We were lucky to catch up with Staci Glover recently and have shared our conversation below.
Staci, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.
Believe it or not, I knew nothing about baking when I made my first cake. I was a young momma with a job that wasn’t really making ends meet and I had a little boy who was getting ready to have his first birthday. I couldn’t afford to buy him the cake I really wanted from our local grocery store, so I decided to try my hand at making it. From there I started making all of his birthday cakes, then my husbands, my daughters, friends, family. I thought to myself, there could be something to this. I needed the extra cash on the side, and I actually really enjoyed making/decorating cakes. So, I started watching YouTube videos and following tutorials on Pinterest and really pushing myself to learn new techniques. I always wanted to go to culinary school or at least take classes on cake decorating but I just never had the time to do it.
I never turned down a cake because I didn’t know how to do something. I looked at it as an opportunity to learn something new. I knew if I wanted to compete with Jacksonville’s most talented cake artists, that I needed to constantly push myself. Did every new technique turn out perfect? Nope! But I tried it and tried it again and then when it came time to make it happen on a cake, it was great!
I knew I always wanted to do wedding cakes but was never really sure how to go about getting started. How do you convince a bride to take a chance on you on what is considered one of the biggest days of her life? I got a call one day from a local event planner asking me to do a styled shoot at The Club Continental. I had no idea what a styled shoot even was. All I knew was they wanted a fake cake and that some beautiful people were going to be modeling next to it. Sign me up! Maybe this was my shot to get my name out there and finally make some connections with fellow vendors in the industry. It turns out that it was exactly what I needed. You don’t make money on styled shoots, but I didn’t let that stop me. Gotta spend money to make money sometimes, right? So, I did more and more styled shoots, met more vendors, went to tradeshows, bridal events, local meetings and meet and greets and got my name out there. I handed out so many brochures, flyers, business cards it was crazy! Finally, I was making traction in the wedding industry. Brides were noticing me, venues and event planners were reaching out, vendors were noticing me. I’ve been very blessed so far and have met some amazing people along the way. Am I where I want to be? Not yet, but I will be.
There have been a lot of sleepless nights, oven burns and cut fingers, but it’s been worth it. If you love what you do and you’re passionate about what you do, it shows in your product. People think that running your own business is this big glamorous thing, but the truth is, I get less sleep and work more hours than I ever did before. But it’s worth it! The people I get to meet and the creative side of the business really motivates me to keep pushing forward.
Staci, 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?
I’m a wedding cake designer and also offer dessert table options. I have 5 beautiful kiddos from the ages of 5 to 15 and have been married to my husband for 15 years. I have always had a sweet tooth and come from a long line of bakers, so I guess it was my destiny to be where I am today! I truly have a love for people and want the best for everyone.
I am meticulous about my cakes and desserts and try to make sure that everything that leaves the SBS kitchen is as close to perfection as possible. I want to make sure my clients are happy since I’m blessed enough to be a part of such a special occasion.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Word of mouth. A lot of the clients I have are because they were at another wedding or went to a bridal show or venue where one of my cakes/desserts were displayed. I VERY rarely pay for marketing or advertisements because for me, it just didn’t really work out. My cakes and desserts speak for themselves and the connections I feel I make with people play in large part to that as well.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
I am listed on a few different wedding sites like The Knot, Wedding Wire and a few others. I do literally EVERYTHING through Honeybook. It’s been the best at helping keep me organized and in touch with my clients. It’s also a lifesaver when it comes to tax time. I love that I can keep on point with my brand through all of these sites and that it allows me to link my CRM to them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sweetsbystaci.com
- Instagram: @sweetsbystaci
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/sweetsbystaci
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staci-glover-09136b61/
Image Credits
Christy Whitehead Photography Susan Dixon Photography Lolulamore Photography Ashley Dye Photography