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

Hi Camilla, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

The biggest challenge is finding that target audience that not only respects my craft, but also understand the value in it. There was this moment early in my business when I realized that I wasn’t making any money. I was actually going into my account to finish projects. Which we all know is a HUGE red flag in any industry. I raised my prices and long and behold people complained. It wasn’t expected because I still was pretty cheap compared to my counterparts. I went for a couple months with no orders because those clients were now out of my price range, I wasn’t getting the referrals. It took for one woman to pay her invoice (because she didn’t think I was “expensive”) for me to start getting orders again. So now, I am getting the clientele that is within my pricing because of her referrals. Long story short, it has been almost 4 years and everytime I increase or change a price of something, I no longer dread the push back. I know that my target audience are those who understand that a custom cake is a luxury. I believe that in the same breath, there should be ways to assist my current clientele with the current economic status to provide options that may be better for them such as desert style cakes. I believe that in order to stay profitable you have to have the confidence to know a few things; your work is worth it, you know what your bottom line is, and that you know how to navigate in a economic crisis or pandemic.

Camilla, 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 was born and raised in New Orleans, La. I became a Texas resident after Hurricane Katrina. I use to get so emotional talking about those circumstances because I was young and didn’t understand how something so tragic could happen. As I got older, I looked at Katrina as a blessing to me. If it didn’t happen, I couldn’t see my life turning out the was that it has. Growing up I experienced homelessness, poverty, and trauma. Even though it will always be home, it doesn’t always bring back the best memories but I will always love the culture. Before I got into the cake world, I was a medical assistant at a family practice in west Austin. I loved my job and all of the craziness that came with it. The mixture of patients who became family and the things I would see was always very interesting. You never knew what was going to walk through that door. I worked under the best P.A. Ralph whom just so happen to be one of my biggest supporters and friend. Our backgrounds were extremely different but I think that’s what made is such great partners. Being able to ask questions and have open conversations about the world was such a treat. I remember doing a vending event for christmas, selling chocolate dipped apples and other treats, whatever I would have left over, he would buy for the clinic. I believe that even though he saw that I may have been destined for something else, he was my biggest supporter. With all of that being said, all great things come to an end.
Eventually burnout sets in, especially when having a newborn. My husband and I agreed that instead of drowning in bills to move closer to home and take some of the weight off since the cost of living was more reasonable. After getting settled in, I applied for so many jobs in the area and was having trouble. The biggest pushback after interviews was ” I was overqualified”. Most places couldn’t pay what I was earning back in Texas. This lead to depression and me not being myself. I started getting in the kitchen again. Cranking out cakes here and there, giving them away and making a social media account, never expecting where I am now. It became a consistent thing and eventually I was making almost my same monthly pay. I still can’t believe how it all played out. On year two of being back in Louisiana, Covid-19 and things changed. We decided that we really wanted to come back to Texas. We did the move and I came back booked 3 months out and have been steady in business every since. Sometimes God sits you down and prepares you for things that bigger than you. I felt that is what he did for me.
After plenty of experimenting I specialize in buttercream cakes and cupcakes with a niche in florals and artistic shapes. I love the idea of taking the typical theme and turning it into something truly custom. Giving my client something that they cannot find anywhere else. That brings me joy. I pride myself on providing a service that my clients cannot find anywhere else. I think what sets me apart from other bakers in the area in my attention to detail and my style of cakes. I most recently adapted the saying that I provide edible artistry. I enjoy being one of a kind.
I also service the baking community by supplying supplies, baker merch and classes. My favorite thing to do is classes, specifically one on one classes. I have a passion for teaching. Guiding other to start gearing to their potential and homing in on their creativity brings me so much joy. Seeing others in the community win feels like we all win. We have to support each other because there is more than enough room for us all.
I am most proud at how far I have come. I am proud to call myself a entrepreneur and still going strong. Breaking all of those generations curses.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media is such a moody beast. LOL. My advice is to be consistent and post, post POST! I know that trying to figure it out can be exhausting because there is no playbook for how to operate. Post clean pictures, keep your background in mind and clear from too many distractions. EVERYTHING is content, YOU ARE THE CONTENT! It can be as simple as recording yourself making your coffee in the morning and condensing it down to 8 seconds paired with a moody song and inspirational quote. Don’t overthink the process. Use your hashtags with a good caption and the rest will follow. I have a lot of clients that found me off hashtags or an Instagram reel. Social media is the heart of business this day and age. Be consistent, and remember to have fun! Don’t forget to take those mental breaks as well.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients has definitely been Instagram, through hashtags and reels. The second behind it is Facebook by posting in my local mom and sell groups. I try to advertise myself on a regular basis by following the group rules and posting on their designated days. From there it goes on to word of mouth from those clients that you’ve served.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.millieps.net
• Instagram: @_millieps
• Facebook: Millie P’s
• Youtube: Millie P’s Sweets