self taught baker aside from that. Everything I know has been from years of trial and error and lots of practice and patience. I am most proud of being able to say I did this on my own. Being a full time working single mom is hard and being able to say I’ve accomplished so much with my baking career makes me very proud of myself. It hasn’t always been easy and I’ve had many fails alongside my successes. But with each of those, I learn something new and put that into the next order to do better. I criticize myself often, but also hype myself up when I know what I’ve created is amazing. I’ve learned that self confidence is a huge part of the success I’ve had with my work. I’d love for people to know that I’m 100% self made with zero schooling or education in culinary arts. I’ve created a name for myself on my own and I am extremely proud of myself for that.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a sucker for a good farmers market. The Olde Town Arvada market is a favorite of mine. I would start there on a Sunday morning and have lunch at Schoolhouse in Arvada. They have great food and drinks. I also love exploring new places with beautiful scenery, so a walk around a lake or driving to a mountain town to enjoy the views would be fun. I also love to thrift shop and most of my friends love it, as well. So we would probably spend time doing that. Spending quality time with a cup of tea or coffee and just visiting or sitting in silence reading together is also something I love to do with my loved ones. Going to see a movie at the Alamo is also one of my favorite things to do. Especially since you can get lunch or dinner while catching a show! If there was a good concert playing, that could also be considered since concerts are one of my favorite things to do to create memories, as well as sporting events. I love the environment of Coors Field/Ball Arena. Museums and the zoo are also so much fun to spend time seeing. I love making memories with people I love, so there are lots of options!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My daughter, Noelle/12, has been my biggest cheerleader when it comes to my success as a baker. She is always my biggest critic and lets me know when something is off or if she thinks it’s perfect! Everything I have created has been for her. I am a full time single mom and she pushes me to do more and do better every single day. My mom, sisters, and best friends have all also pushed me toward my success and given me the support, encouragement and love I’ve needed to be confident and successful in what I do. I am very blessed to have such amazing people in my life.

Website: https://bakesy.shop/b/harlees-confections

Instagram: @harlees_confections

Facebook: https://facebook.com/harlees.confections

Image Credits
Noelle Renner