As a business coach the NUMBER ONE thing I get asked the most is, “What’s your advice? I’ve been sitting on this idea. I wanna start a business.”

So in this blog, I wanna share exactly what I would do if I were starting a business in 2023 and the five things that are holding you back that I think could set you up for success. Let’s gets into it!

1) You need an EXCEPTIONAL product

Most industries are saturated in 2023! And this may trigger you, but if you’re thinking of starting a cupcake business- that’s not an exceptional product anymore. I had a bakery for 13 years when cupcakes and fondant cakes were a HUGE DEAL! (Think back to when Cupcake Wars and Cake Boss were on T.V.) Today, there are so many more exceptional products that you could build a business around. So many people are saying, we’re in a recession, and consumers are being a little cheaper with birthday parties but this has been happening for a while. Today, people want...

This blog post is going to be a little different today friends because I think once you’re done reading this you’re gonna be just as OBSESSED with these things as I am!

In case you didn’t know, I’m about to enter a NEW SEASON of life as an empty-nester. Not sure I’m ready for it yet- but I’ve been super busy soaking up every last minute I have with my kid before she moves to London for college!

And because of this new season, I’ve had the ability to tap into some new hobbies, develop new obsessions, and give myself the space to live in the moment and just have fun!

So, I thought why not share with you guys the things I’ve been doing in my spare time to have MORE FUN and the things I’ve been obsessing over recently- cause I think you’re gonna love them too!

Let’s get this party goin’!

1. GOLF! Okay, hear me out here…

I’ve been having SO MUCH FUN golfing with my guy! This sport is so damn challenging!...

A lot has changed since I started The Cake Mamas back in 2009!

Social Media for one!

… Seriously, I started my baking business when social media wasn’t even a thing! (Hopefully, I didn’t just age myself!)

I get asked OFTEN if I were starting my baking business all over again TODAY, what would I do. So, in today’s blog, I wanna share the three things I would do if I was starting my business from SCRATCH in 2023!

#1) Get out into my community and FIND the customers I wanna attract! I wouldn’t wait for them to find me cause that’s not gonna get me anywhere FAST. I would hang out where I think my ideal client hangs out on social and IRL! And I would start building connections with everyone! Creating connections and building customer relations is how you’re going to close sales!

#2) Start talking about my business to EVERYONE and ANYONE! The more people who know about you and what you offer, the more likely they are to buy something from you....

In case you didn’t know already, the baking industry is FIERCELY competitive. Hundreds of new bakeries open their doors every year – but most of them FAIL and shut down within the first 12 months.

Why? Because everyone can learn how to make pretty things. To stand out in a saturated market, you need to POSITION your brand as the magic, IRRESISTIBLE, pill your customer needs to solve all their problems! And in today’s blog post, I’m gonna show you HOW.

1) Identify your NICHE

If you try to sell everything to everyone, you’ll end up selling to NO ONE. If you want to make a mark in the industry, you need to identify a niche and position yourself as the BEST in your area.

So, how do you do that?:

• Identify your strengths & passions! Answer this: What are you EXCEPTIONALLY good at doing? Are you a master at crafting intricate wedding cakes? Do you love making gluten-free pastries? Discover what you’re passionate about AND super talented at. Then...

Every baker dreams of opening their own DREAM storefront one day. And I bet you’ve spent HOURS daydreaming about it too (I know I did)! But here’s the harsh truth: expanding to a storefront before you’re ready can set you (and your business) up for FAILURE. Trust me, I’ve seen WAY too many bakers crash and burn because they jumped before they were ready, into a brick-and-mortar space WITHOUT setting the proper foundation at home.

Here’s the thing: learning the fundamentals of running a business at home can be an absolute game-changer for you. It’s the difference between being successful out of the gate or struggling for the first couple of years. In today's blog post, we're diving deep into the crucial steps you need to do to solidify your foundation at HOME before even thinking about opening a storefront. Let’s dive in!

#1) Get your sh*t together

Expanding to a storefront brings a SH*T TON more responsibilities and challenges. And without...

