We recently connected with Lisa He and have shared our conversation below.

Lisa, appreciate you joining us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss? What did you learn from them? Maybe you can share a story that illustrates the kind of boss they were or maybe you can share your thoughts on what you think made them an awesome person to work for?

In the realm of bosses and mentors, one leader stood out during my time as a systems analyst in the medical device software industry a decade ago. Our facility faced closure, but this extraordinary leader’s empathy and compassion turned a sensitive situation into a positive experience.

No robotic layoff here. We were treated like humans, with respect, generous severance packages, and given ample time to plan. It was a rare gem in the tech industry.

Under this leader’s wing, my professional life soared. Balancing business needs with personal growth, she motivated and positioned each of us for success, going out of her way to create new positions for people with did not fit into the normal corporate structure, allowing everyone to focus on their strengths.

I’ll never forget the moment she recognized my potential and placed me in a role that allowed me to learn, grow and succeed.

Her impact on me is monumental. She transformed the job into a playground of excellence. Brilliance, empathy, and an infectious personality made each day a blast.

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 discovered the stress-relieving benefits of baking as an engineering student in college, and developed a love for baking french macarons and cookie decorating. In 2011, there weren’t as many resources online, so much of my foundation was built on trial and error. I began sharing my experiences on Instagram and steadily grew a dedicated following over the course of a decade. I eventually quit my biotech job to focus on growing my own company.

At Borderlands Bakery, we offer a range of baking products, a helpful blog, engaging YouTube content, and digital courses. We aim to inspire and empower aspiring bakers, providing accessible resources and fostering a supportive community.

Our focus is on solving the intimidation factor in baking and making it enjoyable for everyone. We pride ourselves on authenticity and driving positive change. Through free mentorship, donations, and active participation in impactful causes, we go beyond baking to make a difference.

My work has landed me on Netflix (Sugar Rush S1E1) plus Food Network (Christmas Cookie Challenge 2018: Christmas Comes in All Sizes), and has allowed me to connect with people from all walks of life and immerse myself in a wide range of experiences.

I’m most proud of the profound impact we’ve had on our community, witnessing their growth, confidence, and creativity flourish. Most recently, we are working to get My Custom Bakes (MCB) off the ground. MCB is web-app helps cottage bakers with their workflow so that they can manage, market and monetize their bakes all in one place.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started sharing my baking journey on Instagram in 2012. It started off as a way for me to document my baking experiments and share my random musings with the world. Slowly and gradually, I began to focus on cookie decorating content the more I became obsessed with it.

My following grew organically the more I shared my learnings – and I shared it all! The failures, successes and everything in between. Nothing was really edited and I always make sure to respond to each comment and DM. Word spread that I was a great resource, and Borderlands Bakery began to take shape.

It takes an incredible amount of time and dedication to serve a growing online community. There are lots of followers, and only one of me. I made huge personal sacrifices. Maintaining a personal brand is challenging because people are here for you- not a marketing agency or content intern.

For anyone looking to grow an audience- it takes a ton of dedication, time and effort. You need to be incredibly consistent with posting, engaged with your community, create content that others find value in, and have a desire to create genuine connections. Take it slow and steady- most of us do not get results overnight – work at a pace that’s sustainable for you.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

You have to know where your clients are, and how to get them. Your choice of ecommerce platform should reflect that.

I personally use my own website (Shopify) now that I have established my personal brand. It’s nice to have everything in one place. Most of my clients are from social media, and they usually find me through Instagram, TikTok or YouTube. I also recommend Etsy for search visibility if you do not have an established brand yet. In an ideal world, I’d love to be on multiple platforms for the greatest shot at getting in front of the most eyeballs- but the ability to maintain the listing is dependent on your resources.

There are pros and cons to each platform, and this heavily depends on your needs. I recommend doing some research to compare the various platforms you’re interested in to see how they differ from a feature perspective, and then depending on where your business is at (is it a baby business or an established one?), make an informed decision. You can always change your mind later and switch!

I find that for many small businesses, WIX is a great place to start. It’s relatively user friendly with a drag-and-drop website builder, and you have all the functions of an ecommerce site. It’s a little limited with customization and complicated shipping rules, so if your business need more of that, I’d recommend Shopify, which has the capability to scale to a large business.

If you’re an artist just starting out, Etsy is a great place to start. If you’re a digital artist or freelancer, check out Fiverr.

Contact Info:

• Website: borderlandsbakery.com
• Instagram: @borderlandsbakery
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qi-lisa-he-4b545617/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/borderlandsbakery
• TikTok: @borderlandsbakery

Image Credits
Cayton Guzman James d’Shone