The Business of Baking Podcast

Hey Everyone, I've missed you! In this episode I'm telling you what has happened to the podcast, what's going to happen to it, and I introduce my latest project which I think you'll love. Thank you for your love, support, and listening in!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the last episode of season 3, and 2019! In the final episode of last year, I spoke about all the lessons I learned during 2018. Looking back and reflecting on everything that's happened to me this year, I decided that it would be a pretty good way to end this season's podcast episodes as well because 2019 has been both the worst and the best year I can ever remember, and I've learned such a lot from all I've been through. Today, I share my lessons with you in the hope that you will learn something from them too, so listen in, to find out what I learned from 2019.      I love doing this podcast! It's great fun and it's always such a pleasure to get wonderful emails from people all over the world, telling me how much they enjoy listening to the podcast, and saying that I keep them company while they're mixing buttercream, waiting to pick up their kids, or when they can't sleep at night. I think it's very cool that I get to be part of so many of your lives! Thank you for that! And a big thank you to all of you for being part of the podcast and part of my life too! Tune in now, to hear about all the lessons I learned this year.   Show highlights:   This year, I had a pretty rough time with depression.  My kids are growing up so fast! Our industry has changed a lot. In some ways for the better and, in others, for the worse.  My word for this year is ‘phoenix'. Trust your instincts. I learned that people who tell you “this is your problem” don't necessarily even know what your problem is. Tune in to your inner voice to figure out what's really going on. Consistency will always trump one-hit-wonders. I've learned to walk every day and I found that consistently forcing myself outside has made a huge difference to my life. Getting out makes a huge difference in how you see the world and how you see your troubles. This year, I learned that our industry has leveled out a lot. Don't allow other people's judgment to force you to make changes you don't want. People are more forgiving than you think so it's okay if you drop the ball sometimes. Manifesting works. Giving feels good! The greatest gifts often come from the worst circumstances. We go through different seasons in our lives and some of them can be long and dark. The judgment of others should not dictate how you should live your life. Links and Resources: Christine Kane - www.christinekane.com  You can purchase all the different classes I've done from The Learning Store, on www.thebizofbaking.com  If you enjoyed the podcast this year, please leave a review either on Google Podcasts or on any other podcast listener device that you use.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is an exciting day because I'm interviewing Tracy Vasquez, the owner Sugar Beez, a cookie company that mostly makes really beautiful royal icing cookies. Tracy hails from Wonder Lake, Illinois. She's the mom of five grown-up daughters, and she works full-time as a police dispatcher. She is a very interesting person and her experience has been quite different to that of most of the other home-bakers that I've spoken to on the podcast, so listen in today, to hear Tracy's story. Last year, Tracy was approached by a national grocery chain. They asked her to supply their stores in Illinois with her cookies, and then that expanded to include Wisconsin as well. Tracy discovered that she had to obtain a GFSI certification from the Global Food Safety Initiative, to provide supermarkets with her cookies. So for the last year, she has been going through the challenging process necessary to become certified. In today's episode, she talks to us about this process. We also talk about marketing, working full-time, and raising a bunch of beautiful daughters. Tune in now, to find out what Tracy has to do to obtain her GFSI certificate from the Global Food Safety Initiative.  Show highlights: How this all started for Tracey. Why Tracy has never spent money on advertising. The benefits of SEO. Tracy discusses the conscious choice she made to follow the website and SEO path to make her name known. The bulk of Tracy's business comes from Google or Instagram. Tracy has accepted that she does her best work under pressure. Making cookies brings a good balance to Tracy's life. How the supermarket approached Tracy. Tracy talks about the arduous process of getting certified. Some of the crazy things you have to consider when applying for certification. Tracy hired a technical writer to help her understand what she could not understand before. This motivated her to keep moving forward. Although it has been pretty costly, Tracy has learned a lot, she's grown, and she's become empowered from doing this process.  This process has helped Tracy become faster and more efficient, and her life has really improved as a result. Tracy makes custom cookie cutters for every order. Tracy offers her advice for going through the certification process as seamlessly as possible. All of Michelle's classes are now available online. Links: To find out about Michelle's classes, go to www.thebizofbaking.com  Sugar Beez's website: www.sugarbeez.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's episode, Michelle shares an excerpt from her blog and book, The Business of Baking. This article, “You Couldn't Pay Me Enough”, contains a collection of witty humor, entertaining anecdotes, and a comical simplification of the unfortunately relatable clients that bakers often encounter.    From the “Do you know who I am?” clients, the “Is she serious right now?” clients, and the “let me ask my husband” clients, Michelle has seen it all. Join Michelle in this episode for a light laugh and advice on how to deal with these terribly relatable situations.    Show Highlights:    How Michelle manages clients that aren't worth the stress  Different stereotypes of clients that bakers deal with   Experiences Michelle has had with difficult clients  Listening to your instincts and not accepting orders that you don't feel right about    Links:    Michelle@thebusinessofbaking.com    https://thebizofbaking.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is your cake business based in a small town? And, as a result,  are you experiencing problems making it work? Today, I'm very excited to introduce you to someone I have had the pleasure of teaching, who I am now very proud to call my friend, and who has, in my opinion,  a very distinctive artistic point of view. I'm delighted to be interviewing Melissa Kelly Hill today, from the Twelve-Five Cakery, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The purpose of Melissa's business is to make magic, and that's where she's headed! Listen in today, as I uncover her secret to running a successful cake business in a really small American town. I asked Melissa to share her story today because she's amazing and incredibly inspirational! And although her bakery is based in a very small town (Hattiesburg has only 46 000 people in it), and she's still at the beginning of her journey of owning a shop-front, she's really making it work. In today's episode, she talks to us about what it took for her to finally leave her hectic bakery job, to start a business of her own. And she shares what she's been doing to create her flourishing, fancy, big-city cake business in a very small town in Mississippi. Tune in now, to find out more.   Show Highlights:  How Twelve-Five Cakery came to be, and where it's at, currently. How Melissa gained bakery experience before starting her own business. Owing your own business is liberating, however, it can also be overwhelming. Melissa had to teach herself how to bake from scratch. After working so hard for so long, Melissa had to figure out who she really was. Melissa found it very stressful to work from home. Getting shut down by the Health Department.  Melissa was following all the rules, except one- advertising on Facebook. Running a team comes with a lot of responsibility, so that's why Melissa didn't want to start a retail bakery. Melissa recently bought another cake studio from someone else in Hattiesburg. Where Melissa's business is currently at. Melissa feels as if she's still only operating at ten percent of her creative capability. How Melissa gets past the small-town conservative price-points and tastes. People are afraid that Melissa is too expensive. Dealing with that is her latest challenge. The customer should not dictate what you sell. It's not easy for a customer to order a custom cake. Figuring out where to go with chocolate... Links: Twelve-Five Cakery - https://www.twelvefivecakery.com/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you been noticing how the face of our industry is changing? And have you seen how many businesses have been pivoting recently? My life has also changed a lot in the last year. My second book is already in the making, and although traveling to teach has been a really big part of my life for a very long time, I've decided not to do that this year. And, looking at my business, I've been making decisions about what to do with The Business of Baking, going forward into the future.  Pivoting happens a lot in business. And, recently, it happened to me. I finally made the decision to crack open the vault, so I've been spending time taking all the courses that I've created and made them accessible and affordable. On my website, you will find lots of the amazing things that I've created over the years, which are now available to you. You'll find everything from one-hour Masterclasses on a single topic, to things that are much more involved. Listen in, to find out more. Choosing to make these changes in my business got me reflecting on how it was for me when I first started a business of my own. In today's episode, I share with you a list of things that I really didn't expect when I decided to run my own business. Tune in today, to find out about the things that I never anticipated when starting out. Show Highlights: About my amazing All Access Pass. My favorite class is called The thirty Days of Awesome. It was the first thing I ever created when I left the bakery. Having to make pivotal decisions can be scary, but it can also be exhilarating and exciting! Coping with the push and pull of parenthood when running my business. The cost of business was higher than I thought when it came to both money and time. The sacrifice that comes with going into business. I didn't know that getting clients was going to be harder than I   thought. I didn't expect that my family and friends would shy away from being my customers. Some people exit themselves from your life when they see you achieving your dream. Why I didn't realize how hard it would be to take leaps. Doing things yourself doesn't mean that you're getting them done for free. I didn't expect to feel as proud of myself as I did when I went into business. I struggled to feel my own value when people were condescending to me about my business. It's really so important to recognize your value. I didn't realize how much perspective I would lose when I started my own business. A profound lesson from Maya Angelou. Resources: www.thebizofbaking.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you like to make a good living out of a confectionary business? Do you believe that it's possible to do this? Today, I'm excited to introduce you to Danira Cancinos, from Dani's Dulce Confections, in Sylmar, California. One of the questions I'm asked very often is "Can you make enough real money out of this to support a family?". Although I always say you can, people still seem to think it's impossible. So Dani is here on the show with me today to prove that this is, indeed, possible. Listen in, to find out about Dani and her awesome, inspiring, and lucrative confectionary business. Dani has really achieved a lot! I've been her Instagram fan for a long time and her posts are amazing! When I see them, I almost drool over her creations because she makes some of the most delicious-looking treats that I have ever seen! Especially her caramel apples!  In addition to making all kinds of treats, she also teaches a number of online classes and some in-person online tutorials. She recently sold a caramel apple class, which earned her over five figures! This is truly incredible, so we will be talking about it in today's episode. Dani did not grow up in a wealthy family, so her business is all about dedication and putting in a huge amount of work. Tune in today, to hear her story. Show Highlights: Dani tells the story of her business and how it got to where it is now. Dani is actually an introvert, so she's very shy. You need to step out of your comfort zone if you want to grow. Dani talks about her decision to start teaching. Dani's cake pop class is her most popular class, with close to eight hundred students! Dani's classes run on Facebook groups. People love to feel connected to the person behind the business and the classes. Dani really engages with her audience and this has helped her to sell so many classes. Dani seems to be taking fewer orders, and teaching more, lately. It takes a lot of dedication to do this kind of work. And it's taken a consistent effort for Dani to build her following. Why Danira took so long to leave her job. How Dani got to charge $200 for a class. She never imagined that she would be able to launch a course and make this kind of money! Investing in her business by learning from Amy Porterfield. Success doesn't happen overnight. You have to keep showing up and doing the work, even when you don't feel like it. Danira talks to us about the way that religion plays a big part in her life- and her business. It's not enough just to pray. You have to do the work. Dani gave a hundred percent to her caramel apple class. Using lists to plan, and time blocking to get beyond procrastination. Business requires a lot of sacrifices. What's coming up for Dani's Dulce Confections. Getting smart about managing money. Links: Dani's Dulce Confections' website: https://www.danisdulceconfections.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another exciting episode of The Business of Baking podcast! A few episodes ago, I read you an article from my new, yet unnamed book, and it had a lot of positive feedback.  Although I don't really anticipate becoming a real-life coach, I have discovered that I can coach from my podcast by telling you how you can change your life, everyday. And it's not always as scary as you think it might be! My new book is written more article-style than chapter-style. I talk about a business that I owned, and how it taught me a life lesson. I like to think that all life lessons are also business lessons, and the converse is true, as well! This book is when you need a shot of inspiration, a shot of love, or even a shot of tough love. Open to a relevant section, read a couple of pages, spend some time mulling it over, and see if it can apply to you. Your feedback has made me brave enough to share another article with you today, called “Are Ignorance and Faith the Same Thing?” I share a client's experience, as well as one of my own. Please let me know if this resonates with you! Show Highlights: A client's amazing testimony and mindset concerning her experience with cancer Random conversation that changed so much for me Assuming total recovery and survival Negativity only brought about by others Was ignorance of the realities of breast cancer and faith in her survival so strong that it crowded out any negative thought? Does simply “not knowing” make us stronger? A happy woman on the road to health Mind and body connection Ignorance in the “details” may have forced her to have faith in her recovery  Her attitude was not only blissful, it's hugely motivational Not knowing what the full options are, not only gives you faith, it gives you freedom Sharing my personal experience on giving birth to triplets My epiphany on asking for help Ignorance led me to faith that all would be Ok, and it was I didn't know there was any option other than to make it Sometimes you have to fall back on a little bit of faith and a little bit of ignorance Links & Resources: To get a copy of Michelle's first book, The Business of Baking, go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any other good bookstore. Michelle's email: michelle@thebizofbaking.