Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Pelham. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
Often times in the cake business, there is this all too common complaint that cakes look better than they taste. I am sure you have heard this before at one event or the next… “This cake is dry” or “It’s WAY too sweet”. It was reasons like these that I absolutely despised cake growing up. I know what you are thinking… “What kid doesn’t like something loaded with sugar?”. I always found myself wanting something more. I wanted flavor, I wanted texture, and I wanted a MOIST cake.
Upon the birth of my business, I knew that I wanted to design a menu for people just like me. You know the people I am talking about, the ones who aren’t big dessert folks and rarely eat a slice of cake. Yep, that’s me! I knew that I had to be different and make a change in a business with such a bad reputation for flavor. Thus, a scratch made menu was born.
The Rustic Bliss menu is full of flavor for each and every palette. From uniquely crafted cake flavors, specialty fillings, and infused fluffy icings… we have you covered for any occasion.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
For as long as I can remember, I have been extremely artistic and always looking for ways to be creative. When I was a little girl, being creative involved markers, paints, and of course Play-Doh. Most people wouldn’t categorize artistic hobbies as something that could turn into a lifelong career. I was definately one of those people…
Like most young women, I had ZERO idea on where my life was headed and what adventure would lead me into a career that truly made me happy. It took a few years of waiting tables, college courses, and office jobs to land a position that would soon change my life. Working through the ranks, I became a Cake Decorator for Publix Supermarkets and fell in absolute love! I remember thinking to myself, now THIS is art! I became fascinated with the different techniques and design elements that could be created with edible mediums. Over the course of 4 years I began to understand that a retail environment limited my artistic abilities and the things I could achieve within this art form. After building a clientele with Publix, I knew I couldn’t take them with me however I was determined that I could do it all over again under a business that I could call my own.
The Rustic Bliss Cakery was born just a month shy of a major pandemic, aka COVID19. Building a brand has challenges of its own however I didn’t know what I had coming to me once March of 2020 hit. The country had been shut down, our economy was in crisis, and people were scared. Great time to start a business, right? While there were many negative connotations with COVID19, the pandemic allowed me to grow my business at a rate that I was comfortable with. Lockdowns gave me more time to design, create, and establish key details of my business that would ultimately make the brand successful.
The RBC is based in Dade City, Florida… A town built on small businesses and a close knit community. We knew we had to get out there and make a name for ourselves. With an extremely warm welcome, we were able to make connections with venues/vendors within our industry to show our community what we are all about. Knowing that word travels fast, we wanted to sample the best part of our business… THE CAKE! From wedding expos to local events, we collaborated and sampled to aim towards a market that had lots of competition. With so many talented vendors within this industry, we are extremely blessed to work alongside such imaginative creatives.
While The RBC specializes in custom design wedding cakes, our goal is to make each and every occasion special and unique. Cakes and desserts should be a focal point along with a tastefully designed compliment to each event. With that in mind, we truly take pride on designing cakes with artistic passion and quality ingredients.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
I have always been a firm believer in “what goes around comes around”. Staying true to this while building my clientele was key for me. While a business can have an amazing product, failure is always an option but even more so without good communication, an inviting personality, and quality customer service.
Working within the customer service industry for years prior to building my brand, I saw the importance of client satisfaction and ultimately the return of their business. Treating people in a way that included empathy and importance is HUGE. For me, I wanted to give my clients an experience in the ordering process that I would want at any establishment in return. Growing up you always hear, “Treat others the way you want to be treated”. I truly believe that this moral plays an important role in growing and KEEPING quality clientele.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
For me, one of the most intimidating aspects of starting a business was the funding. I have heard horror stories of businesses failing due to financial struggles, growing too quickly, and economic impact. Having this in the back of my mind, I knew I did not want to start my business in debt.
For the first 5 months of my business I worked a full time job during the day and worked into the night focusing on the brand. Doing so, I was able to fund start up costs out of pocket without any acquired debt. With countless hours put into a day job and time spent building The RBC, I had gained enough success to step down to part time and focus more of my energy on my business. Doing so in these small steps over the course of 10 months, the brand grew dramatically enough to quit my other job and solely rely on The RBC to support my family and future business endeavors.
Contact Info:
- Website: therusticblisscakery.com
- Instagram: @therusticblisscakery
- Facebook: Facebook.com/therusticblisscakery
Image Credits
Amanda Zabrocki, Autumn & Jendry, Lifelong Photography Studio, SJN Photography, Rising Lotus Photography, Nicole Otero