Emily Marsac

Hi! Tell us about yourself

I’ve gone from  Pennsylvania to the suburbs of Atlanta to downtown ATL to Jersey City to Brooklyn to West Orange and I’m finally home! 

I spent 12 years producing award shows in NYC, left all that to be a yoga teacher and now I find myself baking cakes for my Zen.

Tell us about your business!

Bakes by Izzy is located at 108 W. South Orange Ave. It’s a small batch bakery and retail shop for people who want something low stress and delicious! 

Where did you grow up?

Butler, PA and Atlanta, Ga

How long have you lived in SOMa?

10 years

How many years have you been in business?

Almost 5 Years

How long have you been doing the work you do?

I’ve been baking for as long as I remember but we got serious when Covid hit.

How did you find yourself doing this work?

I’ve never done this work professionally – 100% self taught

What excites you the most about what you do?

I love sharing delicious food with nice  people!

What inspired you to start your own business?

When COVID hit I was looking for an outlet for  my stress and grief when healing with infertility. I  quickly started outbaking the house.

What is it about you that makes you so good at what you do?

I work really hard to do things simply and with ease which sounds counterintuitive but I find that it results in something delicious! 

What are you working on right now?

Finding my groove in my first retail shop.

Do you have any magic tricks that you use in your business that you swear by and could share with others?

Outsourcing when I know it’s too much.

What 4 items are essential for you to do the work you do?

Good chocolate, patience, creativity and ….good chocolate?

If you could collaborate with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Ina Garten - I love the story of how her business started and I really respect how she was/is as a business owner and boss.

What legacy do you hope to leave through your business?

I hope to leave something lasting for my kids to look back at and think “how cool my mom did this!”

What's the wildest dream you have for your business's future?

A bakery / Yoga space called “Sukha” which translates to happiness, ease or sweet spot in sanskrit.

Favorite songs to listen to when working?

Lizzo playlist on spotify

Do you have a favorite local store or business that you wish more people knew about?

Kitchen al la Mode - not as expensive as you think and they have EVERYTHING!