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the Business of Baking Podcast! I'm so grateful to be able to chat to you every other week on the podcast. Some weeks I do solo shows, and other weeks I get to introduce you to some pretty amazing entrepreneurs who think outside the box, or have an interesting story to share. On today's podcast, I'm so excited to introduce you to my friend, Miranda, who has a pretty amazing product line. She's the owner of Sweet Sticks, which started life out as a cake pop company but as you probably already know, has morphed into an incredible, edible art paint empire! Join us, as Miranda takes us through her entrepreneurial journey which includes making and selling rave gear clothing to her friends at the tender age of 16, to making and selling scarf watches as a side hustle. Don't miss this! We cover lots of other ground, from alcohol free edible art paint for the Halal community, to conquering your fears.  Show Highlights: Reinventing the cake pop wheel Developing edible art paint Why packaging is very important The wonder at being successful Making motherhood and business ownership work Conquering your fear to free up your time for what's important The process of creating new products Listening is #1 tool when it comes to marketing  Quality standards for premium products Having a mental health plan in place Looking after yourself, and ideas to fill your “personal cup” Dealing with copycats Resolving to be the better version of your business and your product  The future direction of Sweet Sticks Advice for other entrepreneurs just starting out Links & Resources: To get a copy of Michelle's first book, The Business of Baking, go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any other good bookstore. Michelle's email: michelle@thebizofbaking.com  https://sweetsticks.com.au Instragram: sweetsticksau See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that I'm busy writing my second book? To be honest, I'm finding the process of writing this book really hard. Not the writing part because that comes pretty easily to me and I love it. I'm finding it difficult because this time I'm writing about life and not about baking or about business. For today's episode, I decided to be brave and do something a little different, so tune in now, to find out more. My life has not been without its trials and tribulations but it has never been boring! Over the years, I've been collecting notes on all the various methods that have worked for me to live a really amazing life. So I decided to take everything that I know, and that I've learned about life, and write it all down in a book. I have included the things I've used in my own life to get to where I am, things I have heard about that I think are really useful, and also some of the lessons I've learned just from living a happy, exciting, and fulfilled life. This book is a departure from what I normally do because it's a self-help book, and in today's episode, I'll be sharing one of the articles that I wrote for it. Listen in today, to hear the article and to find out what I'm doing to get out of my own way in the process of writing this book. Show Highlights: Over the years I've collected notes on all the various methods that have worked for me to live an amazing life. I have not yet worked out a title or a structure for my new book. At the moment it's just a big brain-dump. Some of the titles that I've thought of for the book. My book is still a work in progress and that's why I have not yet worked out a structure or a title for it.  I've never read anybody any of this book before. This book is not about something that I'm known for. It's more of a self-help book.  While writing this book I've had impostor syndrome rearing its ugly head. I'd love to get your feedback about what I've written. I share an article called The Three Day Rule. The article that I'm sharing today was written a couple of days ago. I've not re-read it, and it is totally unedited. The Three Day Rule is a great lesson in perspective. Difficult things really do get easier with time.  Links and Resources: To get a copy of Michelle's first book, The Business of Baking, go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any other good bookstore. Michelle's email: michelle@thebizofbaking.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States? Mental health is something that I really think more of us need to be talking about, specifically in the small business arena. And these days, I'm also a lot more open and honest about the hard stuff about small business. In May, last year, I had a really incredible and eye-opening conversation with Laurel Harlan, a licensed therapist and cookie business owner, on the podcast. So, when Jennifer Carota, who is also a mental health professional, contacted me this year, I was particularly excited because it's very rare to find somebody who wears these two hats.  Jennifer is from Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, in the United States. She is a licensed professional counselor and she owns a business called The Counseling House, which is a group practice, not far from Pittsburg. The Counseling House is dedicated to providing mental health counseling services to individuals and families in a comfortable, nurturing, and home-like environment and Jennifer has a whole bunch of people in her practice, who can help a whole lot of us out. She has professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists. The really cool thing is that Jennifer also owns a cheesecake company, called The Cheesecake Fairy. Baking is Jennifer's therapy. It's her self-care and it keeps her sane and centered, and so it accidentally became a business. The Cheesecake Fairy is largely a wholesale company that makes elegantly upscaled cheesecakes in a jar. Because Jennifer is both a mental health professional and a cheesecake fairy she is totally my people! Tune in today, to find out how to cope when things start getting a bit too much for you to deal with. Show Highlights: If you don't take care of yourself, it will begin to affect your business, because you can't separate yourself from your business, no matter how hard you try. Baking is Jennifer's therapy and it keeps her sane and centered. Jennifer explains how a licensed professional counselor became the Cheesecake Fairy. Although Jennifer went to graduate school and got her master's degree and her license, she always had a nagging feeling in her belly that there was something that she still needed to be doing. Jennifer found it stressful to be responsible for the livelihoods of four or five of her team members, as well as taking care of her clients. When things got stressful at the Counseling House Jennifer started playing around with cheesecakes again. Jennifer explains how she finds the time to run two businesses. Baking cheesecakes really created a new, healthier routine for Jennifer. Jennifer's cheesecakes are in jars and they're the perfect portion size, so it's easy not to over-indulge in them. Jennifer makes both sweet and savory cheesecakes.  Jen explains how she finds balance and keeps sane amid the chaos of so many competing priorities. How slowing down and being more assertive in communicating has really helped Jennifer. How chaos expands and creates anxiety. Separating yourself from your situation can really give you a clear perspective. Jennifer gives some of the warning signs that things are starting to get out of control. Prevention is the best intervention. Getting off the treadmill and making more manageable choices. Creativity resides in that mindful space. It's really worth the effort of reaching out and checking up on people. What to do if you're just not feeling yourself. Making better choices for yourself. How much should you put on social media? Looking at your patterns can help you work out if you're just feeling a bit blue, or if you're actually suffering from depression. Paying attention to how you are really feeling. You can have conflicting emotions about the same thing at the same moment. The importance of maintaining great emotional hygiene. Choose very carefully what you focus on. "May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be safe, and may you be at peace." - From the guided meditation in the Calm App. (www.calm.com) Links: www.thecounselinghouse.com  (Jen's Counseling) www.beginagainwithjen.com  (Jen's Coaching) www.thecheesecakefairy.com (Jen's Cheesecaking)  Jen wrote a blog post for this episode: https://thecheesecakefairy.com/whats-new/f/top-five-sanity-savers-for-cakers-and-bakers See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've all heard the saying “if I only knew then what I knew now”, especially when it comes to business. If we could all avoid the mistakes and hard learned lessons that come with maintaining a business, we would. Today, Michelle shares her cheat sheet to managing your own business and how to establish the foundation you need to be successful. To learn more about how you can create a flourishing business and maintain a fulfilling life, tune into this episode of The Business of Baking.  Show Highlights:  A cheat sheet Michelle wrote for owning your own business  The benefits of getting to call the shots  The importance of marketing yourself well  Making sure your tide is built up of people who encourage you  Not spending your energy on things or people that drain you  Long term planning and anticipating success  Acknowledging that life happens and dealing with unexpected situations Creating procedures  Recognizing that it is about the money  Prioritizing your money and making smart decisions  Setting boundaries in life and business  Links:  Michelle@thebusinessofbaking.com  https://thebizofbaking.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you been considering giving up your business lately? 'Should I quit my business?' is a question that tends to come up for many of us small business owners when the going gets tough. In today's episode, I'll be taking a look at why we sometimes think about quitting, and whether or not it really is the right time to do it. This is something that I've talked about a lot on my blog, but never before on the podcast. I realize that this question might be a little hard for some of you to hear, and I don't mean to depress anyone, but running a business really isn't easy and I think that this is one of the things we need to think about, and to talk about openly, more often. Listen in today, to find out more. Last year I did a podcast episode about a blog post that I wrote a while back, about a typical small cookie company. That was one of the most popular episodes of all of last season. So I've chosen one of the blog posts that I wrote some time ago, about quitting your business, and I'm going to read it to you today. I will be adding in the things that have changed for me, and the things that I feel differently about now, so tune in, to hear what I wrote about whether or not it really is the time to quit your business.  Show Highlights: I sometimes used to have a little voice in my head late at night, urging me to quit my business. The idea of relinquishing my business responsibilities was sometimes really appealing to me. I get a lot of emails from people asking me if they should quit their businesses. I don't have a secret sauce, and I cannot give you permission to quit. Our lives and our circumstances are way too complex to simply use happiness as a measure of your success. Businesses are like relationships. They take time and they take effort. Why people sometimes think about quitting their businesses. It's pretty upsetting and scary when the little voice in the night starts talking to you, and it's hard not to listen to it. Acting like an irresponsible business owner and losing yourself for a while. How to find an answer to the question 'Should I quit my business?'. Answering the question with three more questions. Question one: Am I feeling this way because of a temporary situation, or have I felt this way for a long time? Question two: Why am I doing this business in the first place? Close your eyes, look into your heart, and imagine what your life would look like without your business in it. Some ideas for how to move forward if you decide to stay in your business. Developing a vision is really important. Everybody needs business friends. Fixing temporary situations. Choosing to walk away is a really brave decision. Some tips for closing your business. Give yourself the mental time and the mental space to close your business down with dignity. You have to have a purpose for staying in your business. Links and resources: Michelle's website: www.thebizofbaking.com  You can search for the article there. It's called 'Should I quit my business?' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you think that getting too much business could ever be a problem? Today, I'm talking to Tim Engelbrecht, from Hello Sweetheart, a Sydney-based wedding photography and videography company. Tim runs the business with his wife, Mim, and they are really busy! Sometimes they do as many as four weddings in one day, so things can seem a little out of control, but Tim thinks it's a great problem to have. I decided to interview Tim today because I thought that it would be interesting to chat with somebody in our industry who is not necessarily a cake maker. And I love getting the perspectives of other creatives out there because I think they really have a lot in common with us, here in the baking industry. So, listen in today, to find out what Tim has to share about his life behind the lens. Hello Sweetheart was officially started in 2015 and they shot a total of twenty-five weddings that year. Then, in 2016, Tim got married and Mim took over the marketing. They did almost seventy weddings that year, and even more in the following year. From there, things have constantly been on the up-and-up for Hello Sweetheart. It has been widely featured, in places such as Modern Weddings, Polka Dot Bride, Wedding Wonderland, and more. Hello Sweetheart has a really dreamy Instagram feed too! It makes you want to jump right into other people's cool lives, and have weddings just like they have! Tune in to find out more! Show Highlights: Tim tells us about Hello Sweetheart. Having too much business is a great problem to have! Tim gives us the history of Hello Sweetheart. Tim's role is the creative side of the business and Mim is the hustler. Mim has helped the business grow exponentially. They acquired a team and tripled their business in just three years. Tim explains how they managed to grow so fast in such a short space of time. People like having only a few options to choose from. Tim explains the way they advertise on Facebook. Facebook re-targeting is super powerful. Tim talks about his business model, which is based on very limited options. Tim and Mim have chosen a high and consistent volume of work over bespoke work. Making a lifestyle choice for your business. Keeping track of trends to keep abreast with the future market. Hello Sweetheart has a really quick turnaround time for the photographs. All their work is done digitally. Marrying the creative side with the business systems side. Keyboard Maestro, the software that has changed Tim's life. Links and Resources: Hello Sweetheart's website Hello Sweetheart on Instagram Keyboard Maestro                See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered what it's really like to run a cake business? In today's episode, I'm answering a beautiful and fascinating question from one of the podcast listeners. She wanted to know what kept me in my business for ten years, why I continued with it, and why I decided that it was time to end it. She also asked me about what the process of ending the business entailed. This was really interesting for me because I've never talked about what it was like to run my business before, nor about the life-cycle of the business and how it all went down. So listen in! I really hope that you will be inspired by this topic! My business was called Three Sweeties and I really loved it! People kept telling me that the things I made were really amazing and I would make a fortune selling them. So I started my business from home, part-time and completely illegally, because even though I had a bit knowledge about food safety and things like having to register my kitchen, from being a chef, I was still totally clueless about how to actually run a business. So although I was unbelievably excited to start the business, I was unsure about its future and where it was going. And I did some really silly things in the beginning, but I learned a lot as I went on. Tune in today, to get my personal account of what life was like for me throughout the life cycle of my business.  