Let’s talk FACTS before feelings…

In 2025, tariffs on imported goods- including ingredients, packaging, and even equipment- have quietly started driving up costs across the board. And if you’ve been feeling like your expenses have crept higher while your profits stay the same (or shrink)... 👀 You’re not imagining it.

Pair that with rising wages, increased rent, higher utility bills, and inflation, and it’s no wonder so many small business owners are saying:

“I’m working harder than ever… but I’m making LESS.”

Friend, something’s gotta give. And that something? It’s probably your prices.

But before you spiral into a panic or people-pleasing mode, you’re not going to raise prices blindly. You’re going to do it with clarity, confidence, and strategy.

Here’s how…

7 Steps to Take Before Raising Your Prices

1️⃣ Identify Your Ideal Client

Know WHO you’re speaking to first. This doesn’t mean you have to announce it to him/her! It just means you have to have a clear understand of WHO e...

Let’s have a real BUSINESS conversation today… because this topic? It gets me fired up. And if you’re a small business owner (especially in the baking industry or specialize in custom creations), you need to hear this.

Answer this:

Would you rather make...

• 5 cakes @ $50 each = $250/week
• 2 cakes @ $150 each = $300/week
• 1 cake @ $300 = $300/week

Think about that. REALLY think about it.

Because too many of you are choosing volume over value, and it’s costing you more than you realize.

Lemme be BLUNT for a sec… If OTHER people wanna spend all their time making a cake, only to sell it BELOW WHAT IT COSTS THEM TO MAKE IT, because “people won’t pay more,” or the “cost of living is too high,” then by all means, let them ruin their own lives. BUT you’re here reading this, so lemme extend a lifeline to you.

I’ve heard it all…

“People around here won’t pay that.”

“The cost of living is ruining my sales.”

“The economy SUCKS.”

“If I raise my prices, I won’t have ANY customers.”

Li...

This is a little bit of a CONTROVERSIAL topic but it’s a necessary one…

Should you speak up on social issues in your business? 🤔

I’m talkin’ PRIDE Month 🌈

Juneteenth ❤️🖤💚

Black Lives Matter

Women’s Rights

Palestine (and other human rights issues happening across the globe)

…and all the other things that hit deeper than seasonal menus and new products.

Because the truth is—it’s scary.

It’s scary to take a stand.

It’s scary to speak up on something bigger than cupcakes, candles, nails, or lashes.

You start to wonder…

What if I say the wrong thing?

What if I lose customers?

What if I create a divide amongst the community I worked so hard to build?

And sis, I hear you. It’s scary to decide what is WORTH taking a stand on and what isn’t.

But here’s the thing we don’t talk about enough:

Silence is a statement as well.

And your community? They’re already paying attention.

So the real question isn’t “Should I speak up?”

It’s—What do I want my business to stand for?

So, let...

You know what makes me cringe? Watching another small business owner get dragged online from something that could’ve been AVOIDED altogether… 😤

I saw a video recently that made me DROP everything and film a reaction. You can watch that video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJaYP1yAEM8/

To sum it up, a customer was slicing into what they claimed was a $100 cake, and when they dropped the slice on a plate it sound like a LEGIT rock- with text across the video that said, “When you paid $100 for a cake the baker swore was light and fluffy…”

OOP. 👀

Now listen—I wasn’t even the baker, and I felt for them after watching this video because I know exactly what happened here (and it could’ve been avoided):

That cake was probably made with a ton of love and high-quality ingredients (and I’m sure was worth the $100 it cost), but someone didn’t explain how to serve it properly. So instead of a rave review, the baker is now getting dragged.

This is why I PREACH to my students (and taught A...

When I started my baking business, I didn’t have a plan.

I had ZERO experience. I had no idea what went into running a bakery- let alone ANY business.

What I did have? Was a pile of laundry, horrible credit, … and a sh*t ton of pressure to figure out how I was gonna support my family.

In 2009, I had just been laid off from my 6-figure corporate job. The job market was TRASH. And my husband and I couldn’t afford child care so I had to stay home with my kids. One day, I was folding some laundry and The Cake Boss happened to be on TV.

I watched as they made these BEAUTIFUL, OVER-THE-TOP works of art, and I thought to myself: “I could make that.”

I had never decorated a cake in my life. But I always creative. I always wanted to have my hands in things. I was a HUGE scrapbooker, I loved DIY projects, and while I didn’t really have the money to be starting a new hobby, I drove straight to the store and bought ALL the materials I would need to make a cake just like The Cake Boss.

Was it...

I need to tell you something hard but honest, friend…

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve been working your ass off. You’re baking your heart out, posting on all the social media platforms, making reels, running specials, showing up at pop-ups and events…

And yet…

👉 Your business is still slower than you want.

👉 Sales aren’t consistent.

👉 You’re wondering, “WHAT am I doing wrong?!”

I SEE YOU. And I know how heavy that feels. 😞

But lemme share something with you, I WISH someone told me when I was knee deep the trenches.

It’s not because you’re lazy.

It’s not because you’re not talented.

It’s not because “people just don’t support small businesses.”

💥 It’s because what worked a year ago… isn’t working the same anymore.

The game has changed. Customers are more distracted. Inflation has made people more cautious about their spending. Trust is LOW. Decision fatigue is REAL.

So if you’ve been “doing all the right things” but sales are still SLOW?

You don’t need to work H...

Before We Begin…

Why Reflecting on Easter Sales Sets You Up for Summer Success

Easter is more than pastels and bunny cookies—it’s one of the biggest spring holidays for bakery businesses. Whether it was a hit or a hiccup, reflecting on what worked (and what didn’t) gives you insight you can apply to Mother’s Day, graduation season, and beyond.

Just like Valentine’s Day is your Black Friday, Easter is your Spring Super Bowl. If you want to grow—without burning out—this step is crucial.

Why this matters:

• Clarity on What Worked – Figure out which menu items sold out fast and why.
• Spot Missed Opportunities – What did you overbake or underpromote?
• Better Planning – Use customer behavior now to prep stronger next time.
• Stronger Systems – Fix what felt chaotic and double down on what felt easy.

Let’s dig into your Easter data and set you up for a wildly profitable spring and summer!

Planning & Prep

• How many hours did you spend planning and preparing for Easter?
• What exact da...

Let’s be real — from the outside, your business looks like a success story.

You have consistent orders. Clients are saying YES. Sales are steady. You’re BOOKED and BUSY.

By all accounts, you’ve “made it.”

But behind the scenes?

It’s a never-ending cycle of late nights, and a to-do list that seems to get longer and longer by the minute.

You’ve built something incredible, something people WANT — but the truth is... your business only runs because you do.

Think about it… if you ever wanted to take a vacation, could you? If you had to have emergency surgery, could you take time off of work? Could your business RUN without you?

And friend, the harder you work, the more it feels like the dream you started with is getting farther and farther away from your reality.

This isn’t why you decided to become a business owner.

You didn’t set out to be overworked and overwhelmed — you wanted freedom, flexibility, and MORE income.

You wanted to build something that could stand on its own, not...

As bakery owners, we're no strangers to challenges—whether vanilla is skyrocketing, we’re forced to pivot for a pandemic, or figure out how to navigate the recent egg crisis, small business owners (especially in the FOOD/BAKING industry) have been forced to learn the art of flexibility in order to stay in business.

However, the latest round of tariffs will significantly impact our bottom line. And with most small bakeries already operating on razor-thin profit margins, WE stand to take on the bulk of the burden.

Here’s why:

In 2024, U.S. bakers imported:

• $977 million in goods from Canada (including $193 million in ingredients, $31 million in packaging, and $15 million in equipment).
  
  
• $679 million in goods from Mexico (including $96 million in ingredients, $17 million in packaging, and $56 million in equipment).
  
  
• $395 million from China (including $13 million in ingredients, $15 million in packaging, and $11 million in equipment).
  
  

The American Bakers Association (ABA) found tha...

So, you’ve got the passion, the talent, and the drive to turn your baking hobby into a thriving business. That’s amazing! But… let’s talk about some of the biggest mistakes I see bakers making over and over again—mistakes that are keeping them stuck, frustrated, and underpaid. If you’re making any of these, don’t worry—you’re not alone- that’s why I’m here to help you avoid them!

Thinking PASSION is enough to build a successful business!

Listen, I LOVE that you love baking. Passion is what got you here, but it’s NOT enough to build a profitable business. Too many bakers assume that just because they make amazing cakes or cookies, customers will automatically show up and buy from them. But here’s the truth: passion is NOTHING if you don’t have a strategy to back it up.

What does that mean? It means understanding that there’s more to building a SUSTAINABLE, PROFITABLE, and SUCCESSFUL business than just “good” products. It means having a STRATEGY around your pricing, marketing, brandin...