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 the right MINDSET and processes in place,...

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 RESEARCH.

And let’s be REAL: You CANNOT authentically participate in Prid...

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 to remember your WHY in life. WHY you started this busine...

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 post, I’m sharing 3 lessons I think every woman in business should K...

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 medi...

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.

Look at your sales reports, previous order records, and inventory management software to understand what s...

Let’s face it – finding and ATTRACTING new customers is hard, especially if you’re a new and up-and-coming business. Think about whenever you’re in a new city looking for new places to check out. That’s why people rely so much on Google, yelp, and referrals. Now think about it in terms of your baking business. When people are looking for that perfect wedding or birthday cake, or that Instagram-able dessert, they’re gonna rely on your photos, your website, your reviews, and your BRAND. In fact, over 85% of today’s consumers prefer buying from familiar brands over new and unknown ones.

So how do you attract NEW customers to take a chance on your bakery?

The answer’s simple: give them a reason to BELONG.

And that’s where your BRAND STORY comes in!

Your brand story can be anything that connects with your audience personally and EMOTIONALLY. It could be a story about how your grandma's chocolate chip cookies were the highlight of your childhood, and now you want to share that joy with t...

The SECRET ingredient most business owners FAIL to leverage in their marketing strategy? Client testimonials.

Seriously, client reviews are the frosting on top of your cake, the sprinkles on your donut, and the cherry on your sundae. And Here’s why:

• They’re PROOF your products work – and are LOVED! (you’re SHOWING, not telling)
• They build your credibility and authority – and tell people you can be TRUSTED
• You can use them to highlight all the different ages and categories you serve – from early office-goers who love your buttery croissants to kids who wolf down your chocolate frosted donuts after soccer practice.

In today’s blog post, I’m sharing ALL the tips and tricks you need to know to collect effective testimonials for your bakery business. Let’s go!

How to ASK for a testimonial

I get it. Most business owners AVOID asking for customer feedback because of a few different reasons:

• You feel awkward asking- talk about the rejection!!
• You’re scared of receiving negative
...

Hundreds of bakery businesses fail and shut down every year. And it’s not because they didn’t have an amazing product…

It’s because their branding attempts fell flat… Like, imagine a soufflé that's all sad and deflated – that's what their branding was like.

If you want to STAND OUT in the crowd and be known and remembered for what you do, you HAVE to get your branding right. Because as Jeff Bezos once said: “Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room.”

And TBH, it’s not enough to have people just say good things about you – you need them to SING YOUR PRAISES from the top of the freaking hill.

So without wasting any time, let’s dive into the 5 essential branding tips for bakers and small business owners I’ve got for you today.

#1 DEFINE your brand

The first step to successful branding is DEFINING who you are and what your brand stands for. If you’re not clear about this when you get started, you’ll end up sending mixed messages to your clients, and confuse...

Meet Kara, the owner of Kara Kakes! 

I recently took a trip to Franklin Lakes, New Jersey to visit my friend Kara’s bakery called Kara Kakes! While there Kara gave me a behind-the-scenes look at her bakery and we talked about all things starting and running a baking business and entrepreneurship.

It was such a great conversation and I think her story and business journey could offer a lot of inspiration and motivation for any of you who are dreaming of opening a baking business one day. 

So, in this blog post you’re gonna get a look into our conversation and learn all about Kara’s journey and her experience as a bakery owner. You can check out the full bakery tour here, but if you’re ready to learn from Kara and hear how she got started, keep on reading! 

WHO IS KARA? 

Kara is the owner of Kara Kakes in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey and she’s not 16 anymore! In fact, she’s 28 now and she’s been in the baking industry for a minute. 

She started her baking business from home when sh...