Show Highlights: Coming to realize that I didn't want to work from home and renting a commercial kitchen, not too far from where I lived.  Getting things legal. I was figuring things out as I went along. Anytime anybody asked me for anything I just blurted stuff out and hoped for the best. Moving to the next stage of the business where I was cheffing a lot less. I started to get clear about wanting to grow the business and what I needed, for that to happen. I became clear about what the business was, and also that I would want to sell it one day. I became really clear about the products I wanted to make. The point at which I grew out of the commercial kitchen. The final stage, before selling the business, was moving to a storefront, or a cake studio, where people could walk in. I gave up cheffing completely when I moved to the storefront. Moving to the storefront allowed me to start teaching, and explore a whole lot of other business opportunities. How the move to the storefront really skyrocketed my business. About my $100, three-hour How To Run A Cake Business class. Why I wanted to sell the business by the time I turned forty. I decided to become a salaried blogger for six months, to see if it would work out.  I left the business when things were going well but not brilliantly. Some interesting things that happened in the life-cycle of that business. Why I stuck with the business for ten years. It was very hard to fight the intellectual excitement that I got from the blog. The industry started to get really crowded. I started having intrusive thoughts about the business. It was really hard to leave Three Sweeties. Links: Podcast mentioned: Invisibilia (The Secret History of Thoughts) https://www.npr.org/programs/invisibilia/375927143/the-secret-history-of-thoughts Email me at michelle@thebizofbaking.com Remember that you're more than welcome to email or pm me on the social media channels to suggest a topic you'd like to hear about or someone you'd to be interviewed for the podcast. I'd really be happy to have your suggestions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you willing to try something new? And then try it again if you fail? In today's episode, I'm talking to the inspiring Kim Werker, who I think is completely amazing! She is totally my people! She is an unbelievably talented woman who describes herself as a camp counselor for grownups and she thinks we need to aim for creative, messy fun, rather than hoping for perfection.  This season, my intention is to interview people who are not necessarily in the baking industry, but who have lots of things in common with those of us who are, like photographers, florists, and crafters. These people are creatives who experience similar struggles and successes in their businesses to those that we experience here, in our industry. So I'm really excited to be talking to Kim today, about her life, her work, her website, and the way she inspires people to try new things. Tune in now to find out more! Kim is a super-guru of the crochet world, and she's also a freelance writer, editor, and speaker. And most interestingly to me,  she's the woman behind the Mighty Ugly website and movement, a website that encourages everyone to try things. (Mighty Ugly is all about celebrating the benefits of failure so that we're not so afraid of doing the big things.) Kim has edited magazines, she's written seven books, she created and then sold an online magazine, she curates online communities, and she teaches her own creative classes. She also used to be a podcaster and currently, she runs an online community for creative adventurers. She's even dabbled in a bit of baking too, so listen in, to find out what Kim has to share with us in today's episode. Show Highlights: Kim tells her story and explains how she ended up with such a varied business. Knitters and crocheters are completely different demographics as far as the industry is concerned. How Kim's online magazine started out. Book royalties have never been a big part of Kim's income. Most of Kim's books are now out of print. Kim's first book, Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crocheting, is now in its second edition. Make It Mighty Ugly was in print for five years and will most likely be going out of print at the end of this year. Kim teaches workshops about Mighty Ugly, and it also forms the foundation for most of the writing she does. Kim now has multiple income streams and her husband provides her venture capital. Kim enjoys doing editing work most of all. The choice that Kim faces right now in terms of her revenue stream. All about Kim's workshop to help people confront their fears. Kim has an ongoing theme in her life, of bringing people together, to go on creative adventures and building something.  The pros and cons of social media. Doing the best you can right now, in this moment! There is so much meaning in gratitude! You can try, fail, and try again. Coping with burnout and finding balance again. How Kim keeps herself inspired to make things every day. Links and resources: Book mentioned: Stitch 'n Bitch by Debbie Stoller Knitty.Com (Online knitting magazine): www.knitty.com Mighty Ugly Website: www.kimwerker.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to the podcast for 2019! I'm really excited to be back and I've come up with a whole list of topics that I want to talk about and a range of really interesting people to interview. My plan is to interview people who are a little bit left of center in our industry, related to it but not necessarily directly involved, like wedding photographers, marketers, or crafters. There are also some experimental episodes coming up this season where I do things a little differently. So tune in now for today's episode! Today I'm going to be talking about being at a crossroads in your business. Last summer, I had a truly life-changing experience when I went on a month-long trip to South America, the Antarctic Peninsula, and Antarctica. Thinking about the business during that time prompted me to sent an email to my subscriber list. In today's episode, I will be sharing a bit about that email, what was behind it, and what I'm thinking about now, going forward into the future. Because many of us, at this time of year, reach a crossroad in our business and this will give you a number things to think about. Listen in to find out about my crossroads, the crossroads in our industry, and where to from here. Show Highlights: Some of the email that I wrote. I've been running my business for five years now, and I've turned it from a hundred dollar, three-hour class in my bakery into what it is now.  My business is now a community, a blog, a book, a podcast, online classes, in-person classes, social media communities, etc.  I wasn't sure if just making more of stuff was the best way to go forward, so I wanted to know what my community needed from me. The crossroads in our industry. People in our industry are giving up a whole lot faster now. Why I think the number of people going into business in our industry has slowed down significantly. Lately, baking shows have become super niched. There is still money to be made from sweet foods. My love-hate relationship with the whole tools thing! My personal crossroads. Some of the responses I got from the email I sent. Do what you love, and do it from your heart! Business is really about both passion and profit. Reaching the grow or stop phase in our business. Doing a check-up from the neck up. Links: Email me at michelle@thebizofbaking.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've really had an unbelievable season of podcast episodes this year! I've done my best, given it a proper run, and I've loved it, but like all good things, it has come to an end. Today's episode is the very last episode of this season.  I did some awesome solo episodes this year, where I talked about all sorts of things, like the worst advice I ever got, strategies for mental health, and getting through the rough stuff in life. I also had some amazingly unbelievable episodes where I interviewed some incredible people, like Laurel Harlan. I spoke to Patricia Scheetz about running a charitable-based bakery, and I even spoke to my daughter Claire. I've had such a super amazing season, 2018! Thank you all so much for listening! When I record my podcasts, I have no idea how many, or where in the world, people will be listening. I also don't know if they've loved it or hated it, or what they thought of me. So, with this being the last episode of the year, I'd like to close it out with a heartfelt message of gratitude to all of you for listening! I also wanted to end off by sharing some of the lessons I've learned this year. This is a largely an unscripted episode and not my usual way of doing things, so listen in today, as I talk straight from the heart, tell you about my year, and give you some of the lessons I've learned. Show Highlights: This has been a really challenging year and yet so much has happened! How the three-pronged seat on which I rest my life works. Why I don't buy into the work/life balance concept. I really strongly believe in acceptance. Talking about forgiveness.  Gratitude is really so important! It has a way of pulling me out of really dark places. How to develop an attitude of gratitude. Becoming grateful for dumb stuff really lifts me up! Keeping busy and productive is really important to me. It's okay to drop the ball sometimes and it's okay to say no to people, events, or things. I learned how valuable it is to be checked-in on. I'm so grateful for all the check-ins, emails and messages, from you, the listeners! Human connection is crucial and we really need each other! The benefits of asking for help and then accepting it. Sometimes doing nothing is actually doing something. Doing something kind for myself every day to prevent feeling overwhelmed. Resources: Sleep Stories on the Calm App See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's it like, being a female in business? And has it ever affected your business negatively? These are questions that people often ask me. They're really good questions and it's something that I actually care about a lot, yet I've found that I've been avoiding discussing this topic- and I don't really know why. Perhaps I've been hesitant to share my thoughts because I actually feel so strongly about all of this. Anyway, right now is as good a time as any to have this discussion, so let's rock it! Listen in to find out more. I have been asked if me being a woman has ever made people question my business capability. Also, if I think that me being a woman and a mother makes people more entitled to question my business choices, and how all this affects my life as a business owner. These are massive questions and in the current climate of the Me Too Movement people are finally feeling more inclined to talk about these things. With all the issues that are finally being addressed, around inappropriate behavior and sexism at work, this is a topic that really needs to be spoken about. So I've really had to spend a lot of time thinking about this. I can only speak from my own experience, so please bear this in mind as I share my answers and my thoughts on the subject with you today. Listen in now, to find out what I have to share. Show Highlights: Thank goodness that I've never had any really terrible experiences. Some of the reasons that I've hesitated in talking about this. A fascinating story about a really important lesson I learned about the value of the work I was doing, as a mother and as a woman in my home, from a life insurance agent. The very masculine energy in the high-pressure cheffing industry. Not being able to show any weakness, as a woman, in the male dominant cheffing industry. The way that the male dominance thing became more apparent for me when I started running my own business. The condescension that I experienced from men and from women when I started my business. What I learned about dealing with condescension. How I became more solid in my belief about who I was in my business. My big, fat, giant confession... The way that sexism has been rearing it's ugly head against men in our industry. Getting called out on my own sexism. Do guys ever ask other guys how their kids feel about them traveling for work? Perhaps there's too much made of us being female bosses or entrepreneurs. I've made a number of business choices that have honored the fact that I was a mother. Standing up and being the best business owner that you can be- regardless of whether you're female, or male!   Links: Email me: michelle@thebizofbaking.