We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gabriela Espitia. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gabriela below.
Gabriela, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
I was only 9 years old when I wanted to start my business, and at that time it was really all up to my parents to allow me to do so or not. It is quite a risk to give your child the okay to their idea at such a young age, just as much as it is to dissuade them from moving forward. If you say no, your kid will feel disappointed and could lose interest in the topic entirely. However, if you encourage their entrepreneurial idea and things go poorly, their lack of maturity could ingrain in them the idea that they are a hopeless failure.
The answer I got back from my parents was simple, but it is the reason my business became what it is today. They gave me the green light as long as I promised to invest adequate time practicing my craft. They wanted me to really master what I wanted to monetize. Without that invaluable advice I would have been selling subpar goods to the public and most certainly would not have been able to create a successful business. I had to keep on baking the same thing over and over again for months until I made sure the quality of my cupcakes was always the same. I had to experiment with the entire baking process including oven temperatures, cupcakes liners, methods of incorporating fruit, baking times, and so much more. I baked for hours on end between my schoolwork and my extracurriculars until I managed to create a process of baking that worked for me, and also resulted in the best cupcake I could make for my age.
They taught me to think like a grown up even though I was just a child, giving me a huge advantage over other kids who wanted to sell cupcakes in my school. They also agreed to me opening an Instagram account to help me promote my baking.
Gabriela, 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?
My name is Gabriela Espitia, I am 17 years old, and I am the owner of Gabi’s Goodies. I have been selling custom-made cupcakes and mini loaves since I was 10 years old. Surprisingly, it all started with my 4th grade science fair. We were assigned a project that needed to include some kind of experiment. I was already passionate about cupcakes at that age and spent a lot of time watching bakers on YouTube, so I chose a baking experiment as my assignment. After many ideas, I decided on testing various baking times to see which yielded the fluffiest brownies. I bought an endless amount of Betty Crocker brownie mix and got to work. I ended up having to bake 12 batches of brownies for my project. Since that is too many brownies for a 9-year-old to consume on her own, I started giving my brownies away to my extended family. My grandma liked them so much she asked me to make some for her to bring into her office. She said a few of her work colleagues had enjoyed them very much and were willing to pay me if I could bake them some more. A few months later, at the science fair awards ceremony, I found out I had won my elementary school science fair. This unexpected recognition really inspired me to continue baking. Within a year, I was selling brownies to my grandma and her friends on a monthly basis. Later in 5th grade, I started experimenting with homemade cupcakes and frosting. Once again, my parents encouraged me to practice and practice until my cupcakes were good enough to sell. I began selling to my friends at school, my parents’ friends, and my neighbors. They would ask me for custom cupcakes depending on the theme of their event and I would coordinate with them to agree on a design. I began my cupcake business at that point and have been baking for clients around my city ever since. That is what people like the most about my business – everything I do is customized to my clients’ needs. I obviously have my restrictions (I do not provide toppers, nor do I work with fondant), but I always figure out a way to please the customer and adhere to their design wishes.
In the seven years I have been running my business, I am most proud of my growth. Since I started so young, it has been amazing to see how my designs and ideas have gradually improved over time. The older I get, the more experience I have, which obviously allows me to create more sophisticated designs. I love the creative side of baking and greatly enjoy the coordination with the client. Living in a place like Miami, being bilingual has always been a plus. I get to not only communicate with clients in English, but I also get to easily engage with the Hispanic community which obviously broadens my clientele list.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
One time about 6 months into actively selling my goods, I had an issue with an unpaid order. I did not have any specified rule about payment back then. I would just say yes to an order request and expect the customer to show up and pay me at the time of delivery. This method worked well for a time until one day I had an order for 3 dozen cupcakes. At that point, I was still too young and did not drive, so my mom drove me to our meeting location, and I waited about 45 minutes. The customer never showed up and I had only their email and Instagram account for communication. Needless to say, this was my very first challenge as a kid entrepreneur. I felt so much disappointment at all the wasted time and ingredients that had gone into that order. As soon as we got home, my mom and I planned out new payment rules to avoid any future no-shows. Now, I only bake orders that have been paid for in advance. Sticking firmly to that rule has allowed me more control over my business expenses and profits.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Personally, my best source of new clients is Instagram. My page reaches many more people I could never reach using just word of mouth. I get to use hashtags and locations that pinpoint people from the areas I deliver to. It even allows people who live out of town to come across my page, and many have planned orders for when they visit Miami. I also have made an effort to participate in several teen business fairs over the years which have given me additional exposure to locals who perhaps are not active on social media.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: gabis.goodies
Image Credits
Personal Photo Credit: EMS Studio Additional Photo Credit: @Gabis.Goodies