During her presentation, Misti shared a great deal of information about her background. The following bullets are examples of Misti’s experiences, often in her own words:
- “I’m also a caregiver by trade and calling. I cared for my mother-in-law for 15 years, including her final three years when she was completely bedridden. We brought her joy, dignity, and love until the day she passed—in our home.”
- “I’ve run a childcare business that served over 1,000 children across 35 years…when I say “served,” I mean served. I’ve cleaned up messes, broken up fights, celebrated birthdays, taught preschool and probably kissed more boo-boos than any human alive.”
- “I’ve always been a mama bear—fiercely protective, deeply loyal, and unafraid to stand up for what’s right, especially when it comes to children. As a lifelong advocate for special needs kids and a mandated reporter, I don’t hesitate to speak up—even when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular.”
- About 12 years ago, Misti started cake decorating as a hobby, which took off faster than expected. In her first competition, she took Best in Show and First Place in several divisions. In her first professional at the Oklahoma Sugar Art Show, Misti placed 14th out 800+ competitors.
- This success led Misti to creating cakes for celebrities (e.g., Anjelah Johnson, Sinbad, George Lopez), “but the most meaningful cakes were for children in foster care, many of whom had never received a birthday cake before…in partnership with CASA of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, we donate beautifully decorated birthday cakes to foster children—bringing joy, dignity, and sweet memories to their special day.”
- In 2015, Misti was invited to film a pilot for an Australian cake decorating TV show, Go Ahead, Bake My Day, which brought together top cake artists from around the world in a friendly competition of skill, creativity, and stamina. Over 8 intense days of filming, Misti competed against Maria Vella, Australia’s own “Martha Stewart,” and Michael Lewis-Anderson, the royal baker for the King and Queen of Belgium. Though the pilot unfortunately wasn’t picked up, “being part of that experience was a once-in-a-lifetime honor. We were sworn to secrecy, so I can’t tell you who won… but I can say it was one of the proudest moments of my cake career.”
- The Gold Logie is Australia’s highest TV award and Misti created the created the first Gold Logie Cake. Misti was then featured on live on national TV in Australia.
- In 2015, Misti was invited to participate in the United Nations of Sugar Art, a global collaboration of sugar artists using edible art to raise social awareness. The theme that year was World AIDS Day, for which Misti “created one of the most emotionally intense sugar art pieces of my career. It was both beautiful and heartbreaking—a visual narrative in edible form that paid tribute to the lost generations impacted by HIV and AIDS.”
- In December 2019, Misti “traded fondant and frosting for fur…[and] I found new joy in the pet industry and opened Wiggle Rumps…Wiggle Rumps was born, and I haven’t looked back…I realized—I’ve always been a caretaker at heart. Whether it’s a child, a senior, a stranger on the road needing CPR, or a rescue dog with a matted coat… I show up. Serving is not something I do. It’s who I am.