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you have to follow a gluten-free diet? Today  I'm going to be talking to Paula Onink, from the Netherlands. This is really exciting for me because I don't often get to interview people from Europe! Paula is one of my students as well as someone I consider a friend and she owns Gebaksjuwelier, a gluten-free bakery in Culemborg, Netherlands. On the show today, Paula talks to us about her experience so far, with her real-life bakery. (She also runs a webshop lately.) Paula sells bread, pastries, bread mixes, and all sorts of other interesting and exciting things. And she has employees too, including someone with special needs, which I think is wonderful, as that's something close to my heart! Listen in to find out more! Paula has been running her bakery for five years now. I'm particularly interested in talking to her today because she herself is not someone who needs to have gluten-free food. And people usually start out in specialty baking (like gluten-free, dairy free) because they themselves need it. Paula started out working with people who are mentally challenged and she came to realize that she actually wanted to bake more than she wanted to work with people. And this is where it all began. Listen in today, to hear all about Paula and her fabulous bakery. Show Highlights: Some history of Paula's bakery- and where it all started for her. Finding out that in order to survive in the pastry business you have to specialize. Things fell into place when Paula started learning about gluten. What motivated Paula to start gluten-free baking. The challenges of sharing a kitchen with her husband in the beginning. Choosing the best location for a gluten-free bakery. Paula employs someone with Downs Syndrome to help her in her shop. Paula's baker has a mild form of autism. Gluten free bread is Paula's best-seller and she now sells gluten-free bread mix too. Paula is now even selling gluten-free pecan pie in the bakery. How Paula comes up with gluten-free recipes. The taste of gluten-free flour needs to be disguised. Paula's products taste the same- or even better than normal! Resources: Paula's Website (it's in Dutch) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered what you running your small business is like for your kids? Well, on the podcast today I'll be interviewing my daughter, Claire, to find out what she thinks about it. I did a Facebook live with her a few months ago, where she explained her feelings about being the child of a mother who owns a small business. It was massively popular and loads of people commented and asked if they could hear it again. So I thought that this would really be a great opportunity to re-interview her on a more public platform. Listen in today to find out Claire's opinion about growing up with her Mom running a cake business! Claire is seventeen and fabulous! On the show today, I will be asking her some in-depth questions about the kinds of things that people have been asking me- and also about the stuff that I really want to know. Claire is one of my triplets and the reason that I'm interviewing her, and not the other two, is simply because she's the only one of my three kids who was actually willing to be interviewed. And she's also the more outspoken one of the three. She's very open, honest, and willing to share her story, so listen in today to find out what she has to say! Show Highlights: The benefits of having a Mom who runs her own business. The worst part of having a working Mom. This is the last year for a while that I'll be traveling around to teach my live classes in-person. I've agreed to stay at home next year, to support my kids through their last year of school. If you travel for your work, make sure that your kids are okay with it and be sure to always be home for the important days, like your kids' birthdays or family get-togethers. Claire found it fun, as a kid, to be brought into the business to do some 'work'. The joys of cleaning dishes with an industrial dishwasher. The mommy-guilt that comes from running a small business when you have kids. Take the time to really listen to your kids and ask them if they're okay with what you're doing. It's okay to not have it together all the time or to need to take a break sometimes. Don't make promises that you can't deliver on- or lie, or pretend that things are better than they really are. Kids are not stupid! Claire's take on progress with gender equality and working women. (Google: The Invisible Burden https://pickanytwo.net/the-invisible-burden-that-leaves-moms-drained/) Make sure that you raise your kids to not only be good people at home but everywhere in life. A family is a community, so kids need to learn to take responsibility and do chores. Claire describes her ultimate dream cake that I have to make personally.   This year I will be traveling to the USA, Canada, the UK, and Israel to teach my live classes in person. To find out more, go to www.bizbakeontour.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you always really busy? And do you find that you never seem to have enough hours in the day to get everything done? This seems to happen to most of us, so today we're going to be talking about time management, or to make it sound a bit less boring- reclaiming your time. Listen in to find out more. I recently did a survey of people who run their businesses part-time, as a side-gig. And out of the hundreds and hundreds of answers that I got back, almost everyone mentioned time- or the lack thereof- as their biggest business problem. I really think that all of us need more time to get stuff done in our businesses,  and we can't actually make more of it, or borrow it, so today I'd like to give you some ways to reclaim some of your time back.  Listen in today to get some practical tips, from my own experience, for regaining some control and getting your life back when time is short but intention is long.  Show Highlights: Don't send detailed quotes initially- rather give people a range. Getting to learn the patterns as you do your costing, in order to work out your ideal pricing structure.  Swap emails for phone calls. (I know that this could be terrifying for some people.) What will happen if you're brave enough to end the email trail and make phone calls instead. It's a lot easier to ask for a deposit on the phone. Using time blocking, or the batching method, to save time. Taking time-blocking to the next level with a very noisy alarm. Time blocking really helps with procrastination issues. Getting somebody else to hold you accountable for your time-keeping. The importance of being on time for meetings with people. When people are late they're actually telling you that they don't really value your time. Ask yourself if what you're doing is really making the best use of your time. We all really tend to waste so much time on unimportant things. Not letting your downtime run away with you. Get out of your normal environment and go somewhere else to do your admin work. Why you'll be more focused on your work when you're away from home. Time and the way you feel about it is elastic. Resources: Contact me at michelle@thebizofbaking.com  Come and hang out with me- I'd love to see you! Go to www.bizbakeontour.com Find out more about my Sweet Side-Gig class. Go to www.sweetsidegig.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you strictly a chocolate or vanilla person? Or are there other flavors that you really like? I recently received a question from one of my followers, and I loved it because it really made me laugh! But it also offers a great learning opportunity, so today we're talking flavors! Listen in to find out more about this very sweet question! The question was: "Why do people always go with either chocolate or vanilla? Is it even really necessary to offer anything else? On the other hand, how many options are too many options? Do we really need strawberry cake with pineapple buttercream and whipped white chocolate ganache on our menu at all times?" Well, personally, I'm not too sure if the idea of strawberry pineapple white chocolate is actually delicious or disgusting, but today I will give you my opinion about why I think people make the kinds of choices that they do when it comes to flavors. Listen in as I offer my advice for the best flavors to have on your menu. Show Highlights: Not everyone likes chocolate! Why I think people tend to pick mostly chocolate. Why people pick the boring things they do for weddings. People tend to get overwhelmed by choice. My choice for my own wedding cake- a choice that most people actually liked. Go with what you enjoy for your wedding! All the cool flavors that I used to offer. What happened with my really fancy menu. Red velvet doesn't really go down too well in Australia. Should you have a fancy menu? What to consider when choosing to have unusual, interesting flavors. Thinking about your target market when creating your menu. Rural areas are very different from big cities. Why I push people towards the less exciting flavors. I would much rather decorate than bake. Fancy flavors cost a lot more. How to make a boring menu much more interesting. Giving normal things fun, exciting names. Get people to create their own custom flavors- with boundaries. Some of the mistakes that I've made in the past. The lesson that I'd really like you to walk away with. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we are going to continue with the Ask Me Anything questions. For those of you who missed the first episode of this, I recently put up a post in several of my Facebook groups saying that I'd tell you about anything you want to know. So in the first part, I dealt with the really fun questions that you asked me and today I will be answering some of the more serious,  interesting and harder hitting questions that so many of you have asked about running a small business. Listen in today to find out what they are! These questions all came from my Facebook group, Baking Business Confidence by The Business of Baking, or my other Facebook group, Build Your Profitable Cake Business. They come from people, just like you guys, who are truly in the trenches, so listen in to find out more! Show Highlights: Best advice for someone thinking about opening a brick and mortar store. Why you really need to take a look at your lifestyle if you decide to open a store. Some things you need to do if you decide to open a store. How long to persist with your business before you can expect to start making a profit. Some warning signs to look out for when a business venture is in jeopardy of going under. What to do if things are not working out with your business. Be completely honest with yourself about what's really going on with your business. Persistence really does pay off. Some things to consider when thinking of employing staff. Some great tips for de-stressing, or for coping with overwhelming feelings when they hit you. Learning to eat an elephant one bite at a time. Breaking the perception that home-based cake businesses don't equal store-based businesses. Be the level of professionalism that you want to be so that location becomes irrelevant. Keeping things fun and relaxing with your business Remembering to be grateful for being able to do what you are doing- even when the going gets tough. Don't burn your apron just because of one mistake. Remember that I have a lot happening for the podcast between now and the end of the year.  Resources Mentioned on the Show: The Business of Baking On Tour, (www.bizbakeontour.com) which is my super fun, super informative  live, in-person classes that I teach. These will take place in the US, Canada, and in the UK for the rest of the year.  At the end of October, I'll be opening Build Your Profitable Cake Business, which is the biggest class that I offer. It's intended  for those of you who intend making a full-time business out of this.  And this August, my colleague, Sharon, and I are starting a brand new class called Sweet Side-Gig, (www.sweetsidegig.com) an online community and membership forum where we teach business skills to the people who are only doing this as a side-business but want it to be legit. You can email me at michelle@thebizofbaking.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  Today's show is part one of an experiment! Normally, on the podcast, I plan all the content and just outline my answers and record the show. But recently, in my Facebook group, I put out the invitation to ask me anything and I would answer the questions on the podcast!   I thought you would give me some easy questions that I could answer easily. What I got was anything but easy questions! So today we are focusing on the fun or what I would consider the funny questions - and there are business lessons to be learned, even in the funny questions.   The business oriented questions will be answered in a separate podcast, so stay tuned for that.   Show Highlights:   My hair - oh wow, are you serious? Crack cocaine in a jar A Christmas baby - and how I was able to win at life by having 2 birthdays in one year The emotional memories of raising the triplets Vegan cakes?? Who cares as long as it is cake! Stupid things happen to me all the time, so it's hard to narrow it down to my most stupid. Cake nightmares? I've had many sleepless nights worrying about cakes falling Find out whether I am a midnight snacker - having such a sweet tooth, it's an interesting concept. Find out about my favorite pets growing up and what kind of animals we have today. All things are possible, so does other life exist? I share my take on it. Find out if I have been cursed or hexed by someone, and no, I'm not talking about my hair! My favorite Disney movie - the first movie I remember seeing in a theater Lots of movie questions…….I love movies! If I could change one thing in life, I would call my Dad. Find out why and how I still don't have questions answered. Topsy turvy cakes are the worst idea ever! Drip cakes look like cakes that I want to eat, so I love this cake trend. Yummy cake is my favorite. What cake decorating icon would I like to meet? You're going to have to listen to find out. There are thousands of lessons that I would teach young Michelle, so where do I start?       Life isn't all about business or baking, so i hope you've enjoyed today's episode and more importantly, I hope I've answered all of your crazy questions! Don't forget to join me again when I finally get around to answering your serious business questions. I can't wait to share them with you!       Resources:   bizbakeontour.com - See me in person and join me on my world tour Build Your Profitable Cake Business - opening in October  Sweet Side Gig - opening in August - this is different that anything I've ever done!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that I published a book almost exactly two years ago? It was a compilation of all the best blog articles that I had written at the time. I wrote the book because people really loved my blog and kept writing to me asking if I'd written an article about this or that, and then I'd write back, saying that I had, and giving them the link. This kept on going back and forth for ages, and I constantly got feedback saying that it would really be nice if people could read the blog like they read a book. So I downloaded all the blog articles, selected the best ones, ditched the worst, added some chapters, edited it all, and turned it into a book. That book is really amazing and it has gone all over the world and continues to sell really well. Lately, I've been looking at the book and thinking about updating it, as I've written loads more articles since then. While doing that, I came across one of the very first articles in the book and decided to read it to you on today's podcast, so that we could talk about how much things have changed in our industry (or not) since then. I originally wrote the article on 15 April 2004 and it is called A Typical Small Cookie Company Story. Listen in to find out more. Show Highlights: A story about two women who contacted me, and asked me to teach them a private cookie decorating class. The crazy expectations of the two ladies. It turned out that they knew nothing at all about registering a business. What really bothered me about their situation. What their cookies looked like in the pictures they sent me. These nice ladies had learned everything they knew from watching Youtube videos for only one single month, yet they were in business, as my competitors! Why this upset me so much. How I started out in the cookie business. Our industry is full of people just like these two ladies, so their story is really not unique at all. Why you really need to be serious about your business. What was going on in our industry four years ago. One thing that has changed in our industry since then. The really low barrier of entry into our industry that still exists today. What has, and has not changed in our industry. Longevity in this industry actually has nothing to do with baking or baking skills.   Resources: To get your copy of my book, go to www.thebizofbaking.com/bookpage  or find it online at Barnes and Noble, Amazon or any good bookseller. Contact me at michelle@thebizofbaking.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you have limiting ideas about our industry, thinking that it's all about having a physical bakery and baking wedding and birthday cakes that are loaded with sugar? Did you know that many of these ideas aren't actually real and exist only in your mind? Well, today I will be talking to a couple who own a cake business and they don't do any of those things and they're totally making it happen, so listen in to find out more!                                                            