We recently connected with Joely Vargas-Anderson and have shared our conversation below.
Joely, appreciate you joining us today. Covid has brought about so many changes – has your business model changed?
COVID definitely changed my business for the better. During COVID I was managing a bakery in downtown Chicago. We were forced to close down for two months and stay home. Well, I had a small business that I started 10years before but my customers were mostly friends and family as I was always too busy to take on too many orders. When COVID hit, I started making cookie kits for kids and fun pastry boxes for adults and posted everything on social media. I offered no contact, free delivery and business started to boom at full force! After the two months of being home the bakery I was managing re-opened, but by then I was too invested in growing my own business so I worked for a few more months while I got everything together and left my job to work my small business full time! I was able to get all my certifications to legally bake from home and it’s been super successful since. I now ship cookies nationwide and I work with a lot of businesses that have corporate events. The goal for me is not to have a brick and mortar. I enjoy having my own schedule and working from home, but the plan is to expand my business from home, who knows where it will take me.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Growing up my mom always baked, so baking was a huge part of my life, I loved doing it as a hobby and enjoyed creating recipes and trying new designs. I ended up going to culinary school and received my degree in baking and pastry arts. I then started working for bakeries and hotels to get experience. I worked for a very famous bakery Magnolia Bakery for 10 years, I traveled the world training staff and was able to really figure out what I was good at, I enjoyed every minute of it and realized this was it for me, this is what I was meant to do. I went full time with my small business in 2021, it’s definitely not easy, especially doing it all yourself, but it only makes it that much more gratifying. Most of my customer base is from social media, I had to learn reels and algorithms and what followers liked to see on my page. I invested in a better laptop, camera, projector, all to have better quality of my work. I learned what sweets were in and popular and created a solid menu. In my business I do everything myself and put extra effort into making things special and custom for my customers. All of my baked goods are made from scratch with many ingredients being organic and top quality. I put special care into everything I make, it’s my passion and my business is my baby. I’m extremely thankful for the following that I gained and the repeat customers that came with it. It was a dream to come this far.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Social media becomes a job on its own, but once you have it down, it gets much easier. When I first started my page I made sure to leave my personal life out of it. I realized my audience was more interested in what I was making rather than hear about me lol. Reels were becoming a big thing in 2020, so I learned how to make them, found songs that were catchy and going viral and my following started to grow. I also created a calendar for myself in what to post, I would try to post at least 3 reels a week, 4 photos a week and I would engage in stories daily. Posting throwback photos, announcing new products and showing my calendar for what days were booked /open to place orders. Staying engaged really helped me get followers but more importantly, customers. Sometimes you may have a high following but no orders are being placed. I was able to get a good amount of both. My following fluctuates daily, but I don’t mind it as long as I continue to have a good customer base.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
In the beginning of my small business journey I realized that my journey is mine and will not be like others I saw on social media. I definitely went through the imposter syndrome and would stress myself out by what other businesses were creating and achieving. Once I was able to set myself apart, I started to really enjoy what I was doing. My advice is, use other pages as motivation, but don’t compare yourself to others, everyone’s journey is different. Focus on your own growth, and set your own goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: Jellyssweets.com
- Instagram: Jellys_Sweets
- Facebook: Jellys Sweets
- Other: TikTok: Jellys_Sweets