ExCom 2021-22: Gretchen Renz, CDFA, SDA National Secretary

Gretchen Renz, CDFA was elected and installed to serve as SDA National Secretary at the 2021 SDA Annual Business Meeting. Renz is a member of the Seattle Chapter of SDA. She had served on the board as Director, Secretary, Treasurer and Jobline Chair.

Nationally, Renz has sat on the Bylaws Committee. “I want to see SDA stay the same as it relates to friendships and support and continue to innovate in our methods of presenting education, mentorship, and staying relevant to younger members,” said Renz.

During her term, Renz aims to focus on public appreciation and recognition of SDA and the possibility of a structured mentorship program. She is the Business Manager for Bernardo | Wills Architects in Spokane, Washington.

Fridays After 5 Featuring Belinda Sanchez

SDA’s member spotlight Fridays After 5 showcases the varied creative, fun, adventurous, or interesting achievements our members accomplish after business hours.

This week’s Fridays After 5 features Belinda Sanchez SDA.  Belinda is the Communications & Events Director of AIA San Antonio. For the past 10 years, when she’s not creating signature events, you can find her creating cakes. 

When did you start baking? Who was your first teacher? 

I’ve baked since I was a little girl with my Grandmother. As I got older, I became the official “baker” in the family and everyone always wants my special chocolate cake and icing every year for their birthday. Every holiday season, I’d experiment and challenge myself with new recipes and designs. But no matter how much more skilled I became at high design cakes, my family would still only want the traditional chocolate cake. 

Did you take home ec in school?

I did, but I don’t recall learning to bake. I did sew a chic (or so I thought) black button-up blouse. I think I wore it once :/

How did you learn? How do you learn new techniques today?

Once I decided that I wanted to not just bake but actually design cakes, I took a cake decorating class at a local cake supply store. The instructor, Iris, was very good and had over 40 years of cake decorating experience. I took several classes with her from basics to gum paste/fondant work. I learned a lot, but I also learned that there is ALWAYS more to learn. Now, I rely on my years of experience to experiment or, if necessary, turn to youtube to learn or improve on a technique or process.

What’s your creative process like when someone comes to you for an order?

Most folks know what they want and just send me a picture of the design they want with a few modifications. For those that don’t, I ask questions for clarity of the design they seek, pull images from my own portfolio if applicable, and/or images from online that I know I can deliver on. From there we just tweak the design to fit their needs. 

Where do you find inspiration? from the client? books? tv? Pinterest?

Google google google… most of the above show up on a google search. I also have an extensive portfolio of work to pull from as examples of my work and my technique. 

When did you start your side hustle?

I started my “side hustle” in 2011, during the economic downturn. At that time, the firm I worked for was knee-deep in surviving in the economic downturn and our pay had been frozen for over two years. Understandably, I was working extensive hours and had no time available to even consider a second job. I needed an additional income stream that allowed me the flexibility I needed to maintain my full-time job. 

This was also around the time that Food Network was airing a popular baking show called “Cupcake Wars”.  As a member of the marketing team, I was brought in to plan a staff anniversary party and appointed the role of purchasing a celebratory dessert. Of course, I opted for trendy cupcakes instead of a traditional cake.

When placing the order, I saw how ridiculously expensive they were and recall thinking to myself – I’m in the wrong line of work. I remarked to my mother about it later that evening as we both shopped at a local grocer. Coincidentally, I was in the section of reading material and happened to glance down… there on the shelf just below me was a book on cupcake decorating 101. I saw it as a sign and purchased it… and here I am 10 years later…

What’s the name of your business? Do you have a website / Facebook / Instagram account?

Cupcake Creations. I only have a Facebook page www.facebook.com/cupcakecreationssa I plan to build an Instagram page soon, as many have inquired if I have one.

What do you enjoy most about baking?

I used to say the challenge of learning new techniques and skills when I was still learning. It was great to stretch the limits of my expertise and deliver a product that made my clients happy. Now, my enjoyment is more in the experience of creating something to be enjoyed by my clients. In the beginning, I was building my client base and portfolio and considering owning a shop one day. But as the workload increased with my efforts, it began to FEEL like work and wasn’t as enjoyable as it used to be. I moved away from the idea of the business owner and accepted that baking as a side hustle was more in tune with my lifestyle and career trajectory. 

What is your favorite thing to bake?

I don’t really have a favorite – but I do detest baking sheet cakes. I will not accept the work. I figure, if you need that much cake, you might as well build it up and make it stand out. 

