If you’re in the food or baking industry, you know first-hand that getting customers to try your product is just the start. The real win? Turning one-time buyers into loyal raving fans. Here’s actually how to keep them coming back for more!

1. Simple Ways to Build Loyalty

Retention is about creating a solid experience for your customers, so they feel valued and appreciated. Here are some quick strategies that work:

• Make it Personal: Remember their names, usual orders, preferences, special events, and the REASON they’re actually coming to you. Ask questions, be excited for them, share your recommendations. By doing this is it shows you care about their experience. A little recognition goes a long way.
• Loyalty Programs Matter: Even a basic stamp card or small rewards program makes customers feel recognized and eager to return. It also encourages them to work towards something that benefits them in the long-run.
• Surprise Perks: Offer a free birthday treat or a thank-you discount ra
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Your business is NOT going to be for everyone and that’s okay!

Some people will RIDE-OR-DIE for you and your business while others will simply spread hate on your business just because you rub them the wrong way. It can sting and if you take things personally, this hate can be detrimental to the success of your business and your MENTAL HEALTH.

So HOW do you respond when someone HATES on your products or business?

You can either:

1. Say NOTHING and let it go.
2. Be DEFENSIVE (this will get you nowhere and cause you more hurt and frustration down the road)
3. Kill em with kindness. OR…
4. Respond with GRACE, offer your perspective, wish them well, and MOVE ON.

I’m not gonna tell you there’s a right way or wrong way to respond. BUT what I will tell you is everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But what I’ve learned over being a business owner for over a decade is that some opinions simply DO NOT matter.

Instead of giving these negative comments POWER of your mood, my advice is: Use t...

On October 1st, 2010 I GRAND OPENED The Cake Mamas bakery in Glendora, California. I was terrified, anxious, EXCITED, and didn’t know what this next season of life was going to look like.

Little did I know that this bakery I was building from my home would turn into a 7-figure business, be featured on Food Network, not once, not twice but three times, would expand into two locations, and lead me to my new chapter of coaching and consulting other bakery owners to do the same.

Over the last 14 years, 10 being in my storefront, I learned a SH*T ton of lessons and I wanna share them with you in the hopes that they inspire you, validate you, offer a new perspective, and maybe even warn you. 😆

1. Don’t expect your friends and family to be your biggest supporters. They are NOT your target audience. They will support you when you first start, maybe even buy a cake or two out of love, obligation or pity, but once your prices reflect “fair market value”, they’ll be the first to ghost you, (
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Every ONE in FIVE bakeries fail. That’s 20% BEFORE even making it past the first year. If you’re lucky to make it to the three-year mark, that percentage increases to 60%. WHY is that? Well, there’s a couple reasons. 1) The barrier to entry for bakers is extremely low. There isn’t a ton of skill required to get started and the cost is relatively low. And 2) A lot of bakers focus solely on creating new products when instead they should be focusing on the BUSINESS side of operating a bakery. Things like pricing their products, customer retention, marketing, sales, and operations.

So HOW do you beat those odds and ensure that your bakery is going to be a success? Well, I believe there are 6 things every baker should do in their business on a quarterly basis if they want to continue to grow and increase their chances of building a sustainable and thriving business.

1. Checking in and UNDERSTANDING your numbers
   1. Have prices for your ingredients/ supplies/ overheard increased in the last
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Email is one of the primary ways people communicate. So not having the perfect email sequence can cost you a TON of sales! I know when you are the business owner it’s easy to get caught up in all the other things that are required of you when running a business which is why I wanted to share a few email scripts I used at The Cake Mamas that won me clients and helped me CLOSE more sales!

These email scripts are super easy to personalize, so much so, that your husband, teenage daughter, son, friend, or first employee can copy/paste and take answering emails off your plate.

You can grab the full list of all my email scripts, PLUS my guides on how to sell on social, through your website, and most importantly YOURSELF by clicking the link here!

Communicating to your clients doesn’t always need to be a LONG, DRAWN-OUT, in-depth proposal or email. These email scripts were exactly what I used in my bakery and helped me win more clients. Be warm, welcoming, energetic, straightforward, and yo...

Serious question… Do you have an EXPENSIVE ASS hobby or a legitimate business?

