We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mackenzie Dimatteo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Mackenzie, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
When I was 8 years old, I learned I could bake for a living. By the time I was 12, I had already thought of a dozen different bakery concepts, and I drew an untold number of logos. Around the age of 16, my family and I had endured multiple hardships and I had begun working in the food service industry.
As time went on and those hardships didn’t get much better, I began to realize how difficult being an Entrepeneur would be. In that time, I still always enjoyed baking for my friends and family. I especially got into baking for others during my junior year of high school when I would bring cupcakes for my classmates! However, that love for baking did nothing to curb the self-doubt and pessimism that accompanied the idea of starting my own business.
Over the years, it stayed in the back of my mind as I continued to bake for my coworkers in my various jobs. My last job before the pandemic was working at an Italian Steakhouse, and I would bring in treats not only for my friends on shift but the customers too. When March of 2020 came along, the restaurant shut down and I, like so many others, was out of a job with nothing to do. Thats when I finally got the opportunity to delve back into this hobby that I had loved for so many years.
I started cooking and baking constantly to pass the time. I would drive to my co-workers houses and deliver (at a distance) small treats. When I had my family come over and try the macarons I was making, their excitement made ME so excited! Slowly, all those years of self-doubt and the pessimism I had felt towards beginning this business began to melt away. I started practicing constantly and developed a slight obsession. To keep myself sane, I was posting my progress on Instagram, and overtime, my family and friends FINALLY encouraged me to start the business.
The first time I ever posted a sales post, I felt so anxious and nervous, and I certainly didn’t realize the potential of what it could bring. All those years of negative emotions evaporated as people began to order more and gave me overwhelming support. It was really amazing to feel that shift from my teenage years and see the dreams of that little girl come to life. I have been baking ever since.
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
I am Mackenzie and I’m 25! I started my business at 22 during the COVID lockdown. Baking was something I always wanted to pursue more seriously, but my dream was often shut down due to doubts casted on its success. I was frequently reminded of the obstacles that existed between me and the attainment of my goal such as long hours, financial risk, high stress, and of course the likelihood that people simply wouldn’t like my product. There was no better time to get started for me than COVID, being down on my luck, unemployed, and unsure of the road ahead. Having the opportunity to dive into my craft uninterrupted gave me the practice and confidence I needed to be able to kick start my dream, and I haven’t looked back since!
I’m now able to offer a variety of products and services simple baked goods like sugar cookies to intricate multitiered wedding cakes to how-to videos on my various social media pages. I’ve been very blessed by the overwhelmingly positive support I receive from my friends, families, and complete strangers who decide every day to entrust me with delivering tasty treats for some of their most important milestones! Baking can be as easy or as difficult as you make it and that is especially true for anyone who is ordering from a small business like my own. I am always so excited to consult with a person looking for the perfect baked goods for their events. I like to think that I have a strong grasp on the creative aspect to baking, and I strive to provide a very personal touch to all of my baking to ensure that my vision and that of my customers are always aligned. It’s very important to me that I deliver goods that are everything they wanted and then some, so I take a lot of pride in my ability to work with a customer to bring their dream to life!
From a very personal perspective, I am most proud of building out my business in the face of poor odds, a global pandemic, and a lot of self-doubt. I have been able to make incredible relationships with my regular customers, and as a result, I really am getting to live out a lifelong dream of mine every day, for which I am incredibly grateful. I really just want all of my followers and future customers to know that this is a job I do because I love it as well as the people I get to work for. My entire brand is built on positivity and love for all things baking, and it is my genuine goal to bring that positivity and love into the lives of the people I engage with. I know there are so many other bakers that share my passion for our craft, and they deserve as much love and recognition as I have been so lucky to receive. It is my simple hope that if anyone comes across my social media, website, or products even for a second, that they will feel welcome to take part in the community I have been able to build!
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Without a doubt, Facebook has been the best source of new clients! Facebook makes it super easy to connect with people through my business page using local groups and community pages. It is essentially free marketing that also allows you to talk directly to potential customers as well as fellow bakers to build out a massive network of people surrounding your business!
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
When I first made my business Instagram, my followers consisted primarily of close friends and family. As time went on, word of mouth played the largest role in the growth of my account. Eventually, I became confident enough to pursue TikTok! I started by simply reposting my Instagram reels, but this did not prove to be seriously effective. It wasn’t until I began sharing my “day in the life” videos, which showcase the time, effort and love that go into my work, that my TikTok really started to take off. I think my excitement over my job and the transparency of what it looks like behind the careful editing has really resonated with my following. I have found that people really relate to the fact that I am a human who has a routine and makes mistakes because that sometimes gets lost in the pseudo-perfection we show in TikTok’s and reels. It has also introduced me to so many fellow home and hobby bakers which has, in turn, made me feel like I have found a community that I fit in with.
My advice would be to record everything. Everything is content! It’s also important to show that things do not always go to plan. Try to create something that you would relate to if you were scrolling! Lastly, just remember that vulnerability is a trait that everyone wants to see and very few are willing to show.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.macksmacsbakery.com
- Instagram: @itsmacksmacs
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/macksmacsbakery
- Other: TikTok: @itsmacksmacs
Image Credits
Lynette Ortiz