We were lucky to catch up with Christine Wiethop recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Christine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
I was teaching high school math when I launched Baking Sweet Scents online. A year and a half later, I had become very involved in the wedding industry as a baker while also going through a second round of burnout in education. Financially, it was not time to leave my job, but I felt led to take the leap of faith and give the business my full-time attention at the end of that school year.
My husband and I discussed our finances and hoped we could make it work. We cut out extras and decided on what the business had to provide to our household income to make it doable. We prayed about it and took the leap.
Business expenses rose when I started renting a shared use commercial kitchen, but new opportunities also arose as a result. It was not easy, but business continued to pick up. A year and a half after leaving my job, a new wholesale client found me – a local coffee shop that wanted my pastries. It became the first wholesale client that was truly a good fit for Baking Sweet Scents. The combination of weddings and wholesale clients, along with smaller retail orders from week to week, has shown us the risk was worth it. It has taken faith, time, and a winding path to find our way, but we are thankful for where the Lord has led us and for the way He has guided us in every step.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
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My husband Josh and I live in a log cabin in Simpsonville and have a handful of goats and chickens that our two border collies protect. We affectionately call it our little farm. I started baking as a child. My family is Filipino, and we hosted parties regularly. Baking the desserts became my sweet spot. My mom would hand me a dessert recipe she had in mind and say, “It’d be nice if you could make this…” I quickly realized I was up for the challenge. Over the years, I’ve tested and tweaked many recipes, and I have a handful that I make regularly for my family and friends. Baking connects me to those around me and enables me to give of myself. I pray while baking, which gives me peace. I pray for the people who will eat my treats, as well as for those in my life who are facing challenges. I primarily bake pastries for a few local coffee shops, including Crossroads 4 Coffee and Tea in Simpsonville, The Mad Batter Bakery and Cafe in Greenville, Scändi Tiny Coffee in Greer, and The Common House in Anderson. I also have said yes to a small number of weddings this year. My specialty for weddings is seminaked cakes plus dessert bars. When I am available, I say yes to special orders which may include allergen-friendly desserts, macarons, cookies, cakes, etc. too. I take delight in watching people smile while enjoying my creations – I love baking happiness! |
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Word-of-mouth referrals have been the best source of new clients for me. From the beginning, friends of friends/clients have sent me the most and best clients. I am so appreciative that happy clients tell their friends about me. I am honored that they love my work enough to share my contact information.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I started out by following friends, businesses I liked, and accounts that inspired me on Instagram. When I was intentionally building my social media presence, I posted in my feed 5-7 days a week, cycling through a handful of topics, including spiritual inspiration, personal stories, and of course desserts I was working on. I let people get to know me through my Instagram account, often sharing vulnerable stories and struggles. I asked for opinions and sought to learn from my audience, too.
When Instagram stories began, I started sharing random pictures and videos from my day, from behind-the-scenes baking to day dates to animals on our little farm. I often conduct polls through stories, and I also ask for prayer requests there.
My advice to people starting to build their social media presence is to consistently post, to be authentic, and to not worry so much about what people think but to put themselves out there. I have found that people enjoy getting to know me and sometimes it is much later that they seek me out for business reasons.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bakingsweetscents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bakingsweetscents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bakingsweetscents
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cadorniga
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bakingsweetscents
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/baking-sweet-scents-greenville?osq=baking+sweet+scents
Image Credits
Christine Mason Photography/Chandler School Media
Ruby and Olive Co.