Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kayla Burton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kayla, appreciate you joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Taking my business full-time was a big risk! I’ve always been a pretty risk-averse person. I grew up with an entrepreneur parent and saw how crazy, stressful, and time-consuming running businesses could be, so all I wanted to do was go to college and get a regular job with a secure paycheck and good work-life balance. That isn’t really how it goes, though, is it? Graduating from college doesn’t guarantee you a job, and if you get one, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have job/income security or a healthy work-life balance.

I graduated from UW-Madison in 2016 with a B.S. in biology and went to work for pharma/biotech companies and universities. My first job was great – I met some of my best friends there, had a manager who saw the best in me, and I even enjoyed the work! I left because I wanted to start a new adventure in Chicago and was recruited by a startup there. While I loved living in the city, I hated that job. And the next, and the next…

At the start of 2020, I decided I needed a hobby to take my mind off of work. I’ve always enjoyed baking, so I dove into that! The first thing I attempted was macarons (much harder than chocolate chip cookies 😅). It took a few tries, but I eventually succeeded in making them! After that, I just kept trying new recipes. My partner was starting his product photography company at the time, so he’d take photos of them and I’d share them on Instagram – just for fun!

After a few months of sharing my bakes on IG, I started to gain more and more followers and connect with food bloggers. It opened my eyes to a whole new world of digital creation and community! I had never read blogs before, but I knew then that I wanted to give food blogging a try!

Creating my blog lit a spark that I’d forgotten was there. In my awkward elementary/middle school days, I’d stay in and create animated icons for AIM and play around with coding themes for Xanga, Neopets, etc. Working on the back end of the blog felt similar, and while I did almost everything wrong in the beginning, it was so fun figuring things out!

Less than a year later, brands started reaching out to me about paid partnerships involving recipe development and content creation. While still working full-time (remotely), I closed 3 deals with a few big brands ($3700 total). I knew that if I continued to put my work out there, reach out to brands, and grow my blog, I could make this a solid career someday!

The big question then was, when is “someday”? Next week? 6 months from now? 2 years??

The answer was 1 month. About 1 month after signing my first contract, I gave my notice. I was absolutely terrified, but I did it!

I was a healthy 27-year-old with a few months of living expenses saved up. I knew that if it didn’t work out, the worst-case scenario was that I’d get a new job and move in with my partner’s parents (who would be thrilled to have us living with them) if needed.

It was a calculated risk and I’m so happy I had enough faith in myself to take the leap! Quitting my 9-5 gave me more time and energy to spend on growing my business.

A year after going full-time, I’d built up enough blog traffic to join an ad network, and the year after that I started coaching other food bloggers to help them grow their own blogs. Every year has been better than the last!

All that said – sure, entrepreneurship is risky. It can be extremely stressful yet so rewarding at the same time. But any job, whether it’s working for yourself or a corporation, comes with its own risks and rewards. I enjoy learning what I’m interested in, solving my own business problems, and making an impact on other people’s lives. Taking that risk not only helped my business grow, but it helped me grow as a person.

Kayla, 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?

Of course! I’m Kayla, a creative entrepreneur in Chicago 👋 I started my baking blog in 2020 as a hobby and it grew into so much more! At first, my services solely consisted of developing recipes and creating photos/videos for food and kitchen brands. Next, I grew my food blog to 50k+ monthly sessions which let me join an ad network to monetize my blog. While I still work with a few repeat clients on content creation, these days I spend most of my time coaching other food bloggers and growing my blog traffic/ad revenue. Connecting with other bloggers and seeing them achieve their goals brings me the utmost joy! I’m so excited to see where else this journey takes me and who I’ll meet along the way!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think there are a number of things that have helped build my reputation in blogging & digital content creation!

-Showing up consistently and interacting with others on Instagram has helped me reach new audiences and build a loyal clientele.

-Getting featured on Good Morning America, Buzzfeed Tasty, etc., and recommended by SEO gurus have helped build my authority.

-Learning about SEO, keyword research, etc., and niching down have allowed me to create an aesthetic blog with growing traffic and returning users.

-Providing an amazing customer experience with fast turnaround times, high-quality work, and great communication has established trust with clients.

But above all, staying consistent and only doing things that align with my values have been key. I’m a firm believer that actions speak louder than words and the hardest thing to bounce back from is a destroyed reputation.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

So many! One of my daily habits is to read 10 pages of non-fiction every day and I love watching interviews and listening to podcasts. I’m currently reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. It’s been helping me stay positive and motivated!

Some others I’ll shout out:
-Alex & Leila Hormozi – literally all of their content is gold and they give it away for free
-How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
-Atomic Habits by James Clear
-Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
-The Diary of a CEO podcast
-Modern Wisdom podcast
-Lex Fridman podcast
-Patrick Campbell’s interview on the Danny Miranda podcast
-Gary Vaynerchuk

And of course, my partner Chris Pieta (founder of Creative Biz Launch). He’s been my biggest mentor and source of encouragement. I truly wouldn’t be here without him!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brokenovenbaking.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokenovenbaking/ and https://www.instagram.com/foodblogcoach
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brokenovenbaking
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-burton/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVtyKU10kUCOCGVlXVW6IA
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/brokenovenbaking/ Coaching Services/Resources: https://www.coaching.brokenovenbaking.com/ Portfolio: https://partnerships.brokenovenbaking.com/