Your prices are a direct representation of your worth! If you don’t value your time, energy, labor, and work, how do you expect your customers to?

There are SO MANY bullshit lies in the baking industry about how you should be charging for your baked goods when in reality these “pricing tips” are keeping your bakery BROKE!

That’s why I created a FREE DOWNLOAD just for you full of my TOP 10 B.S. pricing tips so you can AVOID these “pricing” red flags and start making the money you deserve!

You can download those pricing tips here! But while you’re reading this here are a few HUGE red flags to watch out for!

1. You need to price LOW to build a customer base! (NOPE!)

Starting off with low prices to attract customers can actually BACKFIRE in your business. While you might gain some initial traction, you’re also setting the precedent with your customers that your products are cheap. Therefore setting you up ...

Have you ever asked yourself, “How do I make more money in my bakery business?” Well, buckle up, buttercup, because you might not like what I’m about to say…

The reason you’re not seeing growth in your baking business, the reason it feels like you’re not making any money, is because you aren’t pricing your products properly. And you might be saying, “Well, Janelle, I priced out everything and it just seemed too ridiculous to charge $100 for two dozen cupcakes.”

Well, sis, that’s the MATH! Numbers don’t lie. So many of you are charging for your products and services based on emotion, and your “emotional” pricing is going to plummet your business.

While you may think $100 for two dozen cupcakes is ridiculous, someone else may think that’s a bargain! You can’t let your limiting beliefs and your perceived value determine how you price your products. If you do, you’ll end up overworked, working for pennies, burnt out, and resentful because you are personally funding this business (let al...

I hear it all the time…

“I can’t charge more because people in my area can’t afford it!”

B.S. Friend and lemme explain why and HOW you can get customers to say YES to doing business with you at YOUR PRICE!

You see this cookie?

It’s really freaken good!

NOT THE BEST, but pretty good.

It’s the “Kitchen Sink Cookie” from Panera.

It’s a blend of sweet and salty, and every now and then, I’ll ask my husband, Eddie to bring me home one.

Recently, I went in to grab two of my own.

The total was $10.37!

For TWO cookies!

And guess what… I happily paid for it. Simply because I wanted the DAMN cookie!

And THEN I noticed the price tag.

These cookies come to Panera FROZEN, and then they bake them off.

Here are the ingredients:

• Semi-Sweet Chocolate
• Milk Chocolate
• Caramel Pieces
• Pretzels
• Flake Salt

Why am I telling you this? Because so many bakers are TERRIFIED to charge for their stuff.

(And I bet at least 50% of you reading this make way better cookies than these!)

$4.79...

Are you ready to turn heads and ATTRACT your dream clients at your next event? Of course, you are! Whether it's a local market, craft fair, trade show, or pop-up, making your booth stand out is KEY to attracting the right crowd. So, let’s dive into the five ways to make your booth STAND OUT at your next event.

1. Eye-Catching Design/Branding

Unpopular opinion: Events are more about introducing your BRAND and BUSINESS to new customers rather than making money. Your booth needs to look just as amazing as your baked goods! Some of the ways you can do this are through bold colors, creative layouts, and professional signage. Don't be afraid to go BIG. Banners, posters, and creative displays can make a huge impact. Remember, your booth should scream "COME CHECK ME OUT!" from across the room. You want to grab the attention of everyone walking by. That’s how you get people to notice you, stop by your booth, form a connection, and potentially PURCHASE. (Fun Fact: the longer your line and the ...

It was 2009. My husband and I were just laid off from our 6-figure corporate jobs! (Fun Fact: we BOTH worked for the same company that happened to file for bankruptcy, had mass layoffs, and closed down HUNDREDS of stores!)

We were both JOBLESS and had no nest egg because we were living way above our means. So, we filed for bankruptcy and tried our best to pick up the pieces.

We were resentful towards each other, we were stressed TF out, and overwhelmed, and the word “divorce” was on the table.

It was by far the HARDEST time of our lives.

But slowly, we dug our way through it. My husband ended up finding a job in the fitness industry and because we couldn’t afford childcare for our 3 girls, I stayed home with them holding down the fort.

I started to feel useless. And as much as I LOVE spending time with my kids, I’m a creative person who needs to be doing something at all times. (One thing about me is I will FIXATE on a hobby or habit for months until it drives me to burnout or unt...