15 Lessons I Learned the Hard Way About Owning a Bakery (So You Don’t Have To)

This month marks the 15-year anniversary of The Cake Mamas' grand opening- and the anniversary of the meal prep company I launched back in 2015 while bodybuilding.

After running my bakery for over a DECADE, and 15 years of entrepreneurship, there are TONS of business lessons I wish I had learned sooner that I truly believe more entrepreneurs should know.

When I first started my business, I thought passion and hard work alone would be enough - but passion doesn’t file your taxes, pay your bills, or help you avoid COSTLY mistakes.

That’s why I put together a free guide breaking down the exact steps I’d take (and the mistakes I’d avoid) if I were starting my bakery business over TODAY. You can grab that guide here 👉 “If I Were Starting My Baking Business Over in 2025, Here’s Exactly What I’d Do!”

But let’s get into 15 of the biggest lessons I learned the hard way while starting, growing, and SCALING my business, so you don’t have to.

#1: Don’t Expect Your Friends and Family to Be Your Biggest Supporters

Your friends and family are NOT obligated to support your business in any way, so stop being resentful when they don’t support you. I know it hurts, but they are NOT your target audience. Build a business for and AROUND your ideal clients, not your friends and family.

#2: Just Because You Love Something Today Doesn’t Mean You’ll Love It Forever

Be okay with knowing that you’re building something you love and are interested in RIGHT NOW. It’s normal to outgrow passions/professions/hobbies, so don’t be surprised if, in a few years, your interests shift. Be okay with the fact that personal evolution is natural and often NECESSARY.

#3: Mixing Family & Business Is Complicated - Proceed with Caution

Sure, you’ve heard this before, but it’s particularly delicate when it comes to partnerships, investment deals, and leading/managing family members on day-to-day business tasks. If you’re not naturally someone who can initiate or handle tough conversations, this will be extremely difficult to navigate.

#4: You’ll Always Be Faced with Challenges

Don’t panic, just prepare. You’re going to face challenges no matter how long you’ve been in business. Don’t pray to be PROBLEM-free, pray for more strength and wisdom to solve your problems. Overcoming difficult times is what builds CONFIDENCE. So lean in and get good at it, because THIS is the job!

#5: It’s Okay to Say NO (Often!)

Set BOUNDARIES! In fact, boundaries are NECESSARY! No working until 2 a.m., then complaining about it. Creating balance is only possible with boundaries. Own your business, don’t let your business OWN YOU. Stay true to those priorities. SAY NO OFTEN! (And NO is a complete sentence!)

#6: Administrative Tasks Are NECESSARY in Business

You don’t have to understand them, but they need to be handled by someone! Admin work (Licenses, taxes, payroll, scheduling, pricing) is the unglamorous but necessary part of running a business. Do not neglect this, or it’ll cost you tons of money and TEARS.

Want to know how I handle the not-so-glamorous side of business? I share my exact process in my free guide: “If I Were Starting My Baking Business Over in 2025…”

#7: Your Struggles Are Not Unique

Ooff, this might sting, but it’s TRUE. Your story is NOT special, your circumstances are NOT unique. EVERYONE experiences business struggles. You’re not the only one. You’re also NOT the victim. This is tough work, so you need to develop some resilience when it comes to overcoming obstacles. SEEK HELP from those who can relate or offer advice. Preferably someone who has been through what you’re going through.

👉🏼 If this type of TOUGH LOVE is something you know you need to help you become a BETTER LEADER and CEO, then I wanna encourage you to check out my monthly membership community, Power Hour! I meet WEEKLY with small business owners to tackle their biggest business challenges, where we dig into the numbers, strategies, and systems that successful businesses use to scale.

#8: It’s Hard. Really Hard.

Give yourself some grace and remember that you’re trying to do something you’ve never done before. You’re trying to learn and scour the earth for information that will help you be successful. But you’ll run into so many roadblocks! WHY? Because you’ve never done this before! And that’s okay. You can learn, pivot, and learn some more, but don’t quit when it’s hard! And definitely don’t expect this to get easier. The more you GROW, the more new challenges will emerge.

#9: It’s Lonely

Entrepreneurship is LONELY AF! So find a supportive and understanding tribe! (I’d recommend my Tribe of over 30K+ business owners in the baking/small business community from all over the world! You can join here!)

#10: Marketing Is a JOB in Itself

And sharing the message of WHY people should love/buy from your business, and finding customers to buy, is one of the most important! You probably won’t love it, let alone know how to do it. So treat it as such. LEARN about marketing strategies, implement a plan, and take it seriously! (And if you don’t know where to start, I’d love to be your coach! You can learn more about how I can help you here!)

#11: Everything Is YOUR Responsibility

It may not be your fault, but it’s always your responsibility. READ THAT AGAIN! Small problems, unattended to, always become BIGGER problems. So NO procrastinating on the small things because there’s no one to blame when things go wrong, expect your personal oversight.

#12: Leadership Is the Most Undeveloped Skill in Business Ownership

There’s NO PRIZE or award for being a “one-woman show,” so hire help early, and realize that the business can not/will not grow with just you. Also there are very few BAD employees, but there are TONS of bad leaders! Organization, tone, tact, and emotionless delivery are key to good leadership. If there was ONE SKILL, I’d recommend all business owners HAVE and continue to exercise it’s this!

#13: Don’t Be So Sensitive

You can’t take everything to heart. Clients will annoy you, employees will disappoint you, and people in your industry will hurt you. Grow some thicker skin and don’t take things so personally. Especially negative feedback! Use the feedback to refine and improve whatever it is, even if it may not be VALID. More often than not, there is SOME sliver of truth even to negative, unwarranted feedback and room for us to do better.

#14: The Speed of Your Decisions = The Speed of Your Business

Every time you hesitate or overthink, your business slows down. Making quick, confident decisions- whether it’s about hiring, pricing, or marketing- keeps things moving forward. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to be DECISIVE. Your business can only move as fast as you do.

#15: Don’t Make Decisions Based on Emotions - Act on FACTS

Too many business owners act on FEELINGS. They say things like, “Well, I know if I had a bigger space, I’d have more sales,” or “If only I had a bigger oven, I could take on more orders and make more money.” You may FEEL that way, but your feelings don’t equal facts. When you make decisions for your business based on “feelings,” 90% of the time you end up making COSTLY mistakes. **Always LOOK at the facts. What is the data telling you? Numbers DON’T lie, friend. Your “gut feelings” do.

Truthfully, friend, owning a bakery or ANY business is not for the faint of heart. It will test you, challenge you, and sometimes break you. But if you’re willing to learn and put in the WORK (without making all the same mistakes I did!), you can build a business that’s not only adds to your life- but is profitable, sustainable, and successful!

Wishing you nothing but SUCCESS!

P.S. In case you missed it, here is the link to grab my free guide: “If I Were Starting My Baking Business Over in 2025, Here’s Exactly What I’d Do!”