We were lucky to catch up with Kelly Shepard recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kelly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
I am very honored to be a business owner. There is something so rewarding about building something from the ground up and watching it blossom and flourish. Having said that, having your own business requires risk, a lot of time, and so much mental energy.
Sometimes, I do “daydream” about having a normal job where I can clock out for the day and be done. I sometimes get tired of being the boss and the person having to answer all the questions. I think about what it would be like for someone to instruct me, so I don’t have to come up with it all. It’s interesting, because that is also what entices people to become their own boss; to not have someone telling them what to do.
Kelly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am the Owner of Kelly’s Cakery, a bakery located in Florence. We have been open for going on 3 years. I got into this field by accident. I was getting married and didn’t want to pay someone else to do my cake. I told myself I could do it on my own. I practiced a lot and took lots of classes to perfect cake decorating, just so I could make my own wedding cake. People got wind of it and started asking me to make their cakes for them. I was working full time at a bank at the moment, so I decided to do baking and decorating on the side as a hobby. My book of business continued to grow until I got too busy to keep up with my regular job. I was also a mother of 3 and decided to do it full time from home. After a few years, I outgrew my kitchen, ready to expand.
I was a vendor at a bridal venue event. The owner of the wedding venue asked if I would be interested in opening up a store and that he had space available if I was interested. I ran the numbers, and decided to go for it. I had to re do the whole inside, but 6 months later, “Kelly’s Cakery” was opening. We specialize in special event cakes suchas weddings, birthdays, and so on. We also make decorated sugar cookies, cake pops, and other tasty treats. We also have a bakery case full of goodies with a constant rotating menu.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Covid was a trying time. I had quit my actual job and was baking full time at home when the whole world shut down. Nobody was throwing birthday parties or any party anymore. I decided to pitch a “quarantine goodie box” to my customers. It would be roughly $25-$35 each and had an assortment of desserts. I would set the boxes outside and the customers could pick it up, not needing to be in contact with anyone else. It ended up being a huge success and kept my business afloat while the country was shut down.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I learned this lesson when I was in the Banking field. Being a leader, it is important to understand this lesson, no matter what field you’re in. That lesson is that you don’t always know best. When you have that view (sometimes your idea is the best idea.), it closes you off to learning and growing. I had a fellow pier point out that my way wasn’t the correct way in a certain situation and I couldn’t see it at the moment. When I took a step back and viewed the situation in a different perspective, listened to my peer’s opinion, I learned that this new way was indeed better. I then realized that I didn’t know everything and my way isn’t always the best way. Keep your eyes open to evolve.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kellyscakerynky.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyscakery/
- Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/latest/home?asset_id=1693472580864999&business_id=157005288857205
