Nadine Reibeling, Runner up on The Next Great Baker, Tells That’s SO Jenn about following her dreams, life after the show, her Twitter imposter and her upcoming role as a mother. She’s as sweet as the cakes she bakes.
What made you try out for The Next Great Baker?
I love cake and the artistry of what draws people to the world of decorating. I started out very young and I wanted to show that even though I was told it was a hobby growing up, I have run with it. It’s not only a hobby, but a career choice. I overheard someone mention that her parents wouldn’t let her go to culinary school even though it was what she wanted to do. That was a little frustrating to hear. I believe that everyone should follow what they love to do. That’s where you find success.
You came so close to winning the whole show. What did it feel like to make it so far?
Nobody walks into something thinking they are going to lose, but when you are in the final two you just look around and thank your stars. Getting that close to me was a culmination of every move I had made leading up to that point. There is no way to explain that feeling.
During the finale, you were very emotional to see your mother there. What was that moment like for you?
To have Buddy facing me and my mom just over my shoulder was what it was all about. It is very hard for me to put into words how close I am with her, but she put me in that first Wilton class at 13, so much credit goes to her. Between her and her mom, my Grandma Bertha, I have good hearted and strong women in my life. My grandma was who first put a rolling pin in my hand and taught me to fear nothing, but give everything a chance. She always believed so much in me and a large part of being on the show was in her honor. Unfortunately, she passed away right before I moved to attend Johnson & Wales in RI. My mom saw my love in making cake and she continued to do all she could so I could pursue it. She really had no idea where I would run with it, and I don’t think she ever thought she’d be in an audience watching me in a TV show. I was so proud to have her share in that night.
Fortunately my ally was also my final competition, Marissa. It’s fortunate because to be at the end with someone you consider a friend makes it that much more enjoyable. It’s going to be fun to see her on Cake Boss!
How did you feel when you didn’t hear your name? Marissa said you had to tape two endings to throw off the audience. What was that like for you to fake the win?
My initial thought was genuine happiness for Marissa and wanting to congratulate her. To fake the win was a little tough. My mom didn’t know I hadn’t won at that point so having to break that to her wasn’t much fun. I made it to the finale. I spent 10 weeks with Buddy and the Valastro family, met amazing people along the way and had my mom with me in the end. It was a win no matter how I looked at it.
Concept wise, I really liked the cake. Have I re-designed that cake in my head? Many times. When you are up for so many hours, and mentally becoming exhausted, creativity doesn’t always work like flipping a switch. You have to follow what you feel and I felt this concept was going to be good at telling my dreams. I was glad to be able to represent what the competition meant to me, which is my constant reach for different goals. Plus, I got to show a little love for Minnesota. There will be plenty more clouds to be added down the road. Goals are always changing and sometimes you have to change your path to get to them. That doesn’t take away from the incredible journey along with way regardless of the outcome.
What did it feel like to see your journey mapped out on your finale cake.
Mapping out my journey was a fun process! I rarely look back collectively at the moves I have made and the decisions I’ve taken along the way. To look back and piece the past 15 years of my life together was a sweet reminder of how things happen for a reason. I couldn’t have imagined or dreamed up how things have taken their course, but I do know how grateful I am for each of those experiences.
What would your next tiers of clouds be if you did a cake today?
Well, to start, I have a baby girl due in June! From there it goes back to my goal from day one, to have my own shop in NYC. If I inspire just one 13-year-old out there to start their decorating now, to hone that talent, that 10 weeks of complete craziness was worth every single second.
Congratulations, how exciting! You’ve already been a role-model to young viewers and now you’ll have a child of your own to inspire. What is it like to know you’re helping people reach their dreams?
This has been one of the most unexpected and best parts of being cast. I am getting e-mail, letters, pictures and videos of aspiring cake artists that are saying they look up to me as a role model for following my heart at a young age, doing the best with my skills, and for following my dreams so far while keeping a level head. I do have the fire and passion, but I don’t react to stress and pressure in the same way as some of my fellow contestants. I work in NYC. I wouldn’t last working here if I didn’t have some steel in my veins.
Having been through this experience and knowing what you know now, what would you tell the 13-year-old Nadine if you could go back in time?
Keep going kid. You can do this and you can make a career out of it. You’re ahead of the curve to learn all this before some people are getting their first job. The world is your oyster. It’s good to respect the opinions of others, but this is your life and you have it in you to do whatever you want. You have much to look forward to. It’s going to be an amazing journey. Just keep practicing, stay humble and never forget those who have helped you along the way. Everyone will teach you something whether in life or baking, remember the lessons you’re taught.
You mentioned wanting to teach in this field because you felt your teachers didn’t take you as seriously when you started out. How would your approach be different?
I’d start with the basics and go from there. Some kids get frustrated when they don’t make that perfect rose on their first lesson. I practiced over and over and over. It wouldn’t be much a craft if there wasn’t some form of dedication. When my friends would be going out, I’d sometimes stay home because Wilton had just released a new cake book and I wanted to know the new designs. When I was learning to write with chocolate, I would pipe toothpaste. It’s the same consistency and it doesn’t harden up. The basics are the skeleton. Once you really know what you are doing you can start playing with creativity. You have to be just as committed as a pianist is to playing the piano. You walk before you run.