As many of you know, I've been focusing mainly on mental health this season, and I've also been concentrating on speaking to people in our industry who do things a little differently, so today we're in for a really interesting day on the podcast. I am excited to be speaking to Allison and Matt of a company called Primal Noms.Com. Their soon-to-be-launched, out-of-the-box business is an online bakery and they are doing a very niche product, which is non-GMO and contains no sugar at all! Listen in to find out what Allison and Matt have to share today about their unusual business that produces cakes that are really good for you! Show highlights: Allison and Matt explain what their business is all about. An explanation of the difference between Paleo and Keto diets. The specific market that they are catering for. How Matt and Allison's idea for their business came about. The health benefits to be experienced by following a Keto or a Paleo diet. Why Matt is really confident that their business will be successful. Overcoming the challenges of gluten-free baking. Why they opted for running their bakery online. Matt and Allison are both quitting their engineering jobs shortly, to run their online bakery. How they evaluated which products would be the best ones to supply from their online business. Their goal is to be location independent until they decide to start a family, so they have based their business on their nomadic lifestyle. Their current focus is getting their product out there and into the hands of their ideal customer. Coping with the logistics of running an online bakery. How they marketed their product, prior to having a product. The challenges of breaking into the manufacturing industry. The products that they are currently offering. Their ideas for the future.     Link: Allison and Matt's website: www.primalnoms.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you suffer from depression or anxiety? Or are you possibly struggling with another kind of mental health problem? In the last year or so I've really shifted my focus from the practicalities of running a business to the emotional and mental side of running a cake enterprise. Confidence and mental health in our industry is something that I've been talking about a lot lately. Today, I will be talking about some of the more practical things that I think we can do in order to help ourselves with some of our mental health issues. Listen in to find out more.  There are a number of reasons why I think that our industry seems to have a higher proportion of issues around anxiety, depression, procrastination, and general mental health than most other industries. For one thing, lack of sleep (as anyone who has had a small child at home will know) turns you into somebody that you just don't recognize. It makes you irritable, crabby, and it also prevents you from thinking straight. When most of us started down the road with our cake businesses, we were working outside of our normal daily obligations of work and family, so we were essentially working at crazy hours of the day or night. This means that lots of us are really struggling with not enough sleep and that's enough to create the mental health problems of exhaustion or irritation. Listen in today to find out how to ease the pressure of running your business and some practical ways to combat your business worries.     Show Highlights: Lack of sleep is one of the factors contributing to mental health issues. How enjoyable things that used to provide stress relief begin to put pressure on us. The pressure of having to acquire new skills. Learning how to run a business as well as making things is stressful. Why creative people tend to have mental health issues. How to create your life sag-wagon. Creating a genuinely supportive support-group. Daily exercise costs you zero if you take a walk every day. The Calm app for meditation- it only takes a minute! Practicing self-care my way. Injecting small rescue remedies into your life. The truth about tapping into your real power. How to discover that you're not actually powerless.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who doesn't LOVE sprinkles? Let's face it, we all become kids again when sprinkles are involved. They are the fairy dust of the baking world, spreading their colorful and magical happiness on all manner of sweet treats, guaranteed to delight even the grumpiest of personalities.   I'm insanely jealous of today's guest because she gets to spend her entire working life surrounded by sprinkles. What could be better than that? Elizabeth (LIz) Butts owns Sprinkle Pop, a sprinkle mix company located in Texas. Liz creates unique and trendy custom confetti shapes and sprinkle mixes that are custom-dyed to perfection. Though her business is just over one year old, she and her “devoted team of sprinkle fairies” now occupy a warehouse to create their colorful concoctions, having recently moved out of Liz's house where they began. Sprinkle Pop serves baking supply stores, professional cake/cookie decorators, and baked-good enthusiasts around the world. Visit the Sprinkle Pop website to see their amazing sprinkle combinations!   Show Highlights:   The story of Sprinkle Pop How Liz, a cake decorator since high school, needed a specific color combination for a wedding cake in January 2017---but she couldn't find what she needed As she hand-dyed sprinkles to get just what she needed, her “Aha” moment struck In March 2017, she launched her website and Sprinkle Pop was born----(Liz did $1000 worth of business in her FIRST month!) The unexpected success comes with the average sale being about $24, which is two 4 oz. bottles The hardest part for Liz is keeping up with social media as a one-woman show A quick business tip is to use a VA to do social media work, as they are very reasonable in price The easiest part for Liz is creating the unique sprinkle mixes; she finds it fun, easy, and natural Why Liz hand-dyes many of her sprinkles to keep her products very custom-made and to protect the “uniqueness factor” of Sprinkle Pop The best seller: Unicorn Sprinkle Mix, which is a year-round top-seller and very labor intensive Making business decisions about what is scalable The learning experience for Liz in dealing with wholesalers and buying in bulk The transition of moving out of her house and into a warehouse and dealing with the massive growth of her business Why Liz likes to focus on the taste of the sprinkles   The common sprinkle philosophy: “Less is more” Liz's favorite fun sprinkle fact: Silver bar sprinkles are actually made from uncooked spaghetti! The two-fold purpose of Liz's blog with genius ideas about how to use the sprinkle mixes (Each post =instant sales) There is competition in the sprinkle business, even though it's not as cutthroat as other businesses. “It's hard not to notice others and what they're doing.” What Liz says when people say sprinkles are “just a fad” Why sprinkles are great: You always need sprinkles, they've been around for along time, they have multiple applications, and are perfect for any holiday or special occasion! What's next for Sprinkle Pop? Liz wants to expand product lines and grow on a larger scale into large retail stores Why every entrepreneur is “figuring it out every day and hoping we're doing it right” (Hint: No one is really an established expert) If Liz weren't running Sprinkle Pop, she would still be at her corporate job in finance for the oil/gas industry. She says, “One of the happiest days in recent years was when I could quit that job.” For Liz, Sprinkle Pop is the perfect marriage of her cake-decorating talent and running her own creative business Stay tuned in the coming weeks to learn of a huge collaboration project in the form of a giveaway complete with Sprinkle Pop goodness! Liz's parting thought for other entrepreneurs: “Surround yourself with people that support you. Move forward and don't look back.” Resources:   www.sprinklepop.shop See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that I'm actually a mega word-nerd? I absolutely love weird, obscure, strange, and funny words! I love to read, I love to write and honestly, words are really my thing! I recently came across some pretty cool words that I wanted to share with you and there's one in particular that we're going to be talking about all day, so listen in to find out more!   I first heard about a man called John Koenig on a podcast on the Ted Radio Hour and he has started writing The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. In this, he goes about putting words to emotions that currently have no English terms to describe them. Using some meanings from some other languages, he's managed to put words to these emotions and I've subsequently fallen down the rabbit hole to his Youtube channel on his website, so now I'm completely hooked! Listen in today as I share some of my favorite words and explain how to stop procrastinating and get things done.   Show highlights:   My current favorite word from The Dictionary of Obscure Emotions. A word that talks about everybody's stories. A funny word to describe being content. An odd, Finnish word that one of my students told me about. Why I love this gutsy word so much. Where your courage comes from if you're not Finnish. What brings out people's guts and resilience. Bargaining with the loud noise of procrastination. What I've learned about how to get things done. Finding the determination to get things done without procrastination. How to get really clear about your end goal. The results of making half-baked choices. Learning to get gutsier as you step towards your goal.     Resource: Book mentioned on the show: You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I'm really very happy to be talking to Lauren and Cody Boldin, from Woodstock, Georgia! They own two businesses- one is called the Pie Bar and the other one is Pie Provisions. Pie Bar is located on the Main Street in Woodstock, and it's been open for the last two years. Each day they offer six different flavors- and you even have the option of asking for their sampler pie, which allows you to taste all the different options for the day! When you're really capable at doing something everybody wants to know how you do it, so soon after they opened their shop, a lot of people started asking them about how to make a really good pie crust. They then created Pie Provisions to help home-bakers, and the very first product-line that they came out with was a pie-crust mix, using the very same recipe and ingredients that they use in their shop. Now, in addition to running both Pie Bar and Pie Provisions, Lauren and Cody go all around the country doing demos with their pie mix and selling their mixes at various events. There are so many different things that these guys are doing right now, so listen in today to get their full story!   There are thousand-and-one reasons why I'm so happy to be talking to Lauren and Cody today, but the main reason is that they don't make cake- and this season I really wanted to spend some time talking to people who are doing some other things. Another reason that I really wanted to chat to them is that they work together and I honestly feel that any couple that works together and survives it deserves some sort of recognition- at the very least a podcast interview! I found that the social media presence that they have created is pretty impressive too! They do some really cool stuff on Youtube and, in fact, they're just all around cool people, so listen in to find out more!   Show highlights:   The real story of how they got to where they are today. Selling high-class pies at junk markets! The benefits of starting out at local farmer's markets. Why the ended up opening their shop in Woodstock. Winging it until it worked! Creating success- against all odds. How things just fell into place for Lauren and Cody. Having the guts and strength to follow through on an idea without anyone's advice. How they started out with no experience in the food industry. How Pie Provisions came about. The secret to making really special pie crusts. Covering all the bases- with pie! Creating an inviting atmosphere and a nostalgic brand. Why making pie is always really special!  How Pie Bar and Pie Provisions each make the other business stronger. Using Tips Of The Trade to promote both businesses. How Lauren and Cody manage to work together, as a couple. How getting into retail has been an expensive learning curve for Lauren and Cody. Going into their second season a lot smarter. How huge, blown-up pictures of your face work really well as a marketing tool. Getting awesome (and immediate) feedback from social media.     Links:   Lauren and Cody's website: www.orderpiebar.com    You will also find Lauren and Cody on Youtube.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you really feel about money? Are you charging enough for what you do, or is there something that's holding you back? Lately, I've been talking a lot about money and women and about the concept that many of us don't want to charge properly for the work that we do. I think this is because we tend to feel that there is a negative emotional attachment to money and we don't want people thinking that we're greedy, so we feel really bad for charging. This is why I think that we really need to start thinking about money as a force for good rather than a force for evil. I feel that when money is put to good use there is nothing at all to be ashamed of or to feel bad about. In fact, even if you choose to spend your money on a closet full of designer shoes, I'm cool with that too! I just think that we really need to remove the stigma around money as a bad thing.  Today is a particularly important day for me because I'm going to be talking to someone who is a recent student of mine and she's on a mission that I personally find to be very important. Patricia Scheetz is located in New South Wales Australia and she is a really awesome example of someone who is determined to succeed, regardless of what life throws at her. There are lots of interesting things about Patricia- like that she was a reality TV star- but the most interesting thing is that she runs a company called The Sweetest Gift which is a registered charity that employs and trains transplant recipients and people with chronic illnesses. Normally, people who have those issues struggle to maintain stable employment due to the ongoing obstacles in their lives, like their physical limitations or that they may not be able to work every day. So the whole point of The Sweetest Gift is to create a business that can sustain an employee base of people who are dealing with chronic illnesses and transplant recipients. Listen in today to find out more about something that I really care about! Show Highlights: Why the idea behind The Sweetest Gift is so important to me personally. Some info about The Equal Employment Opportunity Network Victoria, an Australian organization that's all about diversity and inclusion. Patricia tells her story, starting with her becoming diabetic at a really young age. First flesh-eating bacteria and then going blind! Getting diagnosed with kidney failure. The insanity of having kidney dialysis four times a week. The agony of waiting for the call for her kidney transplant. How The Sweetest Gift came about. How Patricia got to show her passion for dessert- and to tell her story on a reality TV show. Graduating as a pastry chef! How Patricia copes with her visual impairment. You can do anything if you put your mind to it! All about Patricia's home-based business. The way that Patricia manages her business around her illness. Patricia discusses her big vision for a dessert restaurant. The huge psychological benefits to baking. Bringing awareness to the difficulties that are experienced by people with chronic illnesses or disabilities. The high cost of having a chronic illness or a disability.  Why you should talk to your family now if you'd like to be an organ donor. To get in touch with Patricia go to www.thesweetestgift.org.au  If you'd like to become an organ donor in Australia go to www.donatelife.gov.au to register your wishes.