When it comes to MARKETING your business, I’ve often heard people say, “It’s all about spreading the word to AS MANY PEOPLE as you can.”

And to be honest, everytime I hear this, I roll my eyes. And this is why… 

One of the most important things about running a business is getting the word out there. You have to talk about your business, you have to get out into your community, you have to reach different audiences. 

And yes, you SHOULD be using hashtags on social media and talking about what you do when you meet new potential customers.

But if you think that marketing your business just means talking about your business, posting whatever content you want, with no idea who you’re speaking too and what you can do for them, consider this blog post a long-overdue INTERVENTION. Because sis, this is exactly why your SALES suck! 

To reach (and attract) the right customers, you need to focus on reaching the RIGHT people first. These are...

Pop quiz: What’s a super simple, powerful and inexpensive AF way to GRAB people’s attention, establish your brand’s IDENTITY, and make sure you’re not boring and totally forgettable?

The answer – Your BRAND LOGO.

Your logo is the FACE of your business.

A great logo visually communicates your brand’s personality. It builds recognition, gets people to trust you, AND helps you STAND OUT in the crowd.

Basically, it makes you UNIQUE and lets everyone know who you are and what you’re about. 

Now that you know that your logo adds a sh*t ton of value to your brand, you’re probably thinking – OKAY Janelle, but how the hell do I create a great logo with ZERO design skills?! And NO MONEY to pay for a graphic designer??? 

Want my hot take? 

Use Canva.

Canva is a FREE design tool where you can design practically ANY KIND of visual content.

I swear by it because it’s SUPER easy to use and comes with TONS of templates that...

Summer’s OFFICIALLY here, and with the long days and the kids home from school it’s REEDUCATION time in the Copeland household.

When I first got started in entrepreneurship, Eddie and I did a SH*T TON of reading to ensure we were on the right track with how we were running our business. We also read some amazing, INSPIRING books that have had long-lasting impacts on our MINDSET, work ethic, and life. What we’ve found is sometimes, you just need to hear some REAL stories and tips from crazy smart people to get off your a** and make BIG changes in your life and business. 

So this week, I’m sharing my summer reading list with you so you can experience the mind-blowing literary goodness too! 

The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins

If you know me, you already know I’m BIG on PUSHING YOURSELF to get sh*t done. And that’s why I’m OBSESSED with this book. It talks about the importance of taking charge of your life. It touches on...

(Spoiler: YES, and here’s why!)

So you’ve FINALLY hit your dream follower count on Instagram. 

Good for you!

After MONTHS of tracking analytics, scheduling AMAZING content, and building a community from the ground UP, you’ve finally hit a number that you’re proud of. And with so many people engaging with your content you can’t WAIT for the sales to come rolling in. 

The problem? - they don’t.

And you’re left wondering, “what the HELL am I doing wrong?”

Sis, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. 

The TRUTH is: If you’re still relying 100% on social media to market your business in 2022, you’re setting yourself up for FAILURE.

Sooooo many business owners think that social media is the bread and butter of effective marketing. And I’ll be the first to say that that’s BULLSH*T. Although social media is a NECESSARY and GREAT tool to expand and reach new audiences, it’s NOT the end-all-be-all to...

Friend, money is a SENSITIVE topic. Especially when it comes to starting a business.

And that’s because EVERYONE’S situation is different.   

So many people who want to start their dream biz feel like they’re FALLING SHORT because they’re a victim of their financial circumstances. Because they don’t have money, they can’t move forward. Because they filed bankruptcy, there’s no way they can run a business. Because they’re in DEBT, they can’t start. 

And BELIEVE ME when I say, I get it. 

I had just filed BANKRUPTCY before building what became a 7-figure business and the reason I’m able to mentor business owners like you today. 

But if there’s ONE thing we believe in the Copeland family, it’s that you’ve got to take things as they are, and PUSH forward despite the circumstances against you. Friend, you are NOT your circumstances, you are what you make of them. READ THAT...

Sooooo many of you are AFRAID to fail, that you refuse to even try. 

But guess what? If you don’t try, you’ve ALREADY FAILED. 

