We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bonnie Bradley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Bonnie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

((I am certainly not a “practice” but there wasn’t another option for my field, so hope this works! )

Back in 2009, I was a new Mom staying up late watching the hit show, “Ace of Cakes” and wondering who would create something so wonderful for my new daughter, Stella at her birthday parties. I began to research cupcakes and all the recipes and decided I would learn.
It was a lot of trial and error, wasted cupcakes and lots of butter. I took the leap and started making treats for friends and family. After posting on social media, the orders started to roll in and that’s when Sweet Stella Treats was born.
I started with cupcakes, then cakes with a few cakepops sprinkles in here and there.
Fast forward a few years later, my son was born and life was even busier. I put the brakes on cakes for a while to focus on my family.
When I started back, I decided that cakepops would be my niche. I’ve never looked back on those cake days!
There are a lot of challenges in starting your own business, but I think the biggest one is within ourselves. There have been so many days I’ve just wanted to quit but when I remember my “why”, it keeps me going with renewed passion.

Bonnie, 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’m a small town girl with lots of dreams. I went to UNC Charlotte and graduated with a BA in Birth-Kindergarten with a K-6 add-on. I taught Elementary school for 5 years before I had my daughter, Stella, with no plans of ever baking! I loved being in the classroom. I loved planning, seeing kids learn and creating relationships with my coworkers and families in my class.

After I started Sweet Stella Treats, I didn’t really know where it was going or what the “end goal” would look like. Now, after 12 years of baking I see that the same reasons I loved being in my classroom are the same reasons I love making cakepops. I love planning the orders, watching kids learn at Cake Pop Camps and it never gets old when I catch up with old friends when they come to get their order. I love the relationships.

Each summer I hold Cake Pop Camps in my home and at a local Art Studio. Classes include, “Mommy and Me”, Boys, Girls and this year I held my first Teen Girl Camp. Each friend learns to roll, dip and decorate cake pops. We always have a craft and book that ties it altogether. It’s a privilege to be a part of their summer fun and I love seeing them grow year by year.
Currently, you can find Sweet Stella Treats in 7 different locations every week.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

I think this goes for anyone whose in business for themselves is support from your family. I have the biggest cheerleaders a girl could ever ask for. My husband and kids are very involved with decisions, designs and of course taste testing. My parents have always told me when you put God first, he blesses you and I am proof of that.

The most helpful tool I use to succeed is Instagram. Back when I started, Instagram and Pinterest wasn’t available and Facebook was still new, leaving very little interaction with people who could relate to my field. I couldn’t find anyone who made cakepops. All my knowledge and tips came from the inventor of cakepops herself, Bakerella. I bought her book and dreamed of having orders where I could create such adorable treats.
Now, I’ve formed relationships with other cake pop businesses from all over the world. There’s such a tight knit community that IG offers. We bounce ideas off of each other, inspire and vent on those hard days, too.
IG is where I have a lot of orders come in as well. I’ve made a ton of connections with event planners, customers and businesses that have led to great opportunities that I never thought was possible.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I think the most effective strategy in a small business is staying consistent. From sending out newsletters, updating your customers, designing new treat boxes or just showing up on social media, even on the days when it feels like no one is seeing you, it pays off in the end.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bonnienbradley.com
• Instagram: @sweetstellatreats
• Facebook: Sweet Stella Treats
• Linkedin: Sweet Stella Treats

Image Credits
@caralee_videography Cara Martin