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are there things that your customers do that really bothers you? Today I am going to be discussing the kinds of matters that we, as cakers, tend to complain about in relation to our customers, that is not really okay to complain about. This is actually about the kind of things that we do as consumers - and this is why I honestly don't think that it gives us very much right to actually complain about them. So join me for today's episode and listen in as I talk about the kind of stuff that we tend to grumble about - which is actually pretty unfair to complain about.  Every day I read emails, Facebook posts and other social media stuff where people complain endlessly about the behavior of clients. Sometimes though, we as business owners, are actually part of that problem. We can't expect to be treated one way by people unless we abide by those very same rules, because I just don't think that's cool. I think it's really important to treat people in the same way that we would like to be treated, so listen in today as I discuss some of the things that we shouldn't be complaining about at all. Show highlights: People sometimes want to talk about price- and we claim that's all they care about. I will check the price of pasta, however, I'm not usually too concerned with the cost of ice cream. (Unless I'm having a kid's party.) Sometimes price does matter, but more often than not there's way more to it than the price- especially with a custom product. People who are only concerned with the price may simply not be the best customers for you. We are customers too- and sometimes we only care about the price. We tend to hate it when people get several quotes. If you don't send in your quote, you are certain not to get the gig. Some people keep on texting you and they demand a quick answer from you. Demanding texts become your problem when you don't have reasonable boundaries. Ways to set reasonable boundaries with your customers. Big ideas with a really small budget can be irritating, frustrating or even disappointing for a caker. Remember that the general consumer who is buying from you has no concept of the work required to get the job done. We get annoyed when our customers don't give us feedback. Taking responsibility for encouraging a culture of feedback with your customers. Providing feedback for goods or services that you have bought.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all need people, right? Most of you listening to the podcast will get to the stage when it's time for you to hire people, or you may even have to let someone go. Having employees is really hard work and lately, I've been getting a lot of emails and questions from people wanting to know how to get rid of crappy employees, or the ones who aren't quite working out.  It's not easy to find and hire people that will keep in line with your vision and it's also difficult to find people who are good employees that don't take advantage. It's not all bad, though, because employees can be really awesome! Mentoring somebody really feels amazing and it's very nice to know that you're educating and supporting somebody while watching their skills grow. You can also learn a lot about yourself from being a boss. So listen in, because today we're going to be talking about the people that you hire.    Because it's so hard to hire the right people and then keep them on board, I wanted to give you guys my top ten tips for the people who are working for you. The truth of the matter is that this advice probably applies to most of the people in your life and not only to the ones that work for you. Listen in now to get my best tips on how to hire and how to keep your hiring life a happy one! Show highlights: Tip #1- Check your purpose and hire for the right reasons. Tip #2- List the things that need to be done in your business, that you really need help with. Tip #3- Check the rules. I learned this the hard way! Tip #4- Hire for personality and train for skill. (This one could be a bit controversial.) Tip #5- Be realistic about the job. Don't just dump all your stuff on them. Tip #6- Be patient- it actually takes much longer than you think to find the right person. Employees can really be amazing, so it's not all bad! The freedom that you can enjoy when you employ someone. Tip #7- Multi-skilling is a very good idea. Tip #8- Boundaries are really essential!  Tip #9- Check in regularly with your employees, even if you love them. It can even be a great opportunity to tell them how much you appreciate them. Tip #10- Remember that it's not just about the money, either for them or for you, so treat your people kindly.  There is always so much that you can learn from employing somebody. I've written a whole lot of articles on my blog (www.thebizofbaking.com- under 'staffing') about how to be a good boss, how to hire and fire etc.  I'll be traveling a lot later this year, so for more info about where you can meet me in person, go to www.bizbakeontour.com.       See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the show, everyone! I've been shifting the focus of the podcast a little bit lately- away from the practicalities of running a cake business (although that will always remain my main goal) and more into talking about the emotional and mental health side of running a small business. We all know that making cookies and cake pops is not really all that difficult to do, but the emotional fallout from a customer complaint or the exhaustion that comes from running a business can really be pretty hard to deal with at times. So for quite a while now I've been wanting to talk to somebody on the podcast, who has some experience with that. Then, exactly the right person appeared in my life (by popping right up in my email inbox)!  She's the amazing Laurel Harlan and she's a private practice therapist and she owns a cookie business! Listen in today to get some really awesome advice from Laurel about dealing with the  difficult emotions that tend to come up when running a business.         Laurel is from Columbia, Missouri and her first company is a private therapy practice, which she's been running for the last thirty-seven years, called Human Dynamics. Her cookie business is called Kiss Me Cookies and she's been running it for the past three years. Listen in now to find out more about Laurel and how she copes with the ups and downs of running her businesses.   Show highlights:   The way that Laurel's brain got lit up and sucked her into running a cookie business. How Laurel has to be creative in her two very different businesses. Laurel's take on why there are so many cookiers and cake makers who are dealing with mental and emotional health issues.  Laurel's notion that people with anxiety and depression actually come to baking as a way to find some relief. Developing boundaries and finding the right balance when running your business. The importance of practicing self-care while running your business. How Laurel managed to find a good balance in her business life. How Laurel had to find new ways to take care of things when her office manager retired. You will always hit potholes when running a business. Being fortunate enough to really love what you do for a living. The emotional leap from calling something you do a hobby, to calling it a business. The scary process of mentally shifting your definition of yourself, as a woman. Developing more confidence, as a small business owner. Laurel's philosophy for developing more confidence in herself. The emotional things that tend to trip people up. How vulnerable should you allow yourself to be on social media? The difference between privacy and secrecy. Becoming selective about who you share your personal stories with. Some great insights from Laurel for those of you who are suffering from anxiety or depression. Don't forget to breathe! Follow Kiss Me Cookies on Facebook! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Positive and inspirational stories are great, right? But we all somehow seem to really love a crappy, "OMG everything went wrong" kind of story more. I've noticed this because although everyone loved my show last season about the best business advice that I ever got, many of you have asked me to do a similar show, but this time about the worst business advice that I've ever been given. This is really hilarious! Anyway, you ask and I deliver, so listen in now, to get the worst business advice ever. As a rule, the worst business advice that I ever got was from people who were not business owners themselves. Anyone who is a parent will totally appreciate this, because the minute that you get pregnant, everyone in the world starts giving you advice about every aspect of parenting. So when you say that you're opening a business, you tend to attract a whole lot of people who want to give you a whole lot of really crappy advice. Remember, though, that people come to give you advice because they think that they're doing the right thing, so I hope that none of you actually take this advice seriously and that you listen to this episode knowing that I mean it only as tongue in cheek and me being silly. So listen in as I roll out the terrible advice!   Show highlights:   The worst advice came from the people who had never actually done it themselves and their advice seems to be a reflection of their own problems and their own concerns. People love to tell stories about businesses that failed. It's always best to only take advice from people who have actually walked the walk themselves. Some really devastating things that I was told by Joe, a boss that I used to have. Sometimes I don't want to do something simply because somebody told me to do it, so some of the worst advice I ever got actually came from me! Getting pressured into mistakenly believing that I really needed to spend money on advertising and marketing. Why you shouldn't just believe it when somebody tells you that your business will fail if you don't do as they say. Learn to trust your gut when you're given advice about your business. Bad advice that I've been given about having to make certain things. The kind of advice that I really didn't appreciate getting. People who give bad advice really tend to want to shove it down your throat. Some crushing advice that I got from my Dad. Some poor advice from my dodgy accountant when I first started out with my business. Why you should avoid advice from people who lack vision. Why you should learn to listen to your inner voice, regardless of the advice that you've been given. My enrollment is opening for my Build Your Profitable Cake Business towards the end of March this year. Go to www.thebizofbaking.com to get the details. I open up the enrollment to my live In Person classes at this time of year. I'll be in Sydney and Melbourne in Australia this year and then in Los Angeles, Houston, Cincinnati, and Virginia in the USA and I'll be in Toronto, Canada. Keep an eye on my blog and my social media sites for details. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everybody really loves to give advice, right? Especially when you become a parent...  And I've spent lots of episodes of this podcast giving you great advice too- from many other people as well as myself. So today, I've decided to share with you some of the best advice that I've been given, with the hope that you will find it interesting and useful- and maybe even hilarious. Listen in, to find out more! After both giving and getting advice from people for years and years and years, I thought it would be fun to do a podcast episode where I offer you some of the very best advice that's been handed to me over the years, from all kinds of interesting people. Because of me being me, a lot of these pieces of advice come with some amusing stories, so I really hope you will enjoy what I have to share with you today, with some of it being serious and some of it not really so much. Listen in now, to get some of the best and most interesting advice that I've ever been given. Show highlights: The first bit of advice that I got from Joe, my Head Chef boss, to really up my productivity. Great advice, but it really pissed me off at the time! Learning why you should try before you buy. Some awesome and really simple advice that I got from David, the first ever Business Coach that I hired.  Learning to own the decisions that you have already made. Some business advice from my dad- and he really was the ultimate entrepreneur. Why you really need to want to do something, to make it work. A very unsexy bit of advice that I got from a potential mentor. Some advice that I took from a profound quote that I heard. This has given me the emotional freedom to let go of the people that I really need to let go of. Why we really never stop learning. Some wonderful advice that I got from my husband, David, during our honeymoon. Why you should listen and take in all the advice that you hear, even if you don't see the relevance if it straight away.      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever heard of a Cake Decorator, or a Cake Artist being described as 'award-winning', or  'internationally famous' and wondered how that actually happens? Well, that's what we're going to be talking about, on today's episode. We're going to be discussing competitions, how to get into them, how to do them and even the emotional side of competing. Listen in to find out more. A couple of weeks ago, I came back from attending Cake International, which is held every year in November, in Birmingham, in the UK. It is the biggest Cake Show in the world. Although there are other Cake Shows, this is considered to be the golden one, because it really is so massive. In fact, it's quite overwhelming, with so many people there!  