When did you start doing multi-tiered cakes? How long is that process? Is it hard to transport?

I started doing multi-tiered cakes pretty early on since that is the trend. As long as you take the time to create a level cake and install dowels to make it structurally sound it is fine. I will not transport anything bigger than 2 tiers. If they want a 3rd tier or more, I usually require delivery so that I can assemble and finish the cake on site. Cake disasters do happen en route and not all are fixable. I learned real quick it’s best to prepare to finish on site. This is mostly the case for large event cakes, like weddings or birthday parties. Do not believe those cake shows showing them delivering 5 tier cakes—they do that for storyline and to create suspense -- most cake decorators assemble on site. 

How many wedding cakes will you commit to in a year?  Do you only do them for family or will your work for others?

I accept no more than one wedding cake per weekend. They are a lot of work and I prefer to concentrate my energy on one cake at a time. On average I usually do about 5-10 wedding cakes a year, depending on how much I market. 

What is the most time-consuming part of baking?

Baking takes time, but not work. Once it’s in the oven, you just wait. It’s the details that take the most time. Whether it’s icing and piping work, fondant detailing, or edible floral work, it’s the precision that you have to have in the decorating process that takes the most time and is, in my opinion, the most important part of the creative process.

Do you have a regular oven and pans, or do you have some professional kitchen equipment?

I have both. I work out of my home kitchen and I’ve acquired a lot of equipment, tools, and supplies over the last 10 years.

Do you need “staff” for some jobs? What’s the smallest job you’ve taken / the largest?

Large or small I prefer to work alone. I find comfort in completing the work myself and not having to judge or accept the work of others – I guess I’m a perfectionist that way. Occasionally, if time is of the essence when it comes to set up, I might ask a friend to help with the setup at the venue. But in most cases, the halls provide you ample time to do what you need to do. 

If you could, would you do this full-time?

No, I tried and it wasn’t for me. Took the joy out of it and made it feel like work. I much prefer doing this on the side, so that I can pick and choose the work that I do without fear of not being able to pay my bills. This way, I have a job that I love AND a side hustle I enjoy. 

What’s your favorite baking show?

Cake Wars. I enjoy watching and learning their techniques or the tools they use to create. I’m always surprised and learn something.

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to launch their own side hustle?

Do something you love to do. A full-time job should definitely be the priority, and we all know at times, our jobs can be more demanding than we prefer. A side hustle like all other jobs has just as many responsibilities, and it’s never fun when the additional work makes you feel resentful or even lackluster compared to much-desired downtime. Doing something relaxing, enjoyable, and rewarding in its completion makes the tasks less daunting and something you look forward to working on in your free time.

Belinda is also cooking up something special for EdSymposium 21! 

To toast an amazing EDSymposium 21, the Past Presidents Council is hosting a Meet, Mix and Mingle fundraiser. The event will take place on Saturday, June 12 at 4:15 EDT. It will benefit the PPC Foundation Scholarship Fund. SDA’s own mixologist Fran Carillo will be teaching a cocktail class, while participants can mix along (recipes and bar list included) or sip on a favorite beverage and visit!  There is a minimum donation of $20 to join.  In addition to the usual SDA shenanigans, there will be plenty of door prizes, including a custom SDA cupcake kit courtesy of Belinda! 

Fridays After 5 Featuring Jayne Niemann

Grab your margarita and elbow pads because we are five days away from Cinco de Mayo and International Roller Derby Day! In honor of International Roller Derby Day, we are delighted to introduce you to SDA’s very own Roller Babe - Aimee ArmaLite or “AR” as she’s known on the track!

When not on the track, “AR” is known as Jayne Niemann, CDFA. Jayne is the office diva at Acquilano in Colorado. Before that, she spent 13 years at RB+B Architects in Fort Collins, CO. She has a business administration degree from Colorado State University-Global Campus. 

How did you get started with roller derby? 

A coworker took me to a game in the Spring of 2009, and I was hooked! I joined in June for training, worked my way through the grueling training program, and skated in my first game in October. As a volunteer, I joined the board of directors as the PR Head in 2010 and then as Treasurer starting in 2012. I officially retired from competition at the end of 2014, but I still skate for fun and volunteer to this day!

What’s the name of your league? Have you played on more than one team?