Time management is crucial to any successful business. In kitchens I have worked in, eggs arrive in cartons and you weigh it out in grams. I can’t say I crack a ton of eggs on a daily basis so I had no idea what to expect with that challenge time wise. It’s not enough to know something. You have to do it at your fastest and consistently. In professional kitchens I would have challenges against myself. If I could scoop 500 cookies in 30 minutes, next time I’d shoot for 25 minutes. Things like that. If you don’t know your best time and quality you have no bar to set yourself against. Your personal bar of standards should always be the highest.
You held your own running with bags of flour during the bakers challenge.
I am not a sporty person and relays have never been my strength. I don’t play basketball, I’ll be the last picked on a volleyball team and I am A-OK with that. In junior high I was the best cheerleader on the bench! Today, I’ll run a 5k here and there, but to carry 100lbs. in such an awkward form just wasn’t quite working out. Also, you don’t know what the challenges are going to be in advance. Had I known what I would be doing that morning perhaps I would have changed my footwear to something other than flats.
If you could do the competition all over again, would you? What would you change, if anything?
I would do it in a heartbeat. There really is no way to prepare yourself for the wrenches Buddy throws at you so I can’t say I’d change much. In hindsight of course I would, but when you don’t know what to expect you can’t really prepare much besides your mind. Then again, maybe I would have drunk a lot more coffee during the finale!
What was your relationship with the contestants during the show? Do you keep in touch with them?
My closest friend from the show is Marissa. Luckily, she is just across the Hudson from me. I also keep in touch with Melo and Ryan. I really liked Heather M. as well, but she’s on the West Coast and has her own busy life so it’s not as easy to keep in touch.
What were some of your favorite moments on the show?
Anytime I won a challenge was my favorite moment! The first day and the last day were also moments that really meant a lot. Walking on set the first day was something you don’t fully understand until you’re in the middle of it. It feels like a whirlwind dream. At the end, to be in the final two facing Buddy and looking back at my mom, was priceless.
What was your most favorite challenge?
The engineered cake. I loved my team, I think in my eyes I had the dream team and our cake represented that.
Least favorite challenge?
The bridezilla cake. It wasn’t the skill of making the cake, it was the mind game of the bride and being made to double guess Melo. When he was saying to use only triangles and no circles, and you look over and the other team is using circles, you question if Melo heard it all correctly. We were all doubting our leaders. Even though I trusted Melo previously, this challenge was a mind game. After that challenge it became a true competition, each for their own. Up until that point it was talented people, working together, being friendly.
Tell me about this Twitter imposter!
So my Twitter name is @lollylovestory NOT @nadinereibeling. It appears I have someone out there that has been posing as me which I am getting taken care of right away. Marissa was all excited to tell me she got me some followers, and I told her that wasn’t me. She and others had been following this version of “me” which claims I have a niece and was swearing at Marissa for catching them in the act. If you know me, I don’t have a niece and I wouldn’t be caught swearing at Marissa on Twitter. Sorry to my fans for the runaround on that. I was shocked.
What learning experience do you most take away from the show?
How to hit the restart button day after day. You can’t take anything into a new challenge from the day before. I work in events so for me I have been good about not losing my cool. If anything happens on a bride’s special day, I can’t lose my mind. I have to keep my focus on the remedy and the resolution. I can only control what I can control. One of best biggest things I’ve taken away, aside from what happened during filming, was that anything is truly possible. I never in a million years thought I could be cast on TV. Anything can happen.
What advice do you have for anyone just starting out in the field?
Practice. Be humble. Meet everyone and go to everything in this field. Every show. Any classes. You can never learn too much. Basically, everyone is an artist. There is inspiration in everything. While driving with Marissa I said, ‘Look at that building. That is a beautiful cake.’ I’ll wander in fabric stores just getting images in my mind. Be an open canvas and a sponge. Be open to everything and absorb all the knowledge you can. There are so many people that have been doing this far longer than I have, and I admire them greatly. Those older ladies in my first class pushed me to say, ‘Hey, I may be young, but I am going to do this. If anything, I’ll do it better because you don’t think I can at all.’
How has life changed for you since the show?
I have been busy as a bird, but it’s been good. My goals are the same so it’s just a matter of sticking to my lists and checking things off until I get to my next cloud.
Tell me about what you’re doing now with Kimpton Hotels and Lolly Love.
Oh gosh, Jenn, how much time do you have? I work with Kimpton Hotels NYC in catering sales. I focus on the special events within the hotel and get to work with the event from soup to nuts. That includes the event design, creation of the menu, lighting and sound. It’s a great, creative job that allows for the daily face to face time with clients. Working in this position is what allowed me to keep my calm on the show. You can’t lose control when you are planning a bride’s wedding. You have to be the calm, no matter what hurdle you face. Lolly Love is where I create the little sister of New York’s cupcake craze, the cake lolly. We only deliver in Manhattan right now, but we are hoping to start shipping soon and even better, a store front!
Where will you go from here?
I’ll get started teaching the recruits for Season 15! Really though, I plan on spending some time between NYC and Minnesota. I’d like to be talking to others that want to get into this, teach classes, make cakes, lollies and cookies, and run events. I am fortunate to have jobs that I really love to do and want to roll out of bed to get to. Regardless of the outcome on the show, for anyone to do what they love to do it is a win.
