Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brittnie Tran. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Brittnie , thanks for joining us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

I got my first client unexpectedly though Instagram. This was back in April 2022, and at the time, I was still just creating cakes as a hobby. Someone messaged me and asked me to make her 19th birthday cake. She loved my work, and although I hadn’t sold a cake before, she was still very interested in purchasing one and trusted me to bring her vison to life. It was an adorable pink and white, rosy cake with pearls that remains one of my favorite cakes I’ve ever made. Considering that was my first sale and the fact that she was the first client to trust me wholeheartedly with a cake, it was an extremely special moment for me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Throughout my life, I’ve always loved being in the kitchen. Whether it be for cooking or baking, I always toyed with the idea of making that into a career of mine, but never really thought it was attainable or took the proper steps to make it happen. Sometimes I think about where my skills or career could be, had I attended culinary school, but I am overjoyed with where I am now in my business.

Near the end of 2021, I came across a random YouTube video of vintage cake decorating and thought the designs were beautiful and looked easy enough to replicate. I have a pretty steady hand, so these designs seemed challenging but absolutely achievable. That same week, I baked and decorated my first cake. It was definitely not as easy as it looked, and the photos of my first cake on Instagram will clearly show you that. However, with some patience and determination, I quickly got the hang of it. From that first cake, it turned into a hobby, then it became pretty pricey to keep making cakes for no one else to enjoy other than my family. More and more people started to ask me to begin selling them, and then the idea of Kalabar Cakes was officially born.

Kalabar Cakes exclusively sells custom cakes. We solve your issue of needing a cake for any occasion. I’ve had requests from customers wanting me to make treats other than cakes, but that is not something I see myself offering in the near future. However, as someone who loves to experiment in the kitchen, that could absolutely change. What I want potential clients to know, and what sets me apart, is that I make every cake unique. I do not, and have not for a while, recreated any of my own or other’s work unless it’s like a viral, very simple design such as the classic coquette trendy bow cakes. It brings me immense joy to know that my cakes have their own unique design, and it makes creating the cakes even more exciting. I can take inspiration from a cake photo my client sends in, and it will imitate the overall vibe, but it will never look identical. Some might say this is a more stressful way of creating cakes, but I love the challenge and couldn’t see myself doing it any other way.

I’m most proud of how I am able to bring someone’s vision to life, through a cake design. I can take inspiration from a shirt, an invitation card, or any other item that the client wants the cake to match and turn it into something beautiful and delicious! A lot of the time, my clients don’t even have inspiration photos, and they explain to me how they want their cake, and I’m able to produce it. I feel very happy and lucky to do what I do.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I started off posting cake photos on Instagram in 2021, and it gradually grew throughout the years. I would say just be consistent with it and always try to be creative and different with your approach. What really boosted my audience on social media was wearing matching outfits with my cakes. For a while, I couldn’t think of ways to differentiate myself from other bakers and their posts on social media. Most bakers, including myself, would only post pictures of just the individual cakes. However, one day, I was decorating an all-black cake, and I thought to myself: “Wouldn’t it be cute to take a photo with myself holding the cake, in an all-black outfit to match?” It took off from there, and my audience had very positive reactions to the new type of content I was putting out. I’m still learning myself, but having consistency and creativeness are the two best attributes that I think anyone with an audience, small or big, should have no matter where you are in your journey.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Social media! Any and all forms of social media. Be wary of what you post, make sure it is pleasing to the eye, and always remember to just have fun with it! Social media is only getting more powerful by the day, and it continues to be an essential tool that every business owner should utilize in order to grow and market their business. Most of my clients come from Instagram, and I do almost all of my client communication on there as well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kalabarcakes
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KalabarCakes

Image Credits

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