Meet Deseree Tuttle | Cake Artist, Marketing Director, Choreographer

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

Hi Deseree, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I pursued an artistic career because I believe I was always thinking out of the box. I believe creative careers allow you to connect with people in a different way. I was always wanting to do something different, constantly evolve, create something new, make something better; and in other career paths I don’t think that is always the case.

The arts are something that I have held near and dear to me, for as long as I can remember. I started dancing at the age of 3. Needless to say, I loved it and was quite the perfectionist when it came to it (although now looking back, I do think that was my Virgo coming out). I tried other sports like softball and soccer, but dance truly had my heart. I danced recreationally and then competitively. I had the opportunity to train with some of the best teachers and choreographers out there. It also gave me the opportunity to create lifelong friendships. I am lucky enough to be teaching and choreographing for an amazing studio in Apex, NC.

I say all this to say, creativity has been instilled in me from a young age, which is why baking came so natural to me. It gave me an opportunity to express myself through sweets. Being able to use a cake as a canvas, flavors as my paintbrushes; it just worked. It’s also why marketing was my degree of choice because it gave me the opportunity to creatively showcase businesses, products, people, etc. in a way that was my own as if I was on stage and those people viewing the social media posts/digital campaigns were the audience. I own a home-based bakery and a social media/digital marketing agency. I can’t begin to express how grateful I am that what I am able to make a living out of, were passions that just so happened to turn into business opportunities.

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 always giggle when people ask me what I do because I honestly do a little bit of everything. I wear many hats and I do it proudly. I choreograph competitive dances, I bake and design cakes, I handle marketing for professional athletes and esteemed real estate brokerages, and I model for brands like Belk. If I’m honest, I’m proud of it all. My path was not easy by any means but to be able to say, “Yes I did this” makes me proud. I’m most excited about my growth. It’s always so exciting to see where you started, where you are, and where you are going. I’m constantly evolving in each lane. While modeling is something that I do when I have the time; everything else is part-time work turned to full time. How I’ve managed that, is such a great question some days, I have no idea–but I’ve made it work and loved every minute of it. I feel that if something that you are doing doesn’t spark joy in you anymore, it’s time to let it go. I’m grateful that each line of work that I am in brings me joy and still ignites my passions. It definitely hasn’t been easy. Finding harmony in work/life has been the biggest challenge. While I wear many hats, mom is my favorite one. Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart and can come with long nights, early mornings, and being gone. So, once I was able to find that harmony (which is something I am constantly working on every day) made things easier. Understanding that it’s okay to say no, it’s okay to pass on work to others, it’s okay to ask for help, and it’s okay to slow down every once in a while. We live in a world where everyone has this grind 24/7 hustle nonstop mentality but if you are constantly ripping and running, you then become rundown and burnt out. So being able to keep the passion and love for all the things I do, while still enjoying my family has been most important to me.
I want the world to know that it’s so important to fuel your passions and trust the process. I believe that creating is so important no matter how you do it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ah! I am a foodie– so we would definitely go to all the best food spots. Mason Jar for brunch, where we can get a flight of mimosas (yes, all the mimosas).
We can head into downtown Raleigh for lunch and go to Morgan Food Hall and pick from a plethora of restaurants that are amazing. Then depending on the time of year, we could go to Canes game or even go to the art museum. Then we can go have some fun at the Boxcar Bar, get a few drinks and have a great night!

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?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my fiance who without skipping a beat is forever supporting me in every single business endeavor, no matter how crazy. He always has my back and is always my voice of reason.

Website: www.sweethavenllc.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sweethaven.bakery and www.instagram.com/desereevt

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweethavenbydeseree

Image Credits
Samantha Couick, Blackprint Photography, Roberto Rodriguez, Cirque91 photography