One of the hallmarks of Cake International is that it has this really huge competition, with about fifteen hundred competition pieces submitted this year. It really is the most amazing thing you've ever seen in your life! (I have posted a couple of my favorites on Instagram.) Listen in today, as I discuss this incredible show with its fabulous competition and beautiful artwork and also, competitions in general and the emotional aspect of competing. Show highlights: How I felt about myself and my skills as a decorator, being around all that really beautiful artwork. So many of the pieces felt so far from cake - they were so untouchably incredible, more like sculptures. What I found very fascinating, about people's reactions and comments, around the competition. How to actually get into these kinds of competitions. Why it would be a good idea to get in touch with people who have entered a Cake Competition before, if you'd like to enter one yourself. The two basic types of competitions that there are in life. Using competition with others as a motivator. When healthy competition is a good thing for us. Why I've never been competitive with what I call value metrics. I will always ask for feedback if I did not win a competition. Sometimes the feedback can be really frustrating, though! I was in also in the UK to attend the Cake Master's Award Ceremony. What really excited me and made me proud about being nominated in the Best Book category. Looking for the silver lining, the lesson, or the gratitude in it, when entering a competition. Television Competitions- are they really worth entering? The stress level of competitions. One of the nicest things I've ever learned about competitions, from Bronwyn Webber. Resources:  Cake International Bronwyn Webber See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, it's all about how the Cake Industry has changed, so we're going to be talking about what I've observed to be happening in our industry over the last ten to fifteen years and also how the face of our industry has really changed a lot, during that time. Listen in to find out more! Back when I was a girl, just starting out on my cake decorating journey, there was no Youtube, or Craftsy. In fact, there was pretty much nothing at all really, except for cake decorating books and a couple of guilds, so it was really quite a sad and lonely place. Things have really changed, though and a lot of growth has happened, since then. Join me on today's show, as I discuss some of the things that I've become aware of lately in the cake industry, and the effect that our current culture of social media, online classes and gimmicky tools has had on it. Listen in now! Show highlights: The growth that has happened, as a result of TV shows and the accessibility of Learning Channels, like Youtube and Craftsy. Some of my observations of what I've noticed that has changed, in the industry. The cake that my older sister asked me to create for her wedding shower, when I was sixteen. (There are actually pictures of it on my blog!) The Wilton Level One Butter Cream Class that some friends of mine got together and bought for me, back when I was a young Mom, first living in Australia. We have a lot more awareness of our worth, as artists today, yet we tend to focus far less on the actual artistry, as the industry has grown. The stunningly beautiful work of the true artists of our industry, that are actually pushing the boundaries of the definition of cake, of art and even of edible. The widening divide, between the non-artists and the true artists of our industry. My love-hate relationship with the stamp out tools that are available currently for our industry. The sadness of the really easy to replicate cakes, that are available in today's mass market. The X-Factor about today's cakes that I wish were a little more X-factorish... What I've noticed about the average age of the people in our industry today. What I've noticed to be happening lately, with the 'Facebook famous' crowd and their culture of sharing. How the questions from my Coaching clients have changed lately. What's happening with live classes, today. Why you need to actually sign up for live classes as soon as possible, after deciding to do them. Cookies don't even look like cookies anymore! Pushing the boundaries of artistry. My predictions for what's to come in our industry. Resources: Join us on Facebook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, I'm pretty excited to be talking to someone who is a friend of mine and also a professional in an area that I really wish that I knew more about, so I think that this is going to be an educational experience, for me as well as for all you guys! Listen in to find out more.  Today I'm going to be talking to Cori Keeton Pope, who is the badass businesswoman owner of Keeton PR, which is based in Denver, Colorado. I invited her to the Podcast to talk about PR, Marketing and Social Media- the kind of stuff that you guys ask me about all the time. The most basic definition of marketing is letting people know who you are and what you do. However, understanding this doesn't necessarily help you to know how to go about getting people out there to know these things about you. Also, one of the things that we generally seem to struggle with, as an industry, is that we have lots, and I really mean lots of introverts. Perhaps this is because we like to spend our time with cake- and cake doesn't talk back! Listen in today, to find out how to get people to become aware of your business, how to get your name out there and how to get your whole marketing thing happening- even if you're an introvert.    Show highlights: Cori explains the difference between Public Relations, Advertising, and Social Media. Facing the challenge of where to invest your money, when marketing your business. Some steps you can take, to get started with your DIY Marketing. Leveraging your community, to get yourself known. Remember National Chocolate Cupcake Day, on October 18th in the United States. It could be a perfect opportunity for you to market your business on your local TV Station.  Some really creative ideas for marketing your Baking Business over the holidays. Keeping up with what's going on in the world, to become more effective with your marketing. How to not die of exposure by working for free. Ways to maximise your media coverage, after you've appeared in a publication. Getting real about Social Media. Is it really the best playground for introverts?  Some advice about getting inexpensive exposure through Social Media. Some awesome advice for introverts, from Cori. Finding the connectors in your life. Some other options, if you've tried DIY Marketing, but you're not getting what you want out of it. Why you need to be a good writer, for great PR. Some tips for finding yourself the right PR/Consulting Partner. Remember that it takes time to build brand awareness, so stick with it a bit longer, if you feel it's not working.   Links: Cori's website: www.keetonpr.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we're going to be talking about something pretty thought provoking- we're going to talk about business and religion. I think you might find what I have to say interesting and I really hope that this topic doesn't get me into any trouble, so obviously this comes with a big, fat disclaimer that it's entirely my opinion and I truly understand that you might feel differently. I really wanted to talk about this, because it's something that I feel quite passionate about and it's also something that I think we should talk about a little more often. Listen in today, as I share my own journey with spirituality and religion and how my opinions around this have altered a bit, as I've grown older.   I am known for not being terribly religious at all. When I was a young child and a teenager, I questioned absolutely everything, like the existence of God and whether or not we need organised religion. I've always been a doubter and a questioner, so I have always really accepted that there are other ways of doing things. As a result, I never used to refer to myself as religious, I would rather call myself curious, or educated and I denounced the idea of having a single solution to the whole question of religion. When I grew up and got into business, I started to notice that some companies, particularly small businesses, do tend to bring religion into a lot of things, on social media. While I accept that God can love me and look after me, I'm not so sure that He can actually market my business for me, so listen in today, as  I discuss whether or not there really is a space in business for religion, or spirituality.                                Show highlights:   The way that my family followed religion culturally, rather than spiritually, while I was growing up.  The things that irk me, about businesses bringing religion into their marketing practices. Why I feel that overt examples of religion in business can be a bit of a turn off for customers. Why my strong opinions about religion have softened over time, particularly when it comes to business. The Business Coach that I hired, who was quite into spirituality - and far out of my comfort zone. What I learned from that Business Coach and how I started to think a lot more about his approach to life. Some stories about some crazy things that happened to me in business and the way that I have learned to view those experiences, since having met my Business Coach. A beautiful story that really got to me, about breast cancer, blind acceptance and faith. Some solutions to my business problems that just dropped into my lap. My growing belief around the idea that if you put what you want out there, you will get it back. My deeper questioning into the idea of spirituality and religion, from learning about EFT and Reiki, to looking closely at organised religion. How I have become more spiritual over time, allowing new possibilities into my life. My daily affirmations and gratitude practice. It's really so important to be grateful for what you have in your life. Writing down what I'd like to have happen in my life - then taking action. My new-found belief in having faith. Living my life fully, on the terms that I choose. Always having a little bit of faith, a little bit of love and a little bit of gratitude See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, I'm talking to Belle Harris, the owner, creator and  mastermind genius behind Stencibelle. If you're either a cookier, or anyone wanting to use a stencil, you will surely be familiar with her. I am completely obsessed with her Instagram and her products, so I'm really excited to have her on the podcast with me today, so listen in now! Belle is from Bathurst, New South Wales. She started out in her career as a cookie maker, with Billy Simos Cookies. She did this as a side gig, while doing something else, like a lot of us tend to do. Then, in April of 2016, she launched Stencibelle and now she makes stencils that are used for cookies and she ships these products to more than thirty countries! I am totally in awe and I really think that this is the coolest thing ever! In addition to all of that, she's a mom to two young girls, Ruby and Lilly, so she's running her business while she's running her household and her life. Listen in to find out more.   Show highlights:   Belle takes us through the evolution of her career, from the cookies and the blogging to selling her current product. Belle explains her creative process, from her initial idea, to eventually selling it. The most popular of Belle's stencils. It took Belle only eleven days to get five thousand likers, on Instagram and she currently has an unbelievable eighty-three thousand followers. The role that social media has played in the success of Belle's business. About seventy percent of Belle's business comes from Instagram. The mini-series that Belle has been doing on Facebook, to help cookiers with how to use social media and with understanding what works for that platform. How Belle came up with her video series on how to use a stencil if you don't have an airbrush. What people who think that using a stencil is cheating, don't really know... How Stencibelle compares with Belle's initial cookie business. How everyone in Belle's family feels about cookies. Belle's experience of raising two young kids while running her business from home. Belle thinks that it's really important to show her girls that it really doesn't matter where you live- you can do whatever you want to do and you can make your dreams work wherever you are because we are currently in a global marketplace. Belle's favourite aspect of owning her business. The drama of shipping. What's next on the horizon, for Stencibelle.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm really excited about chatting with you today because you and I are going on a Foodie Tour of New York City!  It's going to be you, me, four days in New York and lots and lots of interesting things to eat, so listen in now and join me! I was in New York for a long weekend a few months back, to spend some girlie time with my big sister and to go to a Billy Joel concert. We decided to also go and check out some of the foodie hot spots of New York and to do and eat some crazy stuff that we normally wouldn't do or eat.  I am a super foodie, so I will travel to the end of the earth to eat certain things, but my sister is not like that at all, so we had a really interesting experience.  Listen in to find out where we went, what we ate and what it was like. Show highlights: What I noticed about the difference between the customer service in New York and that in Australia. A lesson for small businesses, about how to deliver really great customer service. We start our Foodie Tour  Magnolia Cupcakes. - Cupcakes or Banana Pudding? Everywhere I went, the receipts were an extension of marketing. Our warm experience atMolly's Cupcakes. These were singularly the best cupcakes I've ever eaten! We decided to go to John's Pizzaon Times Square and we experienced a really great example of cross promotion there. What I noticed about- and a lesson I learned from Do, a company that sells raw cookie dough served like ice-cream.  The worst experience that we had in New York.    Our experience of a breakdown in communication. Bummed about bagels... Cookie Shots and awesome service at Dominique Ansel's. Frozen hot chocolate and a psychedelic dream come true. Getting in line at the Halal Guys. My Foodie Tour of America during my Teaching Tour of America. Any suggestions about where I should go? For information on Michelle's live classes, go to: www.bizbakeontour.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm really excited today to get to chat to Mike McCarey of Mikes Amazing Cakes, located in Redmond, Washington! I feel that everybody knows who he is because he is truly one of the bright lights in our industry, known for his amazing sculptural work and also because he really is such a nice guy!                                                                             To be honest, I actually think that he's kind of famous just for being a guy, in this very female dominated industry! I've admired Mike for a long time and last year, at Cake International he really knocked my socks off! When I went up to him there, he even knew who I was, so that was pretty cool.  In addition to running his bakery in the US, Mike has been teaching across the world. He offers five classes as a Craftsy Instructor and he also teaches in person, at his premises in Washington. Several friends of mine have done his three-day Master Class and it's definitely on my cake bucket list!  Mike is a dad to sixteen-year-old Olivia and he's also just a really awesome guy who's appeared on television a whole bunch of times. I'm pretty sure that you all know who Mike is and if you don't, we're going to educate you about that on the show today, so listen in now, as we find out more about Mike and the business behind Mike's Amazing Cakes. Show highlights: Mike explains all about his business and he discusses how many cakes they bake on average, per week. He also explains which lines are the most popular and which are the most profitable.                       Although Mikes sculpted cakes make his business unique and give it identity, they're still not the bread and butter of the business. The Home College Laws have really opened the door to much more competition, so Mike explains the impact this has, on his business. Mike explains why he does every Wedding Show that he can.  The types of cakes that Mike and his team show, at their booth at the Wedding Shows. Cake TV helped Mike in the beginning, for exposure, but he's been battling to break a false impression that many people have.  Mike's background as a trained pastry chef allows him to do things really quickly, so he explains how this benefits him.              Mike will do a cake for $20, if required- or one for $2000. He explains how it would impact him financially if he were to decide to set a minimum price point.               Mike explains why he doesn't make his own flowers. Mike spends the majority of his time in the kitchen, as that's where his strength lies, so he explains how he manages to deal with the business and the administrative side of things.                  The creative side of a Cake Business has to give way to the business end, so Mike discusses some sacrifices that need to be made, in order to make a profit. Mike's secret to his longevity in this industry. Mike discusses the most popular flavours in his shop. Mike explains what he'd be doing today if he wasn't a baker. Mike explains about the new cake class concept that he's starting in his shop. Email Mike for details.  Resources: Connect with Mike at www.mikesamazingcakes.com. Email Mike: cakes@mikesamazingcakes.