We were lucky to catch up with Deanna Ishii recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Deanna, thanks for joining us today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.
When I first started this adventure, I stuck to what I knew: cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, and dog treats. Frankly, I had no confidence to go beyond that. A few months in, a good friend, Lindsay, asked me to make her sweetheart cake for her wedding but I was terrified and told her cakes aren’t my thing but I’d be willing to try. I had a newborn baby at the time but quickly got to work practicing cakes, watching endless videos to learn new techniques, and purchasing every decorating tool I could get my hands on. I remember the first cake I made, I struggled so much to smooth the frosting and sat on the floor of my kitchen crying, feeling so defeated. But I picked myself up and got to work. I made and decorated a cake at least once every week for 3 months just to practice! I spent many of those sleepless newborn nights working on cakes, watching videos, and practicing piping techniques. Finally the wedding came and the bride and groom were thrilled! Little by little I took more and more cake orders, learned more decorating techniques, and challenged myself to grow in this craft. I’ll admit my piping skills were nonexistent when I started this but I’ve grown so much since Lindsay’s cake. I confidently make beautiful cakes now that also taste delectable!
Deanna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I got started by selling dog treats to help pay off debt from vet bills for our late pets. People quickly asked if I can bake for humans too. Seeing that I grew up baking with my mom and grandma, it was a no brainer to dive in to this. Sure it was scary but it’s been worth it. I dusted off my grandma’s recipe books, some recipes being over 100 years old, and got to work. I started with basics like cookies and brownies, and I have now expanded to make a variety of treats from cakes to churros to pies! I think what sets me apart is that I am self taught and work out of my tiny kitchen with a small oven and one lone mixer. But I can still make magic happen despite that. I’m so proud of the risks I’ve taken to get to this point and being able to confidently show my daughter what happens when you work hard chasing a dream.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Almost all of my new customers are referrals. I personally believe a referral is the highest form of a compliment.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Like all bakers, I’ve had my share of baking disasters but this one takes the cake… literally. A regular customer of mine ordered a 3 layer vanilla cake filled with fresh strawberries and mascarpone frosting. It was to be decorated with bright colorful rosettes and other frosting decorations – easy peasy. I made this cake countless times in the past and knew it’d be time consuming but a breeze. After several hours of working on a beautiful cake, I set it in my fridge and moved on to the next order. Around midnight I saw that my cake collapsed. All my hard work was ruined! With no time to waste, I got to work on it again, finally finishing at 3am. I put it in the fridge, cleaned the kitchen, and took a power nap. I checked it at 6am and disaster struck yet again. This is when panic set in. I had 4.5 hours until pick up, no powdered sugar left for frosting, and I had to start completely over. I got my cake baked, booked it to the store for more powdered sugar, and frantically re-did my cake. I had to settle for fake flowers to add to the cake because there was no time to re-do the decor I had previously done. I informed the customer of the situation and discounted the cake for her. While I do believe turned out cake beautiful in the end AND my customer was happy despite it not being exactly what she ordered, this particular cake absolutely defeated me. In all the times I’ve made mascarpone frosting, I’ve never had it become unstable – over and over again. Every batch essentially liquified at some point after making it. Tears literally flowed when I dumped the 15+ cups of *liquid* mascarpone frosting into the trash. But I didn’t give up on this cake. I’ve powered through every challenge that comes my way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @goodycrumbdrops
- Other: Email: [email protected]