Failure is JUST an EXPERIMENT. Nothing more, nothing LESS. 

The same goes for rejection. 

No one likes to be told NO. No one likes to feel unwanted. No one likes to feel not good enough. 

But the thing we all forget is being told NO is never personal.  

Now real talk: I KNOW it’s hard. Believe me. 

BUT if you can get out of your own head, put your ego aside, REJECTION can be a GIFT. 

Y’all meet Jia Jiang. 

He’s an author and entrepreneur, and like a lot of us, rejection scared the sh*t outta him. 

So he decided to confront it. 

He went out and asked people for the WILDEST, WEIRDEST, UNCONVENTIONAL things that he KNEW would result in a No: 

Like asking for a “burger refill” or asking to plant flowers in a neighbor’s garden(!?)

100 days of STRAIGHT...

(And what I learned along the way)

Starting a business is HARD AF. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it… (I tell it like it is.)

Then add in being a parent, having a sh*t ton of responsibilities, BILLS, and you’ve got yourself a RECIPE for overwhelm and chaos. 

Now, I’m all about being ON POINT with your finances and strategizing for your business. But that’s not how it all went down when Eddie and I started The Cake Mamas. 

At the time, 13,000 people in LA had lost their high-paying corporate jobs, and we were part of that group. Both Eddie and I worked in the same industry. So suddenly, we had zero income coming in to support our family of five. We were BROKE, had TONS of bills, and we had to file for BANKRUPTCY (it took us 10 YEARS just to build back our credit).

Going from corporate climber to stay-at-home mom made me feel like I was taking steps BACKWARDS in life. 

And then the idea of starting The Cake Mamas LITERALLY came to me in a dream....

How I use AmEx to travel for free!

Day-dreaming about your next vacation? I know I am. 

But traveling in THIS economy can feel overwhelming. 

There’s the flight, hotel, shopping, excursions, the food…adding up all the things can be pretty costly.

But what if you could get your hotel and flight for FREE? No gimmicks, no catch. All you’d have to pay for is food, excursions, or whatever shopping you might wanna do. 

If this is something that sounds exciting to you, keep reading…

Sis, I’m about to introduce you to the MAGICAL WORLD OF CREDIT CARD POINTS.

Imagine $0 for a roundtrip first-class ticket to Hawaii! 

Or business class flight to Dubai!

Or a roundtrip ticket AND a hotel in Miami! 

Sounds amazing right? And guess what, it’s completely possible for YOU! As long as you know how to play the game of money! 

Utilizing credit, I was able to pay for my entire family of 6 to travel to Greece ROUND TRIP for FREE!...

When it comes to running your business, there is NOTHING more important than having vision.

And that means knowing WHAT YOU WANT and going after it. 

Now of course when I talk about what you want you immediately think of NEEDING MORE. You may be saying, “Janelle, I want more customers and more revenue.” 

But “MORE” is just a word until you put a NUMBER to it. And it means something different for everyone. So, when you’re asking the universe for “more”, you need to be specific about the results that you wanna see, and then find ways to make those goals come to life. 

One of the things we go into inside  my Bake Your Way To Six Figures workshop is how important it is to be clear about your EXPECTATIONS. And putting an attainable NUMBER to my goals has given me the control and INTENTIONALITY that I needed to crush them, and become the BOSS of my business, not just an employee of it. 

Here are 3 more tips from the...

The FIRST Summer for the Cake Mamas was BY FAR  the MOST difficult season for us. 

I remember we had little to no FOOT TRAFFIC, our sales were dropping, and our revenue was at an all time LOW. 

I had NO clue what we were doing wrong and was low-key starting to panic because our business was suffering. 

Maybe you’re in the same place, friend? Maybe your sales are at an all-time low and your business is suffering? Maybe you’re a home baker and you’re struggling to attract customers? Or maybe this is your first year in your brick & mortar and have no idea what to offer to resurrect and save your business. 

If any of this resonates with you, READ ON because here’s exactly what I did to SUMMER-PROOF my business! 

Ready for it… 

I got RESOURCEFUL! This means you’re gonna have to step up, put your CEO pants on, get answers and find a way to make it through. 

First thing I did was speak to other local...