I’ve always been with the same league. We used to be FoCo Girls Gone Derby and changed to FoCo Roller Derby a while ago. As far as the teams go, I’ve played on the following teams within the same league:

• Chanel Cartel
• Deathrow Dolls
• Cinderhellas
• Punchy Brewsters
• Micro Bruisers

We’ve gone through a few rebrands over the years. The current teams in our league are:

• Growlers (home team)
• Ale Marys (home team)
• Punchy Brewsters (B team competitive)
• Micro Bruisers (A team competitive)

Team huddle on the track before a game.

What’s the age range of the members of your group/team?

Our league is an adult league - ages 18 and up. Our oldest skater is in her early 50s, and there are older skaters in other leagues.  There are many junior derby leagues as well - typically ages 6 - 17.

What’s your favorite thing about it? Anything surprising?

My favorite thing about roller derby is the sense of community and camaraderie, not just within my league but with other leagues throughout the world. It's amazing how you instantly become friends with everyone that has/does skate.

Something that surprises me, still to this day, is that all leagues are skater-operated by volunteers. There are less than a handful of paid league members in the entire world!

How often do you practice? How long is a season? 

COVID has put a severe damper on roller derby. The WFTDA has been praised for its stringent return-to-play guidelines. We're hoping to get back to play this fall, though.

Typically, we would offer practice four times a week - a total of 9 hours! Our new skaters and non-competitive teams generally skate 4 hours of those, and our competitive teams skate 5+. Seasons typically run from February to December.

Jayne, in blue, blocking a Jammer's path.

How do you stay in shape to do this? Is there a unique training program you follow? Does season differ from off-season?

Practice, practice, practice. If you're on the competitive team, add to that gym time, nutrition, and serious self-care. Our league has a training program for new skaters that typically takes six months (it varies depending on the individual). After that, you are thrown in with the rest of the scrimmage-eligible folks and put on a home team. Then there are tryouts for the competitive (travel) team. We don't really have an off-season, but when we have a few weeks off for summer/holidays, you can bet a lot of yoga is involved!

What do you do to keep safe? Is there special equipment? Referees?

All of the above! For equipment: helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, wrist guards, mouth guard. Each league has its own crew of volunteer referees that attend scrimmages and games to keep us in check. Another big part of safety for us is training! We must learn how to fall, take hits, and strengthen our bodies for derby.

Jayne, far left with "AR15" on her shoulder at a pre-game greeting of the opposing team.

Any particular sources for gear and roller derby fashion?

I ordered a lot of my gear through our local roller rink, then through our local skate shop, and sometimes online. Your local skate shop is super helpful in trying on the equipment before you buy!

Uniforms have come a long way since 2009. We used to skate in whatever themed costume we could come up with - mobsters vs. prisoners, heroes vs. villains, mermaids vs. skeletons, you name it! Most of these were homemade or purchased from the Halloween store. :D The trend now is to scrap this style for a more competitive look. Now our teams are stocked with athletic uniforms from roller derby-specific vendors.

How many games are in a season? Can you describe to me how a derby works?

My league, FoCo Roller Derby, typically has 7-9 games per season and 2-3 tournaments for our travel teams. 

A typical game is a lot like going to a hockey game - we've got concessions, merchandise, fan activities, sometimes mascots, a half-time show, and more! My favorite non-competitive, themed game is our annual Black & Blue Ball in October - think of it as a homecoming game. The skaters are team black vs. team blue, and skaters (and refs and fans!) dress up in formal wear.

Does your team engage in any other activities? Do you parade?

We do! We often participate in local parades and events - on skates when we're allowed! We usually have a booth for recruitment, ticket sales, and engagement. 

Any advice on how to find a club nearby?

Anyone looking for roller derby in their area can either search roller derby near their town OR visit www.wftda.org, click on Leagues, and search the worldwide list of leagues! WFTDA is the international Women's Flat Track Roller Derby Association. Don't let the name fool you, though; it’s all-inclusive.

What advice would you give another SDA member if they were considering this? 

Go for it! You will NOT regret it. Leagues take people of every age/size/skill level and train you into the badass derby person you know you can be. 

Can’t get enough? Neither can we!

See Jayne skate! Look for AR-15 in blue. Sadly they didn’t win. : (

Jayne, in blue with a star on her helmet, playing the Jammer position on the team.

The video below is of the founder of the league and the person who inspired her to join roller derby. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2yiBPw1xPQ

Not a video of Jayne, but of her inspiration for joining the team. Watch for the 

player with  the star on her helmet. That's the Jammer.