We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ellen Bakle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ellen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
It is difficult for me to think of something that my mom didn’t do right! My mom has always been amazing and supportive in all the right ways. In my pre-college years, so elementary through high school, my mom laid out clear expectations. I knew that it was expected of me to study for tests, it was expected that I did all my reading and homework, and it was expected that I put maximum effort into doing my best at school. I knew that after school I had to do my homework before I could play with my friends or do anything fun. I knew that if I did poorly on exam that extra studying was in my future. I knew that if my grades slipped there would be consequences. My mom laid out those expectations and was consistent with them. I think this laid a great foundation for me to be dedicated worker. However, on the other hand, she was never over bearing in her expectations. She did not demand that I get straight A’s. I was never punished for not getting a 100% on a physics exam, she did not make me miss extra curricular activities because I did not test into the honors pre-calc level class in high school. She knew my strengths and weaknesses and she rolled with them. She sent me to “math-lab” to get me the help I needed with geometry. She wanted to see proof of me putting in the work- but also understood that I would never be a mathematician. There was a fair balance she put into her parenting that I greatly appreciate now.
In later years, I would say that her un-waivering support is the thing I appreciate the most. She has done just about every job I have asked of her to support me. She has watched my kids countless times just so I can work, she has folded stacks of cookie boxes, she has run markets for me when I was unable, purchased supplies for me, and of course taken pictures of my work and shown them to everyone she knows. She never once questioned my goals or dreams and that is something that is not lost on me.
Ellen, 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?
Hello! I am Ellen Bakle- the heart and soul of Bakle the Baker. For as long as I can remember, I have loved baking, baked goods and bakeries. I like to create and I love to bring a pinch of joy to others through baked goods. I baked a lot growing up, anything from cupcakes and cookies to lemon meringue pie and cinnamon rolls. But I really got into cookie decorating soon after I got married. I was gifted a KitchenAid mixer at my bridal shower and I believe that was the catalyst of this business. I started baking almost every weekend after that. Eventually, I had a couple friends ask me to make cupcakes for baby showers and birthdays and I did so happily. The cookie love came after I made twinkle twinkle little star cookies for the daughter of a good friend for a first birthday. I did it once and then wanted to do it again. I watched more youtube videos than I care to admit and then created a baking instagram page and things snowballed from there. Now here I am, baking for a living! I put a lot of focus on custom orders as they are the most fun for me. I enjoy bringing new themes to life and seeing customers reactions to the sets. When I say a lot of time and love goes into each set, I mean it. I will research and familiarize myself with the theme so that I can understand what the client is looking for. After that I pick out the shapes for the set, which usually involves me staring at my wall of cookie cutters for any length of time trying to visualize how the shapes will look together collectively. Baking is next, followed by my favorite part- decorating. I am often asked how long a set takes me- and usually they mean the decorating part specifically. The answer can vary greatly, but 6 hours on one set is pretty average from start to finish- not including drying and packaging time.
I also participate in multiple farmer’s markets each year. My favorite part of market season is the repeat customers each week. I have “regular” customers, young and old, that support me weekly. I love the excitement about new shapes and designs from the kiddos, and the comments from the adults about how they need to a cookie stock up to help them through a long week.
I am proud of the regular customer base I have built over the years. My cookie heart soars when I hear people say things like “I don’t really like sugar cookies, but yours are so buttery and different- they are delicious!” I am proud of the obstacles I have managed to over come- I am looking at you global pandemic! And I am proud to say I have built this business from the ground up on my own.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
When customers pick up their cookies, I like to ask them something along the lines of “how did you find me?”. The most common response I hear is “I went to a party and had your cookies there and had to have them at my event”. This is my favorite answer because it is simultaneously a compliment- you saw and tasted my work and loved it! YAY! Other answers I hear often are facebook mom group recommendations, a friend shared my information, google, and they bought a cookie from me previously at a farmers market.
How did you build your audience on social media?
First of all, I definitely do not consider myself a social media influencer by any stretch of the imagination. That being said, social media has been the easiest form of advertisement for my business. Years ago when I first started my Instagram page, I did it mostly for myself and maybe the three other people that cared at the time. It was fun for me to look at my page and see all my work in one place. However, once Bakle the Baker started snowballing into what it is now, my social media became more important. Now it is my portfolio! New customers can easily glance through my IG feed and see my work and what I am capable of. I utilize the story feature of IG often. I like to update followers on what market I will be at and when, what special sets I will be offering, any other important information that pertains to the business at that particular date/time. I have one employee- Ava Foley- and let me tell you, she is the best employee a girl can ask for- I am so grateful for her! Anyway, Ava likes to pick on me when I do my instagram stories because I always start my stories by saying “Hi Cookie Friends!”. She asked me once why I say that, and the honest answer is, I have no idea. I said it once and it somehow became my tag line.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Professional Photos: Devon Morgan (ig: @itsdevonmorgan)