Learning to live with perfectionism | Reese Saliceti | TEDxUTAustin

About this video

Perfectionism often convinces us that our lives must be polished before they can be meaningful. In Cut Your Cake: Learning to Live with Perfectionism, baker, entrepreneur, and UT Austin student Reese Saliceti reflects on building Dulce Custom Cakes, navigating failure, and learning that the pressure to be perfect can suffocate the courage to create. Through stories of viral cake mistakes, academic setbacks, and family expectations, Reese challenges us to rethink failure not as an ending, but as evidence that we are daring greatly. Her talk invites us to stop waiting for the perfect moment, embrace imperfection, and “cut the cake” now. Reese Saliceti is an entrepreneur who believes creativity is a form of leadership. Reese grew up inspired by the hustle and heart of small business owners in her family from San Antonio and Puerto Rico who turned their skills into service. She combined her love of art with her sweet tooth, and Dulce Custom Cakes was born in 2019. Since then, Dulce Custom Cakes has sold hundreds of cakes, grown a community of more than 18,000 followers, and inspired bakers of all skill levels to see baking as an art form and way to build meaningful connections. A junior at the University of Texas at Austin, Reese studies Plan II Honors and Sociology with a minor in Business. On campus, Reese serves as a proud member of the Texas Orange Jackets. She is also a Resident Assistant, Middle School mentor, and member of the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute. Reese hopes to use her work at the intersection of creativity and social impact to empower others to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and find comfort in the art of risk-taking. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx