Hey, my name is Polina Filimonova! I am a pastry chef, founder, and head teacher at the online school for pastry chefs, Pauline School. Our school has been around for over 5 years, with over 140,000 students worldwide, and I have just opened a luxury cake studio in Dubai.
But before getting here, I went through a long and, at times, very difficult path. Like all of you right now, I started in my home kitchen. It was over 10 years ago in a small town. I just enjoyed baking tasty and beautiful desserts, and I had no grand plans. I just wanted to constantly experiment, the process was thrilling, and I felt that it was for me. Back then, the profession of a home baker wasn't as popular and in-demand as it is now, so I didn't know how to monetize my hobby and make it my life.
Now, you are very lucky that you can take online courses, attend workshops, including free ones, like ours; you can watch videos on YouTube, and connect with like-minded people. But when I started, I didn't have these opportunities - they didn't exist yet. Everything I know, I taught myself, made a huge amount of mistakes, and a million times wanted to give up, sat and cried, thinking I would never pursue this.
But before getting here, I went through a long and, at times, very difficult path. Like all of you right now, I started in my home kitchen. It was over 10 years ago in a small town. I just enjoyed baking tasty and beautiful desserts, and I had no grand plans. I just wanted to constantly experiment, the process was thrilling, and I felt that it was for me. Back then, the profession of a home baker wasn't as popular and in-demand as it is now, so I didn't know how to monetize my hobby and make it my life.
Now, you are very lucky that you can take online courses, attend workshops, including free ones, like ours; you can watch videos on YouTube, and connect with like-minded people. But when I started, I didn't have these opportunities - they didn't exist yet. Everything I know, I taught myself, made a huge amount of mistakes, and a million times wanted to give up, sat and cried, thinking I would never pursue this.
But that very experience led me to where I am now: I have a favorite job, I can make delicious natural cakes, I can create almost any decor, I have a great team and my production, I have a large audience on social networks.
And if I managed to achieve impressive results, considering that I had nothing to learn from and studied everything myself, then you all should do it much faster and better. Because with the materials from the internet, including with the help of our school, you can develop your profession several times faster and, in a short period, become a super pastry chef.
When I started, I just tried out recipes, learned how to cook different fillings, and it was essential for me that it tasted good. When I wanted to sell cakes, I realized that a good taste wasn't enough. The cake must be beautiful, and then began the first attempts to create stylish decor that would attract new customers, and since then I have been comprehensively developing in fillings and decor because that's the only way to attract an audience, earn well, and be remembered by people.
I hope my story inspires you! I want to remind you that without mistakes, you can never move forward. Rarely does everything work perfectly on the first try. The most important thing is not to give up and confidently move forward to the end! If your heart tells you that this is for you, then you are heading in the right direction.
At the beginning of my journey, very few people believed in me. Neither acquaintances nor parents approved of my occupation, but I always felt that it would lead me to some achievements because I liked it very much, and I just followed the call of my heart.
I wish you luck in the bootcamp, have a great time, and you will make delicious and beautiful cakes!
Polina Filimonova
The story of a 17-year-old girl from a small town
