We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Carmella Bailey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Carmella below.

Hi Carmella, thanks for joining us today. How do you feel about asking friends and family to support your business? What’s appropriate, what’s not? Where do you draw the line?

If it were not for friends and family, Served by Carmella would still be an idea. With that being said, the help given by family and friends come with boundaries. I think asking for their recognition and support in any way they can is always acceptable. I say this because you are able to support small businesses in many ways, financially or not. Whether it be reposting a social post, placing an order, or recommending my business to another individual. All of these forms of support do not go unnoticed. But as I said, boundaries are also important. It is beneficial to make sure they know you will give them the same quality as the rest of your customers. On my side, I must do my best to understand they are the same as any customer and not in charge of offering help.

A significant moment with friends and family in my journey was at my first pop up shop. It took place at Buff City Soap in Lee’s Summit. I remember friends and family stopping by off and on that day to support my first ever in person event. It was amazing to feel the support in a way I had not received previously. From that day on, my support system has remained steady, and I could not be more grateful.

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.

I started my baking business, Served by Carmella, in 2020. As most people did, I looked to find a new hobby. I found joy in baking the boxed cake, cookie, and brownie mixes we had collected over the years. After the first few months of quarantine, I had run out of dessert mixes and decided to try a recipe from scratch. The first scratch dessert I made was key lime pies which I later delivered to family members. Later that night, I received a text from my uncle telling me that was the best key lime pie he had tasted. He encouraged me to consider selling them. Well, I considered and decided it was a hobby I would enjoy turning into a job. That is when I created social medias to sell my products: cake pops, cupcakes, custom cakes, and pies. Something I hope others and clients understand about my business is that I will do my best to make sure every customer walks away with a positive experience.

I am most proud of the fact that I have not given up on a very hefty goal. Before 2020, I would not have ever imagined completing orders for my own baking business. I surprise myself everyday as my business that started out as a dream continues to grow. This determination was passed down to me through my parents as they taught all of us kids not never give up. Dreams can become a reality if you persist.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2020, I was supposed to move to Lincoln, NE to start my freshman year of college. After some health concerns, it was suggested, I stay home to avoid getting sick. This ended up being beneficial as I was able to remain close to my clientele. However, after I was less at risk, I was able to attend school in person. Moving to Lincoln, NE for school meant leaving my main form of income. This meant I had many weeks that consisted of attending school, coming back to a house filled with roommates to bake, and driving home Friday to deliver orders. It by no means was easy but I was not willing to lose my clients while away. I found myself often tired and overworked, but the joy remained every time I handed over the dessert to my customers. I am glad I remained determined while living 3 and a half hours away from my customers because I am now home with a greater amount of customers.

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

The best way I have been able to find new clients has been word of mouth. I have had many customers come to me telling me that a past client had sent them. This always makes me feel grateful for all my customers because I can trust them to have my back, I also do my best to post happy customers with their desserts while tagging them on my socials. This allows for them to share with their feed in order for more interactions on my media platforms. That being said past customer’s recommendations and social media has been the easiest way for me to find new clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: servedbycarmella.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/servedbycarmella/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/ServedbyCarmella/100063545410260/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmella-bailey-10214a222?trk=people-guest_people_search-card