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I tend to fill my days with simple things that make me smile. I’ve been known to thumb tack pictures of babies, Mickey Mouse, and snowflakes to my desk to make things a little brighter. I walk around spouting off facts about Disney World and ranting about Christmas, family dinners, puppies, and weddings. But when I had to search for the ultimate source of inspiration, I have to admit I was kind of stuck. I decided that maybe a good place to start would be on the other end of the spectrum – so I began by listing my biggest fears.

Among many, I narrowed this list down to a few key pieces of myself that I hoped to overcome through my search for inspiration. I wanted to find a way to gain confidence, challenge myself, go out of my comfort zone, and do something I would normally avoid. The answer? The First Annual Pocono Cupcake Challenge.

When I initially read the rules, I felt inclined to close the browser window and move on with my day, completely missing the opportunity in the name of nerves. But with Inspiration Day on my mind and encouragement from everyone in the office, I made a not-very-Michelle decision and actually considered participating. Do something I would normally avoid: check.

So this was the challenge: bake 10 dozen cupcakes (yes, really that many) and present them to a panel of judges hailing from the TV show Cupcake Wars. The general public pays $10 for admission and receives 5 tickets, each redeemable for 1 cupcake. They’re allowed to vote for one participant as the “People’s Choice” winner and enjoy a live jazz band performance, hayrides, and activities. This would normally stick out to me as a great activity to attend as a guest, so I had to reverse my perspective and try to see myself as someone worthy of being on the other side. Go out of my comfort zone: check.

I teamed up with my friend Emily to tackle the logistics of making 120 cupcakes in one oven. She shares the same love for baking and enthusiasm for cupcakes, so I knew she’d be the perfect partner to make this into a memorable experience. We decided on two different varieties: apple butter cupcakes with a cinnamon buttercream frosting and pumpkin ginger cupcakes with a maple cream glaze. Now the only thing left was to bring them to life, balancing both flavor and appearance, while considering the daunting task of transporting them through windy Pocono Mountain roads. Challenge myself: check.

When we arrived at the event, it was immediately clear to both of us that we weren’t quite up to par with some of the other participants. Our competition flaunted tables laden with elaborate decorations and professional-quality displays. Towers of cupcakes, 5-foot tall corn stalks, and pitchers of homemade apple cider graced their displays while Emily and I nervously arranged the simple pumpkins and autumn leaves we bought at midnight the night before, catching glances with each other and sharing looks of concern. There we stood in a room full of professionals, two kids from town that just happened to like cupcakes. The event had gathered over 400 people and a 60-minute line filing out the door of the Shawnee Inn, all anxiously awaiting cupcakes and a chance to pick their favorite. Find a way to gain confidence: check.

We stood proudly at our table, smiling at every person who passed until our cheeks ached from the monotony of our speeches – “Hi how are you?! Are you having fun?! We have a pumpkin ginger cupcake here with a maple cream glaze. It tastes like a gingerbread cookie turned into a cake! Oh yes, we know, so many choices! Enjoy!” Plenty of people stopped at our table, enthusiastic to hear our story and cash in a ticket for a cupcake. It felt unbelievably gratifying to be in a room full of professionals and still get recognized as legitimate contenders, with just as much talent and passion as anyone else.

When all was said and done, we didn’t win a thing. The judges gave out awards for People’s Choice, Best, Autumn Theme, Most Creative, and Best Overall – but it didn’t really matter that our name wasn’t on that list. I was there for a different reason than most of the other people and, as cheesy as it may sound, I feel like I achieved what I set out to achieve.

When I think about how I relate this to my job, it’s pretty crazy to see just how much a cupcake contest and a copy document have in common.

I learned that:

• Some people have an upper hand – whether it’s equipment, skills, resources, time, or money
• You need to make the most out of what you have – even if it’s a few pumpkins added to your table
• When you feel intimidated or unable to do something, it’s always more rewarding to tackle it head-on
• No matter how young or inexperienced you are, the product of your efforts is just as worthy as anyone with 20 years of practice
• When you walk into a room and feel like the underdog, smiling and standing confidently can make all the difference
• You don’t always win
• A ton of people actually are better than you are
• That’s not a bad thing
• It’s good to take a risk every so often
• Even if it doesn’t work out in the end, you never have to wonder what would have happened

This was a great choice for Inspiration Day. Not only did I learn a lot about myself and relate a lot of lessons to my job, but I also got to have a ton of fun and do what I love most. And best of all, I’ll never have to ask myself, “What if you took a chance and actually did that cupcake contest?”