We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amy Smith . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amy below.
Amy , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
I started using a natural food coloring which is not a very common thing but is becoming more common! I love being able to offer a sweet treat that can be loved by all without having to worry about consuming the harsh additives that are used to make synthetic dyes
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have loved baking since I could hold a spatula and mix batter. It’s always been a comfort for me and then as I continued baking and starting to share it with others I learned that it was also a comfort and something that brought joy to them and that was something that made my heart so happy. I went to culinary school and then went on to work in the kitchen in a few restaurants and though I love cooking I knew I wanted something more baking focused. At 20 I got a job in the bakery at Lunds and worked my way up to becoming a cake decorator and then a pastry chef. I learned everything about decorating cakes there and loved it! Fast forward a handful of years, a wedding, a baby boy and another on the way, and at this point I was lucky enough to be able to become a stay at home mom but I still couldn’t kick the baking. I’d make cakes and cupcakes for friends and friends of friends and then started my decorated cookie journey when my best friend asked me to make some for her. Had never done it before but was instantly hooked! In 2017 I decided to make my little home business official and became a certified cottage food baker and started Cakesmith baking co. Things grew faster then I could ever imagine and I stayed busy and so grateful! Decorated cookies definitely become the hot item and are still very popular today! I pride myself in making original, beautiful, detailed and most importantly, delicious items! At the start of 2023 I decided to go completely free of artificial dyes for my business and a year later I’m still going strong! All my products are made with natural food coloring and it was for sure a challenge with obstacles to overcome but I’m so proud of myself for sticking with it and now sharing my knowledge and helping other bakers make the switch as well. I do custom orders for all events, sales on my website for holidays and the occasional in person sale, usually in the fall! I also teach cookies decorating classes and a local restaurant and those are a blast!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Having a good quality product! That’s the most important thing. If you don’t have a product that people will remember, they won’t come back. I worked really hard to make sure the taste of the items I offer pack a punch and keep people wanting to come back for more!
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
I still stand by word of mouth. Nothing with get your name/business out there more then that. If people love what you have to offer then they will love to share it. I built my customer base mainly by that and then when I started my social media pages they helped those grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cakesmithbakingco.com
- Instagram: Cakesmith baking
- Facebook: Cakesmith baking co
- Other: I have joined forces with another amazing cookie decorator and friend to create a place where we share our cookie cutter designs that we create,tips, tricks and all our knowledge on using natural food coloring. That page on Facebook and instagram is MinnieCakesmn
Image Credits
Me. Amy smith. I take all my own photos