We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cristina Zapata a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Cristina , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?
I had just created my baking instagram because I needed something to distract me during the strange beginning of covid times. It was just an outlet to get creative, and showcase my bakes. Easter was around the corner and my 4 year old niece was stuck at home, so I wanted to create something fun for her. So I started to play around with making paint your own sugar cookies. I made a little drawing on the cookie, and edible paints. Took them over to her and she had a blast painting her own edible art. It was such a hit, I decided to offer them for sale. Paid for an instagram ad, and in came the orders! I was so excited to see the names I didn’t recognize, to this day I still feel the same when a new customer purchases from me.
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?
Well hello there, my name is Cristina Zapata. I am an LA native, and I own a baking company called Mijabakes. At the moment we are licensed and home based. Our goal is for that beautiful, spacious store front. I started Mijabakes three years ago, and we have sure grown. From just having sales on instagram for contactless porch pickup. To selling to coffee shops all around town and farmers markets. We specialize in classic French baking with a latin twist. My family is central american (guatemala/nicaragua) but being from Los Angeles, of course I bring all the cultures to my bakes. I am in love with making croissants, and laminated doughs. Nowadays I have a new specialty, vegan pastries. I felt I have gotten down my regular croissants, then I started playing around to make them vegan friendly. Now at one of my markets I bring a whole vegan/plant based menu. I love learning so getting into the vegan world has really kept me excited. My team is just my mother and myself. I hope to be able to hire for some help. But I am so happy at how far we have come.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Man on man. Social media is rough. It almost impossible to disconnect once you begin your business on social media. And it is easy to feel discouraged when your followers aren’t going up. And then you see other bakers who have hit 10k. My advice is just do you. I am very shy, and I just started to talk to my camera and show my customers who I really am. I love that they have become like friends to me. And I can be open about what’s going on in my business as things change. I have learned to give myself days off where I don’t respond to messages. You just have to set boundaries. That’s the hardest part, but once those are set. you’ll feel that balance.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
1000% farmers markets. I can’t explain how happy they make me. And at the moment I only go to two. It just is so great to chat with customers about my product. And explain how things are made. They often just ask about my story, so we really get chatty. They buy a pastry and later that night I get a new follower and I just get so giddy! I know that all my followers are real, they’ve tried my pastries, or shared them. This makes me so happy! I just think the best way to grow you clientele is to put yourself out there, let them get to know you and see your passion.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mijasbakeshop.com
- Instagram: Mijabakes