We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Giovanna Riccio-weisse. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Giovanna below.
Alright, Giovanna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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?
I have been so graciously blessed with the upmost, supportive friends and family when it comes to my business and pursuing my career. I find that within my loved ones and my business, there aren’t necessary “rules” when it comes to what’s appropriate versus not. My friends and family have always wanted to motivate me and push me to succeed, whether it was ordering desserts for their holiday tables or just double tapping my post on their feed, it truly makes me feel like the luckiest person alive. With that, of course that makes my passion grow fonder. Making cookie boxes and trying new recipes is my favorite because it allows me to be creative, and also gives back to my loved ones with all the food I feed them… and trust me, it’s a lot! It’s given me such a bond with my friendships, not only in culinary school where me and my friends get to support each other with our same love of food, but also with my friends from home, where I can cook for them with every chance I get. I send my best friend, Cal, a photo of every thing I make, and his responses never make me feel anything but loved and supported, and that’s how friendship should be, nothing but love and support.
Giovanna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Giovanna, also known as Gio. I am a 20 year old pastry chef and recently moved down to Charleston, SC to further my career! I began my business back in 2022 as a senior in high school where I wanted to provide a custom cake service! I grew up in a New York, Italian family, so we were always surrounded by food. As I got older, I realized I wanted to showcase my creativity within my love for baking, and that’s where I fell in love with custom cake design! I find it very important to make sure my clients feel heard and welcomed when I speak with them about their wants/needs. I package every order with a written thank you card, so they know they were thought of. I am most proud of my growth when it comes to my food photography and decorating capabilities, as I always want to learn more and get better at them. The message I would want to put out there is to simply not care. Not to care what people think of you as an individual, or what they think of a picture you post. Whatever you want in life is in YOUR hands, and it has nothing to do with anybody else. Post your content, chase your dreams, and do what makes you happy with yourself at the end of the day.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I fell in love with social media management. With that came a love of photography. I kept trying new things that I saw online with camera angles, and photo backgrounds and it became such a fun activity for me that I was taking so many pictures constantly. I decided to start my account and share these photos of my work, almost like a digital diary. I stayed consistent and then started reels and following trends which helped immensely. Consistency is key!
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Social media marketing! Making content and products that people love and want to see is what guides them to your page. Keeping the constant positive attitude and posting has helped me grow clientele!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cakecomesfirst.squarespace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cakecomesfirst/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@giobakes
