We were lucky to catch up with Artesia Ridgel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Artesia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

Being an entrepreneur within itself is trying. When Couture Cakes & Co started off, we were known as Sweet T Treats. The marketing & advertising team, delivery team, inventory team, financial team, consulting team and the actual cake artistry team were comprised of the single power house, which was none other than myself. I knew I wanted to be known for “Avant Garde” cake creations, and finding a team who not only believed in the vision, but respected and aligned with Couture Cakes & Co. culture was key.

While my immediate family were my biggest supporters, it only made sense to employ them as Couture Cakes & Co. team members. They witnessed the many tears, self education, long hours, drive and growth over the years; so quite naturally they knew first hand how particular our style of execution was. My children quickly learned how to make frosting and all fillings we dressed our cakes with. As the time progressed, they were able to also take on the tasks of fondant preparation, marketing, delivery/setup, cake photography, and inventory/ordering. It is imperative that we deliver a custom form of edible art that exceeds expectations, and the fact that I am granted the opportunity to teach my children about entrepreneurship/business management while doing this is incalculable.

People will always ask if I were starting over today, what would I do differently. To be completely honest, I’d follow the same path. I’d take all of the lessons, because those lessons allowed a launching of desires; which birthed unexplainable greatness. Baking is an art. Cake decorating is an art. Communicating with customers is an art. Reading someones vision via order form and recreating it in an edible form is art. When looking at art, it is the unexplained beauty that catches your eye. When launching a business, it is the unexpected barriers that catch your eye and reveal the true beauty of your business and understanding of self. Overall, If I could do anything…..I’d take the same path, just believe in myself the way my team members believed in me when they witnessed the birth of my first sweet creation.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Couture Cakes & Co. is a labor of love project centered in mental health awareness. As a Nurse and Public Health Practitioner, I believe I am the Salt of the world. Whether I’m operating in the medical field as a Nurse/Public Health Practitioner, ensuring mothers have safe birthing experiences as a Doula, or creating life like edible art that is pleasing to both the eye and the palate, my work, ethics, and level of execution remain optimal.

I’ve always cared for my patients as if I was caring for my loved ones, and with each edible art creation, I create them as if it was erected for my own celebration. Seeing our creation as the celebratory focal point, receiving the emails of satisfaction, or witnessing the look of love at first bite are my moments of happiness and my why.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Starting off, I wanted everyone to be my customer. However, I soon learned that everyone is not your customer and that’s okay. Knowing your business helps you know your target customer. Knowing your target customer fosters and environment for good customer interactions.

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

Social media is a great tool when used methodically. Social media was pivotal in our growth and marketing start up. Social media provides an outlet to reach others you may not normally come in contact with in your day to day interactions. The proper social media advertisement will grow your business faster than you could have ever imagined.

Contact Info:

• Website: couturecakesandco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couture_cakes_and_co/