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I'm going to be talking about something that I think has affected all of us in one way or another, whether we actually like to admit it or not. This is the topic of parental guilt. (I would normally refer to it as Mommy guilt, but not all of us listening to the show are Mommies.) We sometimes get that guilt from our children, but even our parents give it to us at times, so maybe I should be referring to this as family guilt. Although I've talked about this topic and I've written articles and posts about it over the years, I've never before actually spoken about it on this podcast. Then, recently, somebody left a comment about it on my Facebook page, which prompted me to discuss it with you on the show today, because  hearing somebody talking about it so openly, rather than it being this dirty little secret that we all harbour, really came at me like a breath of fresh air.  I really loved her comment and this is something that  women, as business owners, are really struggling with, so listen in now, because this is sure to be a meaty podcast! We've all had family members, or kids who get jealous or resentful about the amount of time we spend working. I've talked about my kids being a part of my business for a long time and I even named it after them and got them involved in it. I really wanted to talk about this in a little more detail though, so I started to think about why we  feel that guilt for running our own business, or even having a job, or a hobby like a blog.  I've come up with three main reasons that I think cause us to feel that way, so listen in as we explore them in depth, on the show today.        Show highlights: Society still views women's roles as home-bound caregivers, who are secondary to their partners in the relationship. The societal pressure for us to fit into certain roles. The personal reasons that cause us to feel that guilt. It's not okay for us to choose ourselves- we feel we have to choose everybody else as well as ourselves. The basic logistics and physical demands that can cause us to feel the guilt, as   only us, as women, can bear children. The things I had a really hard time with, while my triplets were growing up. It was just not in my DNA to be a stay at home mom. I have always fought tooth and nail to retain my identity, however that did not absolve me of the guilt.  A lot of what I do comes from the influence of watching my parents, as business owners. The response that I got from my Dad, early in in my business, which was really hurtful to me. The unsupportive response that I got from my Mom, when I was having a hard time with my business. Fighting against the rising tide of guilt. The lessons that I really wanted to give to my kids.  I wanted my kids to learn that if you really want to be something, you can do just about anything! I wanted to show my kids how to live a life without limits and also that having a business can happen alongside having a family.  A family is a community, so I tried to involve my kids in my business and that decisions that I make in it. I find that the guilt thing is usually temporary and triggered by a single event. After that, they seem to get over it and carry on. About six weeks ago, I did an eye opening Facebook Live interview, with my sixteen year old daughter, Claire. (It's in my Build Your Profitable Cake Business Group.)  Claire's opinions were really so very different to what I thought they would be. I realised that a lot of the guilt that I'd felt was actually invented in my own head. How much should we give up, or modify (if anything at all) for our children? Finding enough balance in your life, to feel comfortable. In retrospect, I'm okay that my process was slower in my business, due to my kids, because I was able to give them the attention that they needed. If you're curious about how I raised my kids in my business, you can listen to my podcast episode about Raising A Family And A Business At The Same Time, and get my tips on how to do it. Remember the bigger lessons that you're learning, and that kids do grow up and move on! It's your life - your rules! Choose which voice you're going to listen to.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered if there is a life out there after cake decorating? I mean what happens when cake decorating doesn't thrill you anymore? Well today we are having that exact conversation with former Cake Decorator Lynne McLean Brown! Lynne, is a former cake decorator, turned Life Coach. I think that today's episode is going to be a super, super interesting conversation because it's not really one that you hear of very often. So listen in to find out more about Lynne and her transition from Cake Decorator to Life Coach. A little background info on Lynne -  her accent isn't American - nor is it Norwegian, even though she lives in Norway now. She's a Mum to two kids and I'm really excited to be talking to her because she's someone who's actually pursued life after cake. I think that there are quite a few of us who wonder about what comes next, after having been a Cake Decorator and Lynne is someone who really knows what the challenges are for our industry, first hand. She also knows how to help us to get through some of those challenges, by practising self-care, so listen in now, to find out more! Show highlights: Lynne talks about how she got into being a Cake Decorator. Lynne, who still really loves decorating cakes, gives the story behind her decision to become a Life Coach. Lynne explains why she really loves Life Coaching. Lynne finds that women all really seem to be worried that they can't achieve what they want, that other things have to come first, or that they simply don't have what it takes! What Lynne suggests, to help you to make your self-care a priority. If it really matters to you, you will find a way to do what's necessary, so do little, simple things that replenish your energy. Calm - a brilliant little app that I downloaded to help me meditate. I started out meditating for just one minute! Lynne's message is that you are important and worth taking time for. Meditation doesn't work for Lynne, however, the little things that make life sweeter really do! Find what works for you, rather than feeling that you have to be doing something that everyone else is doing. Pause for a minute, to give yourself a break. Lynne's take on “Are you in the work slow and truly enjoy the moment camp, or the speed it up and get it done camp?” (When it comes to baking.) Being really clear about what it is that you really want. Lynne has written a blog post, called Twenty One Ways to Practise Self-Love. It's really worth checking out!  Lynne gives you some really simple and easy ways to practise self-love. Lynne confesses her current self-care challenge.   Remember to take the time out to be a human and a person, not just a business owner! Link:  Lynne's website: www.lynnemcleanbrown.com Lynn will be more than happy to offer you a free coaching session, to show you the kind of work she does.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we're talking about marketing and I'd like to give you some ideas that are a little out of the box, as well as some stuff to motivate and inspire you. I also want to give you some things to help you to think about marketing in a different way, because I know that everybody really seems to hate it. So today, we're going to lift the lid off that and come up with some really cool and fun stuff that you can do, that doesn't cost the earth. Listen in today, as we make this a Playful Marketing Monday (even though it may not even be Monday when you listen to this) and really have some fun on the show.   I actually love marketing and I'm constantly out there, taking photos of other people's marketing that I think is cool, or even ads that I think are fun. I often look at funny viral ads on Youtube, because I really am a fan of clever marketing- of the kinds of things that are so funny or clever that you don't even know that you're being marketed to. So I've come up with ten ideas that I'd like to share with you today. These ideas are really intended to get your creative juices flowing, so listen in and be inspired!   Show highlights:   #1: Figure out ways to cross promote yourself to other products.  #2: Using some sidewalk chalk, to create something that really captures people's attention, perhaps like a huge mural.  #3: Create an info-graphic for you. #4: Create a competition on Facebook.  #5: Harness word of mouth marketing.  #6: A Cookies and Milk Story Time, done somewhere locally. #7: Do some video story telling on social media. #8: Market to a specific niche group. You need to offer the right thing to the right people.  #9: Chase the Corporates.  #10: Do a blind taste test between your cake and a plain bought sheet cake.  The thing about marketing is that it has to be do-able, as well as being really fun and effective. Show off your personality and have some fun!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I'm super excited, because I get to talk to somebody really awesome and I also get to fan-girl all over the place! I'm going to be talking to Georganne Bell, who I know a bit better as Lilaloa, from lilaloa.com. Listen in today, to find out all about this amazing Cookie Legend.   Georganne is from a military family. She's also a mom of four kids, all under the age of ten- which makes her legendary in my mind! She wrote the Cookie Companion book, which came with its own set of cookie cutters and she's also made custom cookie cutter designs for Anne Clark. She's a Cookie Con presenter, she was the Cookie Connection Educator of the Year in 2015, she's a Craftsy instructor, she teaches in-person classes and she also manages to run a blog, pretty much full time and, basically, she's really an all around Cookie Goddess! For those of you who don't know, she started out as a cake baker and then ditched that for cookies.  Listen in and find out about Georganne's amazing career in baking and also how Cookie-ers actually make money. Show highlights: Georganne's transition (which really hasn't actually happened yet) from baking as a hobby to it becoming a full-time business gig for her. How Georganne doesn't really feel legit with what she's doing...  she somehow thinks that for a business to really be legit, you have to hate it. What it would take for Georganne to do a custom order. Where Georganne's main source of income comes from- a toss up between live classes and the advertising on the blog itself. Is blogging really is a way to make money?- Georganne was making just over $1 per month after her first three months and then just over $20 after her first year. The amount of time and effort that goes into blogging, so to make it, you really just have to keep on showing up consistently, until the return eventually comes...maybe... Georganne's experience of growing her blog, while growing her kids.  The three areas that allow for Georganne to feel valued and whole, as a person – her family, her church and her cookie community. Georganne's struggle to balance her time, so that her kids get the best of her and not just the left overs. The importance of being flexible when you're a working parent. If you really want something, do it! You really can be so much more than you are right now! The issues that cookie-ers have that cake bakers don't. How cookie-ers get around the money making issue. Getting over the weirdness of marketing yourself and your product. The best and the worst parts of what Georganne does.  The love or the money? Finding the balance. Links: Georganne's website: www.lilaloa.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I really think that it's time to lift the lid on the difference between how things look on the outside, versus how they really are, on the inside. So, today we're talking about at least ten embarrassing, ridiculous things I did, to get my business to the level that I  wanted it to be at and to really make it a success. Listen in to find out what I did.   I've recently been advertising my live classes (www.bizbakeontour.com) and people have been leaving comments which I find really interesting- they like to give me every excuse imaginable as to why they can't get to the class. I find it really interesting how people really tend to make excuses for their lack of success and why they can't take their life, or their business to the next level. This has forced me to look back on my life as a business owner and think about all the insane, crazy things I did to get where I wanted to go, because I really did have a clear vision. I knew that I had to use all the necessary means to get there. So listen in today, as I really want to share these things that I did with you, because sometimes you just have to make it happen!   Show highlights:   My recent rant on Facebook about having to make a decision at some point about how much your success is really worth to you and how far you're willing to go, to achieve what you want to achieve-  and the story of the extraordinary lengths that one woman went to, in order to be in my class. How I got my very first pastry job with my cake portfolio. The myth women need to be a hundred percent qualified before they will apply for a job. How I got my first cake boxes for my jobs before I realized I could buy them. I swear I'm not a bad person! Tricky ways that I used phone numbers and addresses to make it look like my business was way more legit than it was at the time! That sometimes you have to create an impression, to seem more legitimate than you really are and grow your business. I used to constantly ask places for their recipes if I really liked their cakes- I used to pretend to have an allergy, so I really needed to know what the ingredients were. Pretty cheeky, but nine times out of ten, they would give me the recipe! That my easiest way to do anything is to be inspired by other, really successful businesses and do as they do- it's a good way to start out. It's crazy expensive to buy cake decorating products in Australia, so I used to go to cake decorating shops in America, when I was visiting my family there and buy loads of products and equipment and drag it back to Australia in a suitcase. Figuring out how to work your way around things, if you really can't get straight there. I took out a lease on my first commercial kitchen when I didn't yet have the real money behind it. Really scary, but by the third month, I'd made enough money to cover my rent!  That sometimes the voice inside you is so loud that you just have to do that thing. How I mystery shopped my children's birthday cakes. How, trying to get a napkin match really informed my own business. In the early days of my business, I had cake flavors that I'd never tried before, but that didn't stop me from selling them! The crazy story of my car broke down and the trunk was full of cake flowers.  It's not so important how you do things - the important thing is that you actually do it.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you just starting out in your business and feeling somewhat daunted at the thought of having to register your kitchen with the local Health Department? If so, don't worry because I want you to do everything possible to keep your business legal! The featured guest is a bit of a crazy mixture- she's a Cake Maker and she's also a Local Health Inspector, working in the United States. I get lots of questions about this as most people seem a little afraid to get their kitchens registered because they don't really know what it's all about. Today's guest with de-mystify the health inspection process and you can finally see that it's nothing to be afraid of! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you building a business, are you enjoying a hobby, or...both? What's the difference between those two and why is it even important to care about? Does it even really matter? Are all those cheap cake ladies just hobby bakers who don't care that they are undercutting the rest of the industry? I've long been a supporter of the cheap cake lady (because we were ALL her at once point) but it's time to get real about what her role is in our industry, Okay so I might have gotten a bit ranty in this one.... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.