It's June- which means it’s the kick-off to PRIDE MONTH! Don’t get me wrong – Pride Month is an INCREDIBLE opportunity for bakeries and small businesses to highlight their products, showcase their creativity and lend their support to the LGBTQ+ community! BUT SHOULD you or SHOULD you NOT celebrate it? Lemme explain…

Your customers aren’t FOOLS. They can tell whether or not you actually care about a cause or are just trying to be on the “right” side of history. And if they feel you’re just exploiting Pride Month to make a quick buck or to seem like you care, I PROMISE you the backlash won’t be pretty.

In this blog, I’m gonna help you go beyond surface-level trends and give you some PROVEN tips and strategies for marketing Pride Month in a way that's authentic, respectful, and aligned with your bakery's values. Let’s get started!

Educate Yourself

The first step to launching any successful marketing campaign is...

Cue the confetti – IT’S MY BIRTHDAY WEEK!

Fun Fact about me: I LOVE birthdays! The FOOD, the CAKE, gathering with friends and family- nothing beats it. But as I get closer to another year around the sun- I like to think about my life, my blessings, my accomplishments and recognize HOW FAR I’ve come!

But while I might be getting older, I’m definitely NOT getting any QUIETER! So to celebrate today I’m sharing 31 NO-BS lessons with YOU. These are the hard-hitting, no-nonsense tips and tricks I've gathered while navigating my baking and coaching businesses in the last 13+ years. And today, I’m laying them all out for you! So, grab a pen, notebook, save this tab- WHATEVER you have to do to remember these tips because they will change your life.

Let’s get into it!

Lesson #1: Anchor yourself in your WHY

Let’s be REAL: sh*t’s gonna get ROUGH. Life isn’t always going to go the way you hoped or planned which makes it so important...

Recently, I was going through my favorite content planning tool- the Social Celebrator, and I saw that May 22nd was BOSS BABES DAY. TBH I have mixed feelings about the term () but it got me thinking – WHO exactly is a boss babe?

I figured this holiday is about people like you and me – powerful, bada** WOMEN in business who show up, hustle and work on chasing their goals every damn day.

Because let’s be real, sis – it’s not always easy. In a world where the odds are often stacked against us, it takes a sh*t ton of courage and resilience to chase our dreams and turn them into REALITY.

That’s why I’m all about being 100% TRANSPARENT about my journey, mistakes, and all. It’s hard enough to build a business, and the BEST way we can support each other is by sharing our lessons, triumphs, and losses – which is WHY I’m constantly sharing the mistakes I made along the way so you don’t make the same ones.

In today’s blog...

I don't know if you know this: Your BRAND REPUTATION isn’t just about how good your cakes are or how pretty your packaging is. It's the SUM of what people think, feel, and say about your business. And in the baking industry, your reputation will ALWAYS precede your skills, abilities, and talent.

So how do you build a solid brand reputation and establish yourself not just as a BADA** baker but as a LEADER?****

By strengthening your KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST factor.

Picture this: a customer comes across one of your reels on Instagram. They see your logo, colors, and maybe one of your new products too. Now they KNOW you exist! But to turn that spark into NEW SALES, they need to LIKE what you offer, and TRUST that you'll deliver the goods, so they can keep coming back for more.

In this blog post, we're sharing expert tips and tricks to help you strengthen your brand reputation and make your bakery the talk of the town. From delivering on your promises to harnessing the power of social...

You guys!! Mother’s Day is RIGHT around the corner, and it’s time to kick things into high gear especially if you haven’t started planning and preparing!

But let's be real – you aren’t going to see record-breaking sales if you don’t have a solid game plan and a killer strategy. In today’s blog post, I’m giving you 5 ESSENTIAL tips that’ll help you get organized and plan-ful so you can crush it this Mother's Day. We're talking about scrambling at the last minute, sidestepping forgotten orders, and making a sh*t ton of sales. So take some notes and let’s dive in!

(Btw, did y’all know May 10th is Mexican Mother’s Day? Here’s a special shoutout to all the Mexican mamas out there – Feliz Día de las Madres!)

#1-Review last year’s sales

I know reviewing sales data doesn’t sound exciting, but trust me, it’s CRUCIAL if you wanna stay ahead of the game and continue to GROW in business....