We were lucky to catch up with Kristen Wooldridge recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kristen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

It can be intimidating to put yourself out there and ask your friends and family to support your business. I remember creating my Instagram for Kristen’s Kitchen and asking myself who was really going to care that I make cakes, much less want to place an order with me. I was and am still consistently surprised by the overflow of support that the people in my life have shown me. Almost all of my orders are from people I love, or are referrals from those people. I am so glad I took the leap.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I did not grow up loving to cook. And honestly, I still don’t love to make regular food. However, Several years ago I was introduced to the Great British Bake Off and I caught the “baking bug.” I started with small desserts for my Bible study, but I quickly learned that my favorite thing to make was cake. I had a good friend encourage me to create separate social media to show off my cakes, so I did. Kristen’s Kitchen was born, and to my amazement, orders started coming in. I am still a home baker so I don’t have a storefront. I operate under a Texas Cottage Food Law and I am a one-woman show. People ask me a lot whether I want to have a brick-and-mortar store one day, but right now I’m content being able to craft cakes for all kinds of occasions right here in the comfort of my home.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is by no means something I’m an expert at, but I’ve learned a few tricks over the years. I follow everyone I know, and I make sure to include pictures that include my face so people recognize who is behind the business. I post pictures of my family at holidays to thank people for shopping small and to remind people that when they order from me, they are supporting a family – not just a corporation.

Picking a consistent filter for my cake photos has created a more polished and professional look for my social media. I use a lot of hashtags and I follow other cake/baker pages to get my name out there. But really, personal referrals from clients are where a lot of my follows come from.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of the hardest things about making cakes is that sometimes, they just don’t behave like they should. New recipes don’t bake correctly, icing doesn’t color properly, or supplies let you down.

I remember there was a particular wedding cake I made where I had to re-make the base tier several times. The recipe was temperamental and the size of the pan was not ideal for the particular recipe, but it was achievable. I have a strong commitment to not serving customers anything less than my best, so I kept going until it was perfect. However, having to re-start the foundation for the cake several times set me way behind schedule. I work a full-time job besides baking, so my schedule for getting cake things done is very specific. The night before this particular cake was due, I only got 45 minutes of sleep. I was up so late working on it and by the time I got to bed, I couldn’t sleep because my mind was still spinning with thoughts of that cake.

I worked so hard on that cake; So much time, prayer, and effort went into getting it just right. I can’t express the relief and pride I felt when I finished delivering it to the venue. I was completely sure that I had given my best, and that feeling is hard to beat. The bride contacted me later with a rave review and I remember feeling so pleased to be able to contribute something delicious to the best day of someone’s life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kristenskitchenbakery.wordpress.com
• Instagram: @kristenskitchenbakery
• Facebook: @bakedbykristenskitchen
• Linkedin: N/A
• Twitter: N/A
• Youtube: N/A
• Yelp: N/A

Image Credits
